In 1992 the Empty Bottle started out as a cat-ridden hole-in-the-wall bar in Ukrainian Village (just south of Wicker Park) where you could get any one of nine beers for a buck-fifty or less, play pool for 50 cents, and find everything from Monster Magnet to Bill Monroe on the jukebox.
On Halloween of 1993, we moved two blocks up the street and threw open the doors to our new, sound-equipped, slightly larger hole with three nights of great shows, culminating with a SCRAWL performance that could have been a scene out of "Carrie."
We've done a bunch of shows since then; we've also thrown four full-fledged proms (with RED RED MEAT as COTTON CANDY and THE GRIFTERS as PUMP ACTION RETARDS), pulled off an Independence Day cookout with TORTOISE, THE SEA AND CAKE, and 5IVE STYLE (during which we were hit by lightning and no one noticed), hosted a two-night garage extravaganza dubbed Bottle Shock, with MAN OR ASTROMAN?, THE MONO MEN, THE OBLIVIANS, and a special appearance by former Big Boy Tim Kerr and JACK O' FIRE, and organized a summer weenie roast with COWS, GAUNT, BABE THE BLUE OX, and four other great bands.
We also hosted the highly acclaimed Chicago Homocore series, the highlights of which included TEAM DRESCH and COME.
