V/A – Live at the Empty Bottle

For nearly twenty years the The Empty Bottle has remained one of Chicago’s most enduring rock and Roll venues. Beginning in 2010 audio engineer Shimby McCreery has been recording select performances and streaming them online through Bandcamp. Chicago based Hozac Records has just released a compilation entitled Live at the Empty Bottle which collects 14 highlights from the live series onto one incredible vinyl disk.

These recordings are raw. They sound less like a commercial album and more like a bootleg pulled from a good soundboard source. Rock & Roll always sounds better live. Bands lose their raw power and energy when they go into the studio. There is a voyeuristic element to these recordings. There are no overdubs, no second takes, and no chances for reversion. For better or for worse these recordings capture the performances exactly how they sounded at the time. And though they may lack a slick production value, they are more honest than anything that could have ever been recorded in a studio.

This album does a good job surveying some of the highlights from the the Live at The Empty Bottle series, but it is only a small sampling. What makes this collection wonderful is that if you hear a track you like you can go back and listen to the band’s set in its entirety. There were also few notable performances in this series that didn’t make it onto the the compilation. Among other there were exclusive sets from the The Reigning Sound, King Khan and Gris Gris, Jacuzzi Boys, Thee Oh Sees, and Nobunny. So take your time going through this collection. These recordings comprise one of the most important live archives of recent rock & roll history.

Genre/ Tags: Garage Rock, Psychedelic, noise rock, power-Pop
Live at the Empty Bottle: Tracklist:
01.) Davila 666 – Pingorocha y la Diva Rockera
02.) The Strange Boys – Be Brave
03.) Shannon and the Clams – You Will Always Bring Me Flowers
04.) Hunx and his Punx – Lover’s Lane
05.) Best Coast – Crazy For You
06.) Outer Minds – My Bloodshot Eyes
07.) Black Lips – Bow Down and Die
08.) Ty Segall – Girlfriend
09.) Mickey – Dance
10.) The Fresh and Onlys – Waterfall
11.) Hollows – Shapeshifter
12.) Crystal Stilts – Love is a Wave
13.) Tyler Jon Tyler – Separate Issue
14.) The Dutchess and the Duke – Scorpio