Love was in the air last Wednesday night as The Empty Bottle and Pacifico Beer hosted Chicago hip-hop favorites JOEY PURP, KNOX FORTUNE and DJ THELONIOUS MARTIN for a very special Valentine’s Day Show.DJ THELONIOUS MARTIN, who was spinning on stage under the revolving shine of the disco ball, set the mood before anyone even had time to grab their first drinks. What a sweetheart. By the second sip he had the crowd grooving and swooning to everything from r&b classics, hints of remixed funk and even some Gwen Stefani. The transitions were smooth, and the vibe was set for the night.After a couple rounds, Chicago producer and rookie album releaser KNOX FORTUNE took to the stage to bring his late-night sounds to the hungry and energetic crowd. The anticipation was palpable, the energy sapable, you could almost drink the excitement stirring about. Pairing tracks together like an expert mixologist, KNOX, in signature style, flowed the likes of Connan Mockasin, Miguel and even some left-field Beatles for a truly unruly set.Last to take the stage was none other than the matchmaker of the evening, JOEY PURP. Alongside him was STIX and PETER COTTONTALE of THE SOCIAL EXPERIMENT band providing some live instrumentation, which created some very unique stylings of tracks from JOEY’s earlier recordings.He mused the crowd like everyone was his soulmate, impressing at all costs playing signatures off “iiidrops”, bringing out fellow Chicago rapper KAMI to join the party and even teasing new music from his long-awaited follow up project “Quarter Thing”. To seal the deal, JOEY’S debut at the Bottle wouldn't have been complete unless the crowd hauled him back onto the stage for a final nightcap track where he blasted his beloved song “Girls @” before finally saying goodnight.Blood was flowing and the taps stayed pouring as another Valentine’s Day at the Empty Bottle came to a close, till next year ya lovebirds!Review by Allen Stewart. Photography by Victoria Sanders.

On Saturday, 3/25 and Sunday, 3/26, we hosted the first three shows of #EB25 2017! Here's a recap for all our friends out there who are far away, couldn't make it, or were too drunk to remember.

First, we saw a visit from New Orleans duo QUINTRON & MISS PUSSYCAT co-headlining with our boy NOBUNNY on Saturday. Everyones favorite rodent rock group, RATSO AND THE RABBITS, opened. Headed by local television star RATSO (Chic-A-Go-Go) this rambunctious crew kicked things off with a bang.

NOBUNNY performed next. We're always ready for the loud and energetic performance this woodland creature brings to our stage. And in nothing but his skivvies, to boot! This was NOBUNNY's seventh Empty Bottle performance - in the words of the great FOREIGNER, "feels like the first time."

QUINTRON AND MISS PUSSYCAT brought a much-needed blast from the past in the form of their signature genre-defying "Swamp-Tech" dance music. Due to an unfortunate accident during home repairs, Mr. QUINTRON had his left arm captive to a sling. Luckily, he brought friend and fellow N'awlins boy Benny along to fill in for his injured appendage. Fun fact: did you know QUINTRON and Bottle bossman Bruce go way back to their college days at University of Missouri?

On Sunday, we revived an olden day tradition of two TORTOISE shows in one days. Both shows were opened by THE LONESOME ORGANIST, the one-man band project of Jeremy Jacobsen. Using guitar, keys, harmonica, steel drum, and various percussion instruments, Jacobsen put on a spectacular show not once, but twice.

Speaking of double trouble, celebrating #EB25 with Chicago post-rock legends TORTOISE twice in one day is kind of a dream. These guys have played the Bottle over a dozen times, yet the sheer magnitude of their talent never ceases to amaze. During one of their encores, they welcomed JIM ELKINGTON, guitarist from ELEVENTH DREAM DAY, to the stage to shred with them. 'Twas an amazing evening we shall never forget!

Thanks to everyone who made it out! On deck for our #EB25 Anniversary Series... 

• April 14th - The Cool Kids, Owen Bones, The Boy Illinois

• April 15th - New Bomb Turks, Daylight Robbery, Son of a Gun, Mixed Deuce, Bric-a-Brac Records DJs, Benefit for Ben Reber

• April 28th - Pissed Jeans, STNNNG, The Catburglars

• May 13th & 14th - The Black Lips

• May 19th - Big Freedia

• May 27th - Local H

Modern Baseball.

Hell ya! Lollapalooza is here and we are stoked about it. This year marks the 25th birthday of the iconic music festival, so get ready to see Lollapalooza cruising in its' new legally rented car? Along with hosting some official after shows for these massively talented artists at Empty Bottle, many of the bands playing at the fest have graced Ye Olde Bottle stage over the years. Check it out...Modern Baseball The Empty Bottle is excited to welcome MODERN BASEBALL to our stage for the first time Friday, July 29th with Gambier, OH band SPORTS& DJ BETH KLAKO, and. Indie rock quartet MODERN BASEBALL hail from Philadelphia, PA and crank out their own brand of emo, pop-punk tunes--citing some late 90s early 00s as their influences such as SAY ANYTHING, MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK, and DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL. Self-recording their first album as college freshman, they have since garnered over 100,000 social media followers and millions of plays on popular streaming services. Their new album, Holy Ghost, was released on Run for Cover Records in May and captures a more refined version of their nostalgia-tinged punk sound. We JUST released more tickets to this show, so hurry on up! (If you miss out, limited tickets will be available with doors at 9 PM). MODERN BASEBALL plays Lollapalooza on Friday.

Chairlift

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We are thrilled welcome back NY synth pop duo CHAIRLIFT on Saturday, July 30th for a Lollapalooza aftershow with New York artist ELA MINUS and DJ OSHWA. CHAIRLIFT 

have been on our radar since their 2008 breakout hit

Bruises

which catapulted the band into the ears of millions after being featured in an Apple commercial. Now signed to

Columbia Records

, they released their third album this past January entitled

Moth.

On July 22nd, the duo 

teased new music with the release of a single titled,

Get Real

.

CHAIRLIFT

is no stranger to The Empty Bottle stage, having played in both 2008 and 2012. We just opened up

more tickets

to this show - get 'em before they're gone!  (If you miss out, limited tickets will be available with doors at 9 PM). 

Chairlift

plays Lollapalooza on

Saturday

.

