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Empty Bottle Auctions Off Bathroom Memorabilia to Combat Liver Disease

By Samantha Abernethy in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 21, 2011 8:20PM

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Photo by Clayton Hauck.

The once-grimy Empty Bottle gave itself a facelift earlier this year. They evened out the hardwood floors, scrubbed the place down, and -- most importantly -- gave the men's room a complete overhaul. But you can't just throw away nearly two decades of bathroom wall graffiti, so they chopped up pieces of the floor and the walls, cleaned them up, and turned them into coaster-sized pieces of art.

Now they're auctioning off these pieces to benefit the American Liver Foundation. How appropriate for those who've stumbled across those same bathroom floors in between shows. The Bottle writes:

Want to own some wood that Bob Pollard spit on in 2001? Think some flooring where Jack White took a knee in 2000 would be an excellent holiday present for your special someone? A spot where Isaac Brock shed some sweat in 1997 or Anton Newcombe bled from a split finger in 1998? Now’s your chance to add some Chicago rock history to your coffee table while donating to a rad cause.
The auction kicks off Thursday evening, and you can place your bids and see some of the coasters online. The Bottle is hosting a free party to kick off the auction on Thursday, Sept. 22, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. RSVP via the Facebook invite here. And if you haven't seen the Bottle since they spruced it up, this would be a good opportunity. It sure looks pretty.

The Empty Bottle is located at 1035 N. Western Ave.