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Chicagoist prides itself on knowing how to get meals, drinks, tickets and the like for free. We tend to laugh in the face of people who shell out cover fees for clubs and drop a 50 on top-shelf drinks when you don't have to have your ear too close to the ground to learn about ways to RSVP to get in for free and drink for free for at least part of the night. This is why we felt slightly ignorant, yet excited about something we learned this week while reading Time Out Chicago.
If you buy an album at Reckless Records from any band playing at the Empty Bottle during the week of their show, you can score a pair of guest list passes to the show. The catch? Each store only has two pairs of passes to give out. However, with Reckless recently opening a third location (26 E. Madison), your chances of cashing in on this deal have increased. TOC notes that if the show sells out, the Bottle may not honor the passes. So if you do get a pair of tickets, we recommend showing up early and smiling really pretty.
Mondays at the Bottle are always free and include a killer $1.25 beer special, but the train wreck that typically happens on stage is often not worth it. We're happy to know there's another way to slide into a show without paying, even if we may have to arm wrestle with someone in skinny jeans, over-sized Nikes and unkempt hair to get the tickets.
For those of you previously privy to the secret free ticket special, we apologize for spilling the beans. We hate it when people do that.
Reckless photo via liz_noise.
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i disagree with your trainwreck statement. the free monday nights at the empty bottle have included some great acts and is consistantly good. i applaud them for this really great deal that they are offering their patrons.
but the train wreck that typically happens on stage is often not worth it.
The Monday shows are often really good. I think you're mistaken (but everything's subjective) if you think that because the night's free that the bands are usually lower caliber than what regularly happens during the rest of the week. They've just (finally) figured out a way to make a successful and busy night out of what's traditionally a dead night at any club. Other clubs could learn from this.
I didn't mean to imply that because the show is free it is also of a lower quality. I regularly attend Monday night Bottle shows and have been very surprised by some of the acts. (Did anyone catch the Headache City show a few weeks ago? Amazing. Makes me sad I missed the Cococomas show I keep hearing about.)
However, it's been my experience that the awesome shows happen rarely, while the majority of the bands tend to be mediocre at best.
If you do show up on a Monday, make sure to grab a copy of my friends' newsletter "The Bottle Rockette," which includes pro/con reviews of all of the bands who played on the previous Monday.
Either way, that's good info. But if I'm planning on seeing an act, I usually don't wait until that week to pick up their CDs. Could come into play at some point though.
I've never been to the Bottle for a Monday night show, but the train wreck comment made me laugh. Now I feel like I might just have to check it out. :)
She's right, mondays usually are a trainwreck. Add to that the crowds of amateurs wandering in off the street and the metra, you got something worth avoiding. Nice of them to do it, though.
Sarah-
Is there an online version of "The Bottle Rockette"?
Nm, found it on the empty bottle forum page.
Add to that the crowds of amateurs wandering in off the street and the metra, you got something worth avoiding. Nice of them to do it, though.
Amateurs? Metra? Wha?
yeah, what does that mean with the amateurs and the metra?
Monday nights draw a lot of newcomers to the EB. you know, like NYE is amateur night for drinkers?
In response to keinstadt, and for the rest of you, the Bottle Rockette can be found online here.
I'm not going to parse Sarah's usage of "trainwreck" since I think everybody has already divined her point about Monday's at The Bottle (and I don't think she meant it negatively but we already got that point too, I think).
I WILL say that next Monday Birds Of Avalon are coming through town and happen to be on a free bill at The Bottle that night, and I can't recommend seeing them enough. We're doing a full preview of that show Monday, but I'm so excited about them I had to jump the gun and mention it here.
(Now I REALLY hope they are as good live as their album would lead me to believe ...)