More Empty Bottle Veterans:

Long before their headlining days,

FLOSSTRADAMUS

was just two guys from Chicago with a passion for music. Now Josh Young (J2K) and

Curt Cameruci (AUTOBOT) have played their electronic sets for millions of avid listeners, working with other high-profile acts such as DIPLO

, JUICY J, THE COOL KIDS, and A-TRAK. Back when they were just starting out in 2006-2007, FLOSSTRADAMUS played the Empty Bottle stage a couple notable times, including a July '07 show opening for CHROMEO. They headline on

Thursday night

of Lollapalooza.

San Diego rock band

WAVVES

,

have spent numerous nights on the Empty Bottle stage from 2009 to 2013, including two different Lollapalooza after shows! The brainchild of frontman Nathan Williams, the band has morphed into a surf-pop/punk powerhouse, creating upbeat tunes for almost a decade. They play Lollapalooza on

Thursday

.  

Indie rock band

MOTHERS

 has produced a lot of buzz in the past year. Originally a solo project

singer/songwriter Kristine Leschper started in 2013,

MOTHERS

blossomed into a full-fledged four piece and landed a deal with label Grand Jury. They played a show at Empty Bottle just this past May and play Lollapalooza on

Sunday

.

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LA trio AUTOLUX 

have made a name for themselves with their electronic-infused alternative rock. With three records under their belt and a deal with

Columbia

, these rockers are ones to keep an eye on. Their most recent album,

Pussy’s Dead

, was released this past April, the same month AUTOLUX played to a sold out Empty Bottle audience! You 

can catch them at Lollapalooza on

Thursday

.

Hailing from Scotland, indie rock band

FRIGHTENED RABBIT

has been exciting audiences since 2003. With their sixth effort

Painting of a Panic Attack

released by

Atlantic Records

this year, they have established themselves as a steadfast rock band. Back in 2007,

FRIGHTENED RABBIT

played a show at the Bottle before playing two sold out shows in 2009. They play a sold out show at our sister-venue

Thalia Hall 

on

Thursday

and Lollapalooza on

Friday

! 

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NOTHING 

has been pumping out heavy metal-infused indie rock since they formed in 2011.

NOTHING was born out of former HORRORSHOW member Domenic Palermo’s desire for a fresh start after a brief jail stint. They played Empty Bottle in 2015 and you can see them at Lollapalooza on

Saturday

.

While all girl punk band

POTTY MOUTH

 hasn’t released an album since 2013, their melancholy 90’s inspired tunes continue to give us all the feels. Back in 2013, in anticipation of their debut full-length,

Hell Bent

, POTTY MOUTH

played the Bottle with HEAVEN and DISINHERITED. They play Lollapalooza on

Saturday

.

Potty Mouth's new album, Hell Bent, comes out Sept. 17.

Los Angeles indie band

LOCAL NATIVES 

have been making dreamy rock songs since their formation in 2008. In 2013, the band played a free show at Empty Bottle sponsored by

93XRT

and

Bud Light

. They play the

Sunday

of Lollapalooza.

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This past weekend of  LEVITATION CHICAGO at Thalia Hall was quite the time! Spring is upon us and we find ourselves on the other side of a killer three days of music at LEVITATION CHICAGO music festival.  Let's dive on in to revisit how great of a time we had music-friendly-dancing (and drinking LAGUNITAS beer)all over Thalia Hall. [Pictures by Allison Taich ]First things first, thank you to everyone that came out. We hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as we did!DAY 1Thursday began withthe jaw-dropping performance (both musically and acrobatic) by  EARTHEATER aka Alexandra Drewchin. Israeli shoegaze group VAADAT CHARIGIM followed, their strictly Hebrew lyrics resonate with us all. The always entertaining GARY WILSON came next with his taboo experimental performance, backed by an entirely local band, including favorites JIMMY WHISPERS and BEN BILLINGTON. LA metal dudes HEALTH played the crowd with a serious lesson in head-banging.. This set the scene perfectly for headliner ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER, who's experimental set is still thumping in our eardrums. HAUSU MOUNTAIN DJS killed it spinning between sets.VAADAT CHARIGIMGARY WILSONHEALTHONEOHTRIX POINT NEVERDAY 2Australian postpunk band NITE FIELDS began Friday night by propelling the crowd into outer space. Next was the electronic drone solo project of Benjamin John Power, aka BLANCK MASS, who was blowing minds and taking names. Chicago folk musician RYLEY WALKER made everyone feel at home before Sir Richard Bishops' latest project RANGDA burned that house down. LIGHTNING BOLT, probably the best known (and perhaps only) noise band of their kind, parked their set on the ground for a more intimate experience. The reunited ROYAL TRUX proved that one big breakup and a decade of barely speaking did not hinder their musical chemistry. Through it all, THRILL JOCKEY  DJS kept the party going in between sets.Additional photos + a recap of day two can be found via The Line of Best Fit.LIGHTNING BOLTRYLEY WALKERDAY  3The last day of LEVITATION CHICAGO began with METHYL ETHEL nailing it with their cozy indie-rock. NATURAL INFORMATION SOCIETY & BITCHIN' BAJAS were up next, a unbeatable combination with synths and sintir abounding. NIGHT BEATS were next, bringing along their garage-psych set, which made us feel like teens who just discovered their parents album collection. The awe-inspiring  CIRCUIT DES YEUX left her ethereal home planet to grace the crowd with her presence, and then Stoner-prog instrumentalist EARTHLESS lead the audience on a musically induced trip. Direct support German krautrock godfather's fAUst gave an unpredictable, experimental Psychedelic set that was a privilege to witness. Headliner doom-folk goddess CHELSEA WOLFE closed out LEVITATION CHICAGO 2016 breathing life into her haunting yet entrancing songwriting. PERMANENT RECORDS DJS kept the party going in between sets.CIRCUIT DES YEUXEARTHLESSFAUSTNIGHT BEATSPERMANENT RECORDS DJs----NEXT UP on our EBP festival radar is Do Division Fest:  Friday, June 3rd 5-10pm... Saturday & Sunday, June 4th & 5th 12-10 pm.

