Free Outdoor Winter Block Party Returns To Empty Bottle

By Jessica Mlinaric in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 7, 2015 5:00PM

Credit: Jessica Mlinaric/Chicagoist

Street festival season is no longer limited to summer. After the success of last year’s wintry block party, the Empty Bottle (1035 N. Western Ave.) and Goose Island will host Music Frozen Dancing on Saturday, Feb. 28.

There’s no admission charge to attend, but you better bundle up if you’re planning on dancing in the streets because this mini-festival goes down outdoors. The festivities begin at 1 p.m. just outside the Empty Bottle at Western and Cortez. Your fingers may be numb but the stage will be blistering with sets featuring Perfect Pussy’s combative hardcore, Detroit post-punk via Protomartyr, local thrashers Oozing Wound and indie rock riffs by NE-HI. Liquid relief will be available in the form of Goose Island beer as well as Dark Matter coffee and hot apple cider. Stick around after the festival to get your sweat on for Windy City Soul Club at 9 p.m.

Last winter’s edition of Music Frozen Dancing had us huddling around space heaters with friends, navigating beer chugging with mittens, reheating with whiskey inside the Bottle and bouncing around for warmth while Marnie Stern's performance was beset with a mini-blizzard. It was one of the more memorable Saturdays during a long Chicago winter and we’re looking forward to another early start to festival season— this time with long johns.

Music Frozen Dancing is Saturday, Feb. 28 outside the Empty Bottle (1035 N. Western Ave.) The gates open at 1 p.m. and this is a free and all ages event.