The Book About The Empty Bottle's History Is Coming Out June 7
By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on May 13, 2016 5:55PM
The Ponys, photo courtesy Matador Redcords
In The Empty Bottle Chicago: 21+ Years of Music / Friendly / Dancing, out June 7, the club's fans, bands and employees recount the club's history. Personally, we were fonder of the tome's original title: The Empty Bottle Chicago: 20+ Years of Piss, Sh-t, and Broken Urinals, but we guess publisher Curbside Splendor decided that might not help the book get the widest exposure (though we noticed the book's URL on the publisher's site still reflects that first title).
It's a book! About The Empty Bottle!
The Ponys are likely among the contributors, too. They made a name for themselves at The Empty Bottle starting in 2001, before eventually signing to Matador Records and gaining an international profile in the mid-aughts—and they're also reuniting to play the venue's book release party on June 8. (It's at the Empty Bottle, of course.)
Over the years, The Ponys transformed themselves from a scrappy garage rock combo into a rock powerhouse unafraid to push boundaries or experiment with their sound. When they broke up after their final 2010 EP, Deathbed +4, Chicago lost one of its best bands.
if you missed them the first time around, though, the book release party will be your chance to see them. They'll be joined by The Goblins, a band that helped define the Bottle in the '90s, and Earring, a newer band still making their name on the club's stage. This show will kick off a series of 25th anniversary shows for the Bottle over the next few months, so look for more exciting lineups and, hopefully unexpected reunions.
We'll let The Ponys play us out:
Buy tickets to the Empty Bottle's June 8 book release party and show here for $20 apiece.