In this modern age full of knowledge and wireless Internet it's rare to find a band with a minimal paper trail, but THE SUEVES have achieved just that. What they lack in an E-presence they make up for, in abundance, at their live show. The no-frills trio has been ripping through the Chicago music scene for the last four years and are showing no signs of slowing down, which is good news for you if a unique blend of garage-rockabilly-surf-rock is something your into. I caught up with THE SUEVES for some beers and to exchange some short and sweet words.

ASHLEIGH DYE: I know you’re all Chicago transplants, but how did you guys meet?

ANDY MARTIN: School, commercial class. We had a class where we watched only commercials, it was awesome. I sold you adderall. Then we started jamming.

ROB PISKAC: I saw him tapping his thighs in class and asked him “Hey, do you play the drums?” and he said, “Yeah, want some Adderall?”

AD: How’d Joe get wrapped into the mix?

JOE SCHORGL: Well, I met Andy through Max, who used to be in the band. We got together in Andy’s basement and started playing, then Rob joined later.

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AD: How does JOE & OTIS tie into this. Was it a project you had before THE SUEVES or is it just a comic strip?

JS: That’s a pretty sensitive question. I don’t really know who Otis is. Andy do you know who Otis is?

AM: I’m not Otis.

AD: How have you guys grown since you started THE SUEVES?

AM: OK, so we started as a three piece, then Rob joined the band and we were a four piece, then we lost a member now we’re a three piece again.

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AD: What’s the songwriting process like?

JS: Recently we’ve been playing together and making stuff up on the spot. I used to come in with guitar parts and we’d all just kind of add something to it, then I’d spend a long time trying to out words into it.

AD: You guys have been playing with the same bands for a few years now. How have you seen the scene grow and change in that time?

JS: It’s different. There’s a lot more bands that seem to be doing things. I think that we are slightly more serious. We’ve always been a live band, we’d play any show. I remember the first time the Bottle got upset with us for playing a show a week before a show we had booked there and we just didn't fucking get it. We were like, why do you care? Now I get it.

AM: Now we can rely more on ourselves as opposed to other people. In the past we’d always have to borrow a car or something. Now Joe has his van. We also were really lucky to have people recording our shows and stuff.

AD: Yeah, you guys have so many live videos, it’s nuts. Do you ask people to do that?

AM: No, never.

AD: The Knock Out comp was pretty gnarly. Got any other compilations in the works?

RP: Dogs vomiting.

AD: Out of all the places you’ve played, where is your favorite place to play in Chicago?

JS: Without sounding too cliche, I think I’d have to say the Empty Bottle. It was one of the first bigger shows we played, one of the first screen printed posters I made for a show here.

AD: Do you like to use THE SUEVES as an outlet for your illustrative background?

JS: I’ve always liked to combine the two. One frustration I’ve always had is that people always talk about art and music as if they are two separate things, which really isn’t the case.

AD: So, the name THE SUEVES comes from the name of a tribe you read about. What would your tribe M.O. be?

JS: “Why do a whole 360 when you could go 280.”

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AD: You guys are pretty elusive on the net. Is that intentional?

JS: Not really, but  I do think things at their purest level should just speak for themselves. This is something I struggle with daily, what to fucking think of the internet. I’m learning how to let something speak for itself through the internet, but a live show should be a live show, and I don’t want to hear about your fucking band telling me I need to be there on the internet.

AD: What’s on the horizon for THE SUEVES? The last thing you released was in 2013, right? It’s 2015 now, guys.

JS: Yeah, we’ve got some top secret things in the works, we also have a 7” coming out with HoZac at the end of this month. It’s great, we got the test pressing and are each taking turns having it and listening to it. We’re just waiting for it to get made, waiting for that big brown box.

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--------------------------------------Words & photos by Ashleigh DyeDrawing by Joe SchorglCATCH THE SUEVES FRIDAY NIGHT when they headline The Bottle with LALA LALA, THE FUNS and EARRING. It's ONLY $5 to get in!

OSHWA is the musical brain child of Alicia Walter, starting as a solo piece, growing into the wondrously chaotic four-piece it is today. OSHWA's sound is a sonic landscape, bursting at the seams with Walter's exuberant and romantic vocals and dynamic instrumentals, all set to an array of erratic and complex time tempos.  I talked with Walter about learning to appreciate the more rigid parts of music and OSHWA's journey to a truer, more stripped down sound.

ASHLEIGH DYE: Do you want to start by telling me how OSHWA got started?

ALICIA WALTER: It started in 2010 as a solo project of mine. I was living in a co-op in Rogers Park and going to Loyola at the time, I had just transferred from Illinois Wesleyan. I was studying piano and decided that I wasn't really into that. So, I transferred to Loyola and moved into this co-op with 16 other people. It was really fun, we all encouraged each others creative process. I started throwing shows there around the same time I started the project. Jordan was the first person to join the band, it was sort of a duo for a while. We were a full band with four members about ten months after that.

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AD: You grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, how did that affect your view on the music scene once you got here?

AW: There was actually a really awesome music scene just in the suburbs, too. In high school I was going to a lot of shows in the suburbs. I remember coming to the city for one show at a DIY space, that I can’t even remember the name of, at the time it was really crazy to me. That wasn't something I did all the time. Its funny, because where I grew up had a really good band scene and I thought that was just how it was for everyone. Some of those people are still active in Chicago now. I think the DIY nature of things really shaped what I thought was possible when coming to Chicago.

AD: Outside of what you are physically able to play, where do you see your classically trained background in OSHWA?

AW: Three of the four of us have a decent background in classical music, I think that informs lot of our decisions in ways we can’t even really see in the moment. I think our ears tend to lean toward certain sounds that they otherwise wouldn't without our classical backgrounds. I definitely, now, really value that education. At the time when I was in college and turning away piano I was all “fuck the system, I’m sick of the rules.” But, now I feel like the rules are there for a reason and I’m so glad I know how to do some of the stuff that I was originally very against.

AD: You had this great thing you said in another interview you did that went something along the lines of “Why am I playing this piece of music for hours that so many other people have played and will play better than I will.” Which was pretty thought provoking for me.

AW: That was one of my major frustrations with studying piano. When you’re studying performance you aren't studying the way people write music, or how to write music, you’re studying how to be a performer. And in terms of piano, classical piano performance has a very limited market for jobs and actual success. Anyone is better than you, if you can do it someone can do it better than you.AD: Would you say that’s what you appreciate about having that background and having OSHWA as an outlet? You get to create your own music and standards.AW: I think studying music so professionally for so long gave me a strong sense of discipline that makes your standards really high, because you’re used to having to prove yourself daily to your professors. I think we all come from that standpoint, we really have high personal standards and high standards as a group for what we put out. And it definitely feels good to be creating and writing what you’re spending so much time playing.

