The Empty Bottle: Music, cheap drinks and dancing
Ukrainian Village’s Empty Bottle has been delivering top notch musical acts to Chicago since opening in the early ‘90s. A launching pad for up and coming national and local acts, the Bottle also serves cheap beer and excellent food at its Bite Café next door.
From the outside, the Bottle doesn’t look exactly inviting, but inside, the well-worn interior probably has a lot of stories to tell. Once entering, patrons are greeted with a photo booth, a pool table, a pinball machine, a couch and usually a merchandise table for whatever band is performing that night.
The mirror in the ladies room is so covered with stickers, it’s impossible to see a reflection, but that’s part of the venue’s charm along with the cat Radley that used to walk around the bar and sleep on the couch. Paraphernalia hangs over the bar like the head scratching cop car door, and brick walls are littered with show fliers.
The bar’s adjoined with the intimate music room which is comprised of a tiny stage that boasts a robust sound system and steps that lead up to additional sightlines in the back. Mondays night typically offers free admission to see bands, and most nights offer affordable beer for under $3.
The bands that get booked here could be defined as indie, but the Bottle hosts everything from rock to jazz to experimental and burgeoning local groups. Their excellent booking team snatches up in demand international and national acts before they move on to play much bigger venues, so it’s best to see these acts before they get too big, especially for a reasonable cover.
HelloChicago Tip: Not just a music venue, people can stop by for a drink at this local watering hole or have brunch on the weekends. When there’s a show everyone wants to see, people will cram in tight making the room extremely hot, but it’s a small inconvenience to be able see a band in such a personal setting, and a lot of times, these bands can be seen milling around before and after shows hanging out with their fans.
Posted by Garin Pirnia