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AD: What’s the songwriting process like for you guys? There is so much layering happening is there a certain line that comes first?

AW: Chamomile Crushis coming from a billion different places and I think we’ll look back on it as the album where we figured out how to do anything. We were recording and writing at the same time and recording ourselves, then we were recording with other people, then we re-recorded everything and recorded again, it was a crazy messed up totally un-guided process. The instrumental parts on Chamomile Crush were written totally by me, which felt nice because I was able to use my degree and the things I've learned. Now the process is a little bit different. We used to write chunks then piece them together, now I’ve been presenting a whole song to the band and we either strip it down, or add to it with other people. I think it’s becoming more streamlined, now that we are getting the rhythm of it.

AD: You’re working on a lot of new stuff right now, right?

AW: Yeah, we haven’t recorded any of it yet, right now most of our live set is new music. It’s exciting to see the new direction we are going in. With this sophomore album I think all the math-rock connotations will be dropped. It’s still rhythmically interesting, but we aren’t doing like crazy time signature changes. Now its way more like, “Here’s a pop song.” I don't think we’re simplifying in a bad way, we’re just figuring out how to do it our way. A lot of our old stuff was very chaotic and I think it was just us trying to figure out how to do something that sounds different. Now we’ve come back around and just want to jam out and take it easy. Everything is so much easier that way, too. Practice is a lot harder when your time tempos are so crazy. Having been exposed to a lot of music I think you get this mentality that “We can do this so differently and crazier”, but then you realize “Oh, I actually can enjoy just cruising around and listening to something like Beach House.”

AD: I think people can get into a mind space where they feel like if their stuff is outwardly different or unique that there isn't as much value to it. You did a block 2 block segment on living in Pilsen and talked about how much art and graffiti is around, which is all so incredible and vibrant. When you talked about that all I could think about was how your music seems to be the sonic interpretation of Pilsen’s vibrant art scene. Do you think that informs or inspires your sound at all?

AW: It does on various levels. You don’t see the street art you do here anywhere else in the city, it’s something you can't ignore, it just seeps into you. Pilsen is still somewhat off the beaten path, we aren’t Wicker Park or Lakeview, it’s still a lot of families. I really value being surrouned by people who aren’t all like me. Also, Pilsen is not centrally located at all. You’re a little bit more closed off and when you’re trying to work on something that can be a really good thing. When we were really heavily writing for Chamomile Crush that was something that really helped.

AD: You guys went on your first big tour last summer, did you have any major first tour band lessons that you learned?

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AW: Oh my god, Jesus Christ yes. We were really ambitious, I booked the tour, and we didn’t stay in a single city for more than a day. We played 20 shows in 18 days. We were constantly moving, there was never any chill time. The nature of doing it DIY and sleeping on people’s couches, getting back at three in the morning then having to leave again at eight caused us all to hit a wall. Like, I can’t physically do this again!words & photos by Ashleigh Dye.Listen to OSHWA here.Don't miss OSHWA tonight with BUKE & GASE and PALM. 

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I was first introduced to Mutual Benefit in late 2009 through some mutual friends Jordan Lee and I shared in a small town in Ohio - the cassette I bought that year has played constantly throughout my life during the last five years. The songs act as a time machine, slowly whisking me away, taking me on a winding voyage back in time to hiking trails and rooftop beers with large groups of friends.For anyone who's listened to Mutual Benefit it's easy to see that it's not the just musical mind space of the prolific Jordan Lee, but a living, breathing musical entity that grows and evolves with each new experience. What started as a group of recordings done in a spider-filled basement, has blossomed into a full-blown lazer-folk dreamscape. With wondrous cameos of both people and instruments sprinkled throughout each song, the discography acts as a map of Mutual Benefit's past and future, tiny clues that shed some light on the journey that Lee has embarked on as Mutual Benefit. I caught up with Jordan before his show at the Bottle to talk about how Mutual Benefit has grown, sources of inspiration, and what being on a larger label means to him.  ASHLEIGH DYE: Your earlier recordings, especially those cassettes you made and put out, were recorded on smaller, more toy-like equipment, which was a huge element to your sound. How has that morphed and grown as Mutual Benefit has grown?JORDAN LEE: On all my recordings I try and just use what's around, so on those earlier recordings I had a lot of stuff that I had picked up at garage sales and thrift stores. For Love’s Crushing Diamond I went back to this recording studio I had interned at in Texas, he had a Moog synth and all these old Korgs from the 80’s. It was fun to be able to use those. People can kind of be low-fi snobs, like they think if it’s a good piece of equipment they won’t use it, but that’s silly. It’s kind of funny, because in some environments when you’re playing a show every day and you have to do efficient sound checks you need things to work really well. So I have this Casio that I love the sound of, but it was giving us a lot of trouble on stage. Our drummer, Dylan, who’s so much smarter than me at most things, sampled the Casio onto a sampling keyboard. So we have this really high-tech keyboard on stage, but it’s just playing a reproduction of an 80’s Casio.AD: Nice, I like the inventiveness! That seems pretty true to MUTUAL BENEFIT as a whole. You’ve traveled around and move so much that you rely on what’s around and what you can make happen. Have you released any other cassettes aside from the Spider Heaven/Drifting split?JL: I did I Saw the Sea on cassette. It was tied into this Kickstarter that we did years ago. We got invited to do a bunch of stuff for SXSW, but we couldn’t afford to get there. We did the Kickstarter for $400 so we could buy a second ticket. I released I Saw the Sea around that time, so if you bought a cassette it just helped us get there. I did a pretty good job getting all the rewards and tapes out to people, but there was one guy named Ben and his cassette came back to me as undeliverable. At the time I was moving a lot and just forgot to resend it, and I guess he lives in DC. This happened three years ago, but he messaged me last week when we played DC and he had donated $50 and was supposed to get all this stuff. He said “you got that I Saw the Sea cassette for me? You’re two years late!” and I totally didn’t have it and he messaged me back saying “you owe me $50!” So I PayPaled him the money back. That’s the dark side to DIY.AD: Have you put anything out on Kassette Klub in a while?JL: It’s pretty much totally defunct. Running a label is the exact opposite of touring. You have to be in one spot for extended periods of time and really diligent. I think a lot of people start labels for the same reason, they have friends who are doing amazing things, but no one knows or cares about it. The older I got the more I realized that someone else would do a way better job with their stuff than I could. I started to feel like I was really fucking up the careers of these people that I cared about. It’s funny because Sam, who’s playing tonight, I put out his cassette tape and totally screwed it up. I sent a corrupted file to the pressing plant and got sent 250 cassettes where side B was blank. That was one of the defining moments where I realized I wasn’t very fit to do this. I had a really interesting conversation with a friend who runs a label called Crash Symbols, they put out a lot of interesting things and are very professional, I was visiting them in West Virginia and thinking that we’re all doing this tape thing, maybe we can all band together and make it a big thing and I told him about it and he said “I definitely don’t want to do that, it sounds awful.” He went on to explain that he didn’t want to get bigger and was more than happy doing runs of 100 tapes. Which was a really interesting thing to think about, that some people are happy and complacent at different levels of action.AD: How often do you go back and listen to your earlier recordings? That Spider Heaven/Drifting cassette you made the year I met you has gotten an insane amount of playtime, it always takes me right back to that time in my life.JL: The further away I get from them, the less I listen to them. I listen to them every six months. They evoke a really strange array of memories for me. Especially Spider Heaven. I had just moved back to Ohio and was bouncing between an apartment in Columbus and living in the basement of my parents’ house. It’s called Spider Heaven because the room I recorded in in my parent’s basement had spiders everywhere. When they have babies they shoot these balloons out that are filled with 100’s of spider babies. I think it’s actually called ballooning.AD: Was MUTUAL BENEFIT your first musical project? Were you doing anything while growing up in Pickerington, Ohio?JL: In Pickerington I had a shitty pop punk band, with a lot of people that I’m actually still friends with. It was kind of Christian pop punk.AD: Where you literally singing about God, or was it just really posi?JL: The vibes were subtle, they were subtle God vibes. My parents let us have shows in the basement, we used to play at this golf course cabin, but the shows got too weird and they stopped letting us book there. I remember my mom was a 5th grade teacher, so she was always using all this clipart, and she printed out this picture of a droopy police dog and it said “Don’t Do Any Drugs.” She hung them up everywhere. Later after that I was recording some pop songs under my name.AD: Cowboy Prayer and your earlier stuff was recorded by just you, but with Love’s Crushing Diamond there were more many more outside influences in the recordings, right?JL: Yeah, the songs started out as shitty demos, then I would end up meeting someone and we would spend three or four pretty intense days together recording and playing and I would take those and fit them into the songs.AD: Did that have a lot to do with how often you moved around? What I really love about MUTUAL BENEFIT is that these cameos of musicians that are throughout the album can kind of pin point you to a certain geographical location.JL: I was starting to feel like the songs would never get done, I had worked on them for over a year. It felt like a thing that I would always be working on. It was really nice to be able to bring in fresh influences. I definitely treated it like a hobby, at times. Like I’d be with a group of people already hanging out with a bunch of guitars around, so lets just play some chords over this and see what happens.AD: You’re pretty stationed in New York right now, correct? You’ve been there about a year? How has that affected your sound, you’ve mentioned a few times that a big part of how you stay so inspired is constantly moving to new places and experiencing new people and things. Have you had to change what inspires you?JL: I’ve been in New York about a year exactly. We’ve been on the road about 70% of this year, so I am still very enamored by New York, it almost feels like I’m visiting when I’m there. When I first got there my living situation was just the worst ever, I was sharing a room with my partner and our friend. We had to air mattresses and a bunch of blankets and just called it Mega Bed. So we just were all sleeping on Mega Bed, then Dylan helped us make a loft so it upgraded to a bunk bed, now we finally have the room to ourselves. I think for a long time I wasn’t very satisfied being in one spot, I would get ansty and if a situation got weird I would think “oh I need to get on the road and be free.” I think I've grown up a little bit, to where if I have conflicts or I feel bored or weird I actually want to work it out, instead of just moving to a new city. This is also the first time I’ve been in a long-term relationship, I’m an aspiring norm.AD: Where do you think you’d want to go post new York?JL: It might seem stereotypical, but I really loved Berlin. We got to stay there for a few days on tour and the people there were so interesting and I felt really at home. There are fun little towns like Portland, or Austin where you meet these great, interesting people. Berlin felt like that, only bigger and weirder.AD: So, obviously the people that you’ve met and the experiences you’re having affect your sound, but do you think the literal geographic location you were in while writing or recording played a large role in the sound of your music?JL: Yeah, definitely. I think it’s both subtle and not subtle. The best example is Statue of a Man is about being on a train, because I was literally on a train. A lot of that album was written in St. Louis and I basically had no idea what I was doing with my life in Boston, it was so expensive and I was starting to really not like it, so I took a break and was in St. Louis for a long time. I kind of didn’t make any friends and had some really cheap rent where I could record, but anytime I went outside, the part of St. Louis I was in was so bleak and desolate and used to be a certain type of way, I think some of the songs about destruction and rebuilding, in retrospect, had a lot to do with where I was living.AD: You mentioned in an interview that being on a label where your requests, musically, can be really easily met is something that makes you feel anxious. Why does the addition of, nearly, limitless opportunity turn you off?JL: The MO for this band forever has just been to let fate somewhat dictate. If there’s not a certain type of instrument around I won’t imagine incorporating it into the song. So, when I started talking to different labels about the next record and they were telling me “figure out what you want it to sound like and we’ll make it happen” it started to really freak me out, because it’s just a totally different way of doing things than I am used to. I think the biggest reason it’s scary is because what I like to do is really take my time on a group of songs, and let life experiences happen, and to have people come in and out of my life, and for this thing to be the product of that. That you can feel that time has passed through the songs, and I think a label wants almost the exact opposite of that. “Write some songs, take a week to record them, we’ll set the release date, hopefully it lines up with festival season so we can get the single out at the right time…” Just hearing all the phrases, makes me feel like “aw, I don’t know if I want to do this.” The people on the label were super nice and helpful, but they just accidentally set off all my anxiety alarms.AD:  How do you plan to keep a sense of spontaneity in your work?JL: I have two ideas. One is to set a pretty good buffer time in between this tour and starting to write again. I want to take on some part time jobs and reincorporate into the human race. I think it really messes with your head, everyday playing a show, marketing people talking to you about how many presales there are for a show, and what blogs you should talk to, and what markets, that’s what they call cities, you need to hit. It can be dehumanizing. I definitely want to get out of that headspace. Another idea I have which started as a whim, which I have whims of ideas all the time, but this one I’ve had for over a year, which is to teach music lessons to kids. I’m not particularly good at any one instrument, but I think it could be great to meet kids and really talk with them about what they are trying to do and build a curriculum around what inspires them, make them do some really hippy stuff like write in a journal.

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Big Dipper's got a one track mind, and it's headed full-force into the depths of his own success and happiness. Ever since releasing his first EP, 2013's They Ain't Ready, the Chicago-bred rapper has quickly become everyone's favorite filth and slime-covered bear. With his inspiring confidence on stage, a personality that is wildly vivacious, his ability to stay true to himself and those around him, and a beats/flow comb that makes you want to shake your booty for the rest of eternity, it's pretty damn easy to see why we fall so hard for Brooklyn's next biggest thing. (He lives in Brooklyn now.)Big Dipper came back to the Bottle last week for a show that started with a panel discussion, hosted by the Illinois Humanities Council, and transitioned - seamlessly, we might add - into celebrations of drag, performance, femininity, and self-expression. In between sets, Big Dipper and I had some sidewalk sausages and talked all things Big Dips. We also saws some really cute dogs and danced in the street.ASHLEIGH DYE: I know hip hop and rap were a big part of your childhood, but when did the performance and visual aspect come into play? When did you realize you wanted to fuse all of those elements into Big Dipper?BIG DIPPER: Well, I went to theater school, so I was also really attracted to performance and showmanship and putting on a spectacle. I was working in Chicago doing video work. I was working as an assistant. We were doing really basic videos for non-profits and I saw the potential for video work. I realized all you need is a vision and access to the equipment. It was immediately after I made my first song as Big Dipper that I wanted to do a video for it. It was originally going to be a one-off, we made Drip Drop, and then we made the Drip Drop video. I even made a Kickstarter for it, it was the first thing I did.  I’ve always been about the music, the visual, the performance, the everything. I don’t see myself as a trained musician. I don’t really have good pitch, I can’t really sing, but I know what sounds good and the type of story telling I want a song to have. That’s what I’m attracted to: The whole picture.AD: Do your live shows have as much planning as your music videos?BD: Absolutely, definitely when I first started. Any time I work with back-up dancers we’ll have a rehearsal, we’ll talk through the entire set list, we’ll talk about all the story telling aspects of each song. Like, this song is about fucking, this next song is about falling in love, this songs about turning up at the party, so how do those feed into one another? I plan my live sets like that.AD: What’s it take to be a Big Dipper back up dancer?BD: You have to have a lot of personality. You have to be pretty fearless, too.  I just did a show up in Ithaca and my three back-up dancers were some of my friends. One runs an organic good company, one is a baker who makes vegan cupcakes, the other one is a teacher’s aid for a special needs class. None of them are trained dancers, but they’re my friends and they’re super down to shake their ass. That’s what it’s about. It’s about attitude and having fun, not who can put their leg highest.AD: The first time I saw you the backup dancers were one of my many favorite parts of the show.  They were throwing it down, but also looked like some normal-ass people.BD: I don’t look like the typical rapper. If you sort of play into 90’s stereotypes of gay men, that very trim, clean shaven man, I don’t look like that either.  I’m not stereotypical across the board, so I don’t strive to have any of the aspects of my show be stereotypical.AD: How does BD existing in Brooklyn differ from BD existing in Chicago?BD: I mean, Brooklyn is a different city, but I feel like I exist the same. The clubs and parties are different in BK and Chicago, but it's all about the people really. I have such a strong home base in Chicago with artists and performers that I want to work with for the rest of my life, but that is growing, too, in the Brooklyn and NYC communities that I am a part of.AD: You have such a commanding confidence about you and your music; it's so compelling. What's the source of your confidence?BD: Hmmm, not sure. I mean I know when I'm good at something I feel confident. But, often times I feel shy or awkward when I don't have a job to do, came to a party alone, or don't know an environment.  When I'm playing a show that is where I am meant to be, up on the stage performing. Knowing that I am doing my job, in the right place, it gives me endless confidence. But, that confidence point can easily waver, and when I get tripped up, I can fall really hard and get down on myself, so when I've got it, I revel in that moment.AD: You've developed such a good amount of grime to your sound! I love "My Phone Go." It's very Missy Elliot circa 2002. How do you keep things so slimy? What comes first, the beats or the raps?BD: The beats always come first. Sometimes I write rhymes here and there on the train, I sort of come up with ideas. But mostly it's when I hear a beat I just start with whatever pops in my head and the song takes shape pretty quickly after that. With the right combo of me and a producer in the studio, I feel like we can make a song in about an hour or less.AD:  Watching and hearing what you’ve done from They Aint Ready to the new stuff you’ve been putting out, it seems like you have really hit your stride. Was there a specific breakthrough moment?BD: Well, I’m not very patient, so They Ain’t Ready is literally the first five songs I ever made. There was nothing made during that time that I was like “No, we aren’t going to use that.” So, I am so hungry to get in the studio and work on new material. I put out a mix tape last October and anyone who has been coasting on a mix tape for over a year, I mean c’mon! A bunch of my new stuff is going to be really crazy and out there. When I first started I had a very narrow version of what I could talk about and what I waned to talk about. That has really evolved, especially since moving to Brooklyn and meeting other artist and musicians, and since gaining my own confidence to be a rapper. My flow is different, what I consider doing is different. I'm just working hard, challenging myself to get better with each track, and pushing my own limits of what I think I'm capable of doing. It is really easy to put yourself in a box after making one song or making one video.... to think "this is all I'm capable of."  So if I continue to challenge myself to grow as an artist and MC, then my shit will only get better.AD: I really love the new tunes you’ve been putting out, especially "Love Jam," literally the best love song I've ever heard; I keep singing it to my boyfriend. It also seems like the first time we've seen a softer side to BD. What inspired you to slow things down a bit?BD: I just wanted to do something different. Everyone always expects me to be so raunchy in person, but it really just comes out of me when I perform or record, so I wanted to challenge myself to do something sweeter. I love "Love Jam," as well.AD: Describe Big Dipper's best date. BD: Sex. Food. Movie on the couch. Sex. Donuts. AD: What’s your dream video collaboration?BD: Oh man, to me it’s always about scale. I feel confident in my artistry, I feel confident in my collaborators, and I think that we think things through well and have good visions. With unlimited budget I just think about everything I could have done with our past videos, everything that we are doing, just blowing it up bigger. It’s like Drake says, "no new friends." Chicago people are people I was making art with three years ago and if anything ever were to pop off and leave me with more financial resources I just want to keep working with the same people I’ve been working with, just on a larger scale.AD: I can’t wait to see "Vibbin'." You’ve been such a tease with all those photos you’re posting!BD: I literally look like a Disney princess in that video. The way that whole thing comes together looks like a Disney situation and then I have another new video that’s such like a green screen, Tumblr, very sort of independent music act type video. Being able to put both those things out in the world, being able to self-fund the green screen video and raise almost $10,000 for the other one, I feel so lucky I can straddle those two worlds. I just want to do it on a much bigger scale.AD: Rap can be so focused on hyperbole and exaggeration. Why is it important to you to stay true to yourself and rap about your life? BD: Rap is about authenticity, and even if other MCs brag about money and cars and sex and whatever, I don't have that lifestyle and I would feel foolish talking about it. I'm broke, I’m an artist, I'm gay, I have a lot of sex, I like to crack jokes, and I like to dance with my friends... and eat donuts and sandwiches... basically, that's what my music is about. I have written for other people before, and I would have to edit myself because I tried hard to make sure it sounded authentic for them, to their experience. That is the most important part of writing, I think. Well, hooks are important, writing stuff that sticks in your head is good, but when it comes to lyrics and subject matter, if you aren't writing from a real place, it is really transparent.AD: What's the significance of keeping your real name obscured?BD: I originally kept my name obscured because I liked the theatricality of it, this sort of mystery performer, but most people know my name at this point, and it isn't too hard to find out. Also, my parents weren't thrilled when I started making youtube videos, but they are into it now... AD: What does your Mom think about your raps? Has she been to a show? Was the intro to "Thick Life" a re-enactment of a real conversation you guys had?BD: The "Thick Life" voicemail is based on MANY conversations I've had with my mom. She hasn't really heard much of the music, but both my parents have watched a few of the tamer YouTube videos. They are supportive because they see that get to travel for shows and play fun gigs and that there are people out there who like what I'm doing. As long as I don't ask for money, I think we are goodAD: Lastly, what has been your favorite part of your journey as Big Dipper?BD: Everyday it is something new. I have played a ton of really amazing gigs, through crowd sourcing I've had the opportunity to shoot a bunch of cool music videos. I mean, I'm basically living out a super fun dream, and surviving.  I'm still alive. Who could really ask for anything more.Words, interview and photos by Ashleigh Dye 

If you ever want to feel like there are rays of sunshine bursting through your eyeballs and have a smile so wide it hurts, than look no further, because The Lemons are here for you. The bubblegum pop sensation is just over a year old, but has quickly become  a Chicago staple. Armed with some of the catchiest songs ever written and a carefree attitude, The Lemons are always a good time. I caught up with three out of six Lemons and talked about the secret to Lemon success, the song they can never play again, and even gave them a little lesson on ICP culture. Plus, after the interview get a sneak peak at a never-heard-before-brand-spanking-new Lemon's song!ASHLEIGH DYE: Do you guys want to start by telling me about the genesis of THE LEMONS?MAX LEMON: We had some jingles, we being Kramer and I. We started SLUSHY together a few years ago, more or less. Then I stopped playing SLUSHY, stopped playing music, and then I said, “Hey, I’ve got some jingles, help me with these jingles, Kram.”AD: What were the jingles about?ML: Ice cream shop, Best Day, Elephant, Kool-Aid Box. The core tunes that are on this tape that we have, before you know it we finished some recordings, before you know it is about five months, by the way. That was it, really. We needed a drummer, and we found the Juice Man.CK: I moved into this apartment in February or so and Max lives above me so we just started hanging out and playing guitar down here, making jingles for the VIKING SHOP, for LOGAN THEATER, for parking meters….JUICY JAMES: I was walking by the right place at the right time.AD: Literally just walking by?JJ: Yeah, well maybe I was on a bike. I saw Chris and told him “I love SLUSHY so much..” Do you remember when I rode my bike by you and told you how much I love SLUSHY? It all happened from there…AD: What’s the most important part of being a Lemon?  You seem to have a ‘don’t take yourselves too seriously’ motto.ML: Oh no, we’re very serious, very, very, very serious.  We have a good time. We hang a little bit.  There’s nothing to it, really. People come and go as they please. We haven’t practiced as a whole band in nine months!AD: How do you guys keep the vibes so posi?CHRIS TWIST: We don’t let people think about things too much. All our songs are 30-60 seconds and out set is 10 or 11 minutes. If we stretched that out and doubled it people would start to get annoyed with The Lemons, but we don’t give them the chance.

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AD: Describe the ‘best day’ for The Lemons.

ML: Today was pretty great; we got our tape re-released. Have we ever had a terrible day as a Lemon?CT: No, everyday as a Lemon is a best day. That’s why we play that song at every show. When we go to Atlantic City and gamble a bunch, when we go swimming in the ocean at midnight, or when we see a seal...

AD: Wait, you saw a seal on tour?

CT: In California. A seal poked its head out of the water and tried to eat my toe.JJ: It was very cute, but we were very afraid of it.  He just had a really funny smile on his face and was way too close.

AD: Seals are like the wolves of the ocean.

CT: Yeah, like wild dogs. If you see one seal, there’s probably three or four.

AD: The video for "Lemoncita", that pretty true to most Lemon shows?

ML: It’s not just a video, it’s a interactive online game. Just tossin' that out there for the airwaves.

AD: How’d you guys make the video, just record a live set?

JJ: Our homie

Jordan Spear

, who has done a lot for us, made it. He also designed the

Tripp Tapes

logo, and 

GARY Records

gave him $100, and he gave us the best video of all time.ML: It’s not just a video…

AD: How has the writing style progressed now that you’re just over a year old?

ML: This is the three, it started out as two, Twist and Lemon, and then Juicy James came in.

AD: Do you have any new material in the works? 

CT: Yeah, we’ve got a new EP we’ve been working on that will come out on

Metal PostCard

, out of Hong Kong.

AD: How did that get set up?

ML:

THE MEMORIES

, who we toured with, has done a couple releases with them. Through them the owner of Metal PostCard found us and said “Hey, I really dig your tunes, would you want to do a release with us? Whatever you guys wanna do.”

AD: How was the rest of your tour with

TWIN PEAKS

? Other than seeing a seal and witnessing part of the roof of

Babys All Right being torn off

…

ML:  MEMORIES tour was the best, and TWIN PEAKS was just as great, if not greater. We sounded, in my mind, tip top on this TWIN PEAKS tour. We finally gelled completely.CT: We were able to have the whole band for each show, which is rare. Having our full line-up for every show was dynamite. We played nice venues where we got free meals, you cant argue with that.

AD: How many times have you guys tripled-scooped at a set?

JJ: Ugh, no…we’ve been quadruple scooping lately.ML: No more. We’re actually done playing Ice Cream Shop. We’ve retired it.CT: Yeah, we played that song, like, 500 times in six months. It’s like the McRibb of The Lemons.

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AD: Would you guys consider spraying your crowd with lemonade, similar to ICP?

CT: What do they spray their crowd with?

AD: You guys don’t know? They get fire hoses and

spray everyone with Faygo

at their shows; it’s mutually desired and loved.

JJ: NO! We would do that; for sure we would do that!

Here's a sneak peak, extra special, first time listen to one of the new tunes The Lemons have in store for us:

Catch them WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27TH with THE DUTCHESS AND THE DUKE and  BRIAN CASE. Tickets

HERE

.

DJ Editkut & Steady Serve

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Chicken, waffles, and some of Chicago's finest underground rappers - what more could one want? Not much, if you ask me. Saturday I had the pleasure of sitting down with Shawn Childress, the mastermind behind the Waffle Gang - and now, Waffle Fest - to discuss the importance of professionalism, childhood inspirations, and what goes best on a waffle.ASHLEIGH DYE: So first off, can you tell me about how the Waffle Gang got started?SHAWN CHILDRESS: Well I used to go to after hours at Late Night Thai and Hollywood Grille and eat waffles and anything like crazy. So then we’d go to these restaurants and they’d be like it’s the Waffle Gang! Everybody was just like “Waffle Gang, Waffle Gang Waffle Gang!” And I thought-man that’s catchy. We got up to about 24 members and everyone was just doin’ their thing. It was like Purple Ribbon with Big Boi, just a group of artists playing shows together and having fun. Now we’re down to four, but it doesn’t matter because we’re still getting work.AD: How long has Waffle Gang been going on?SC: Three years, we actually just had our three-year anniversary. And let me tell you, from doing all the groundwork from the very beginning-it’s been a rocky road.AD: What do you like most about a collective of people? Do you think it’s beneficial to bounce ideas off other people?SC: If you’re professional.  You can work with ten guys or whatever, but when you have people with hidden agendas and just trying to boost their thing, then you know it’s going to be a wreck. You know the people that mean it. It feels good to have a team unit but if it doesn’t work, then it doesn’t work.AD: What motivated you to start Waffle Fest, the event? Was it just a way to showcase what you and other artists have been working on?SC: You know the SxSW’s and the Pitchforks, what you see is that certain artists are always on the bill. So with Waffle Fest, it’s like, let’s give people you haven’t heard a chance; who don’t really get a lot of shows, because people hadn’t heard of them. I didn’t like that and I really like SxSW and I thought-we can do that in Chicago.AD: How do you choose who gets to perform? Is it anyone who is interested can or do you hand select them?SC: The first two I had people submit music. But this one was personal invites.AD: Ah I see, so now you gotta know somebody who knows somebody.[laughs]AD: What’s your favorite part of Waffle Fest?SC: Hmm…When it’s over![laughs]AD: What’s the most stressful part of organizing the event?SC: You know, most promoters get a hold of people the day of an event. But I gave people set times three weeks ago. People are hitting me about today like “what’s my time slot?” Did you even read your inbox? Some people aren’t used to professionalism. And they get it in their heads and get all stressed out like “I don’t know what time I’m up” when it was in their inbox the whole time.AD: What inspires you to make your own music?SC: Big Daddy Kane. My mother played a lot of Stevie Wonder; she wanted me to be a drummer like my father but that didn’t work out. Then I realized, I could put my words together, pick out my beats; I started in 1988, got on stage in 1989, preformed at the House of Blues by ’92. So my “career”, indie-wise, went pretty crazy. I worked on a lot of stuff, little stuff that people don’t really know. But it all started with Big Daddy Kane.AD: So I have to ask, what’s your favorite Waffle topping?SC: Aaahh-Syrup, just plain ol’ syrup. I’m the kind of guy who gets Pad Thai and takes the peanuts out. I’m picky. But if I had to do something it’d be strawberries and blueberries.

waffle fest 3

Greetings, Earthlings. Welcome to our new diary... it's a "Blog."This is where you can find the most up-to-date news on all the various happenings at the Empty Bottle. We’ll be using this platform to announce new events, give away tickets to upcoming and sold out shows, post photos and videos from past shows, and generally just riff on what’s going on around da club. We want to share things with you here, and honestly, we want you to share things with us. The comments section is open because we’d love to hear your opinion, as long as it’s respectful (and well-informed). Just don’t be a dick. This isn’t YouTube – all you internet Trolls should go back under your bridge and harass kids on the internet elsewhere. Actually, no – don’t do that. Stop doing that. Go outside and play – you could use some sunshine. Be friendly.Speaking of comments, there's a contest in the comments section of this post! List FIVE THINGS YOU KNOW by noon on Friday, June 21st and you'll be entered to win a pair of tickets to the sold out COLD CAVE show at the Bottle on June 24th. Seriously, just tell us five things that you are sure you know for your chance to win tickets. Good luck...Here’s a video for your eyes and ears...