EMPTY BOTTLE JULY SHOWS

Wed 1 Empty Bottle Jazz Series Presents ANDY MILNE’S COSMIC DAPP THEORY New York pianist Milne's reputation is growing through his great work with saxophonist Steve Coleman (check the new two-disc set on RCA!). He'll make his Chi-town debut with a group of his own, playing material from a new record, Forward To Get Back (d'Note), which includes Coleman and bassist Reggie Washington and drummer Mark Prince. Inside-outside/Outside-in, funky and free--Milne charts jazz history. A taste of the new New York thing, right here in your own backyard! (9pm, $7)

Thur 2 STANLEY’S JOYFUL NOISE with SWEEDER plus TOKYO EXPANDO Stanley’s Joyful Noise is happy-go-lucky poppy post-punk band with an ebullient stage presence and songs catchier than Thermon Munson. Unabashedly happy-go-lucky, fans of the dirge should stay at home and tend to their black hearts. Sweeder, featuring Jeff and Chiyoko formerly of Squash Blossom and Julie Liu, sometime member of Rex, bring together their past music lives into beautiful whole, featuring lush melodies and spine-tingling boy/girl harmonies. Opening is the uber-pop stylings of Tokyo Expando who recall the hand-clapping glory of The Knack. Happy Jesus birthday to Brucie. (10pm, $6)

Fri 3 DEL REY with ULTRASWISS and PLASTICS HI-FI Del Rey, fresh from the starting gate, impressed the heck out of us jaded old farts with their debut Empty Bottle performance—a driving analog synth-flavored kick-ass rock attack like Trans Am Jr.. Ultraswiss! Assembled like some ingenious Frankenstein from ex-members of Veruca Salt, Nectarine and The Dirt Merchants, they’re bigger and meaner than Boston (the band) but drink copiously from the same fountain of monster licks and melodic guitar chords. The shimmery, early-Pink Floydy, psychedelic pop of Plastics Hi-Fi will set the stage for the evening.(10pm, $6)

Sat 4 BARDO POND (Matador) with FRONTIER (Emperor Jones/Tug-O-War) plus LO MAGNIFICA From the swirling primal froth that gave birth to a psychedelic Venus comes Bardo Pond, a band given to lengthy explorations of outer and inner space with gusts of guitar, frissons of flute, and voluptuous vocals. This is no airy light excursion down a sun-lit primrose path, however. With layers of distortion and heavy bass, and jams that reach right down the throat of 70’s free rock and rip out the heart, Bardo Pond takes you on a sonic journey filled with thorns as well as flowers. Frontier’s kaleidoscopic melding of meditative drone and soaring feedback, paired with fierce drum-and-bass rhythms and hypnotic bass grooves is done without synthesizers or drum machines. This makes for music you can dance to that is warm, organic, and doesn’t insult your intelligence. Lo Magnifica, beloved Bottle barstool warmers, take their musical cues from both cacophony and melody, and have tightened their catchy and well written songwriting to a purring motor of Sonic-Youth-on-ecstasy/Polvo-esque somgs. (10pm, $7)

Sun 5 52 FLAVORS presented by DJ Jeremy Freeman A weekly selection of Chicago’s finest DJs spinning the hottest sounds for your dancing pleasure. Be it dub, dancehall, drum-n-bass, hip hop, trip hop, disco or jungle, this is a cheap and fun time to get out and shake ass. (10pm, $2)

Mon 6 THE FLESHTONES (Ichiban/Telstar) with THE SWINGING NECKBREAKERS (Telstar) Organ-fueled garage/psychedelic masters The Fleshtones are headed to town with their non-stop love frenzy, and this fan of IRS’s The Cutting Edge (early MTV show for all you youth) is overjoyed to meet/see Mr. Zaremba, whom she had a teeny-bopper crush on way back. (That mop top hairdo!) Time has not dulled their capering frenzy of melody and soul—they just keep getting better with time. New Jersey’s primal rock heroes The Swingin’ Neckbreakers bring their blistering 60’s style garage punk to the cat-infested Bottle. Fierce, fun, frantic, the Neckbreakers are one of the best bands in this genre that you will ever see, not to mention the lead singer has a mouth so wide it turns the epic rock scream into a national monument. (9pm, $7)

Tues 7 Chicago Improvisers Series Presents THE VANDERMARK FIVE We have been (and continue to be) proud to present The Vandermark Five in a weekly, intimate, on-the-floor concert. The V5’s melding of rock’s intensity with unbelievable dexterity and intuition to free-jazz liberation of structure has been wowing critics and audiences alike. And it’s only three dollars!! (9pm, $3)

Wed 8 Empty Bottle Jazz Series Presents FRED LONBERG-HOLM’S PEST HOUSE and TERMINAL 4 One set each from two of cellist/composer Lonberg-Holm's current projects. Pest House is made up of the unusual instrumentation of three vocalists, a capella; Terminal 4, which is set to record its first CD, is comprised of the leader on cello, Josh Abrams on bass, Jeb Bishop on trombone and Ben Vida on guitar. Don't be shy --come, taste. (9pm, $5)

Thus 9 MARVIN TATE’S DESETTLEMENT with INNERVISIONS and THE ETERNALS It’s a booty shaking night at the Bottle. Marvin Tate’s Desettlement is a melding of the beat and sound, funk and word, somewhere between spoken word performance and Parliament, with an aggressive edginess that reminded one of our staffers of Rage Against The Machine—in a good way. Innervisions also has the funk, a rump-shaking but thought provoking ensemble whose on-stage theatrics are a sight to behold. The Eternals, born of the ashes of Trenchmouth, incorporate the stripped down sounds of Seventies dub and reggae with the angular anarcho-rock sounds of Gang Of Four. (10pm, $6)

Fri 10 LOUD FAMILY (Alias) with WINDY AND CARL (Kranky) and MAHOGANY (Burnt Hair/Tinseltown) The latest project of of one of rock music’s underappreciated geniuses, Scott Miller, The Loud Family continues on in the vein of Game Theory’s ridiculously clever complex pop. Hooky, paisley, witty, lively, lovely (and a whole lot of other –y words), pay attention fans of All Things Pop--this is one of the best bands you’ll see in this genre. Windy and Carl, space/ambent music’s dynamic duo, sculpt gorgeous washes of treated guitar and bass into lissome and mind-blowing songs. Though "song" is a bit of a misnomer—you will find no verse/chorus structure in their music—rather their extended pieces evoke images of leaves drifting down a sun-dappled creek, sand dunes rearranging themselves into ripples before a sea breeze. Mahogany is another couple that makes atmospheric guitar music in their basement, building layers and layers on top of spare drum programming into a lush wall of sound. Live, they bring along members of Asha Vida to flesh things out. (10pm, $7)

Sat 11 THEE HEADCOATS (Hangman) with THE NERVES (Thrill Jockey) Prolific and seminal garage denizens Thee Headcoats will be honoring us once again with a primal evening of lo-fi noise. After more than 80, yes EIGHTY albums of the same four chords battered into new and different shapes, you’d think the heart would have been long excised from the corpse and turned into a medical experiment. But these guys have more punk energy than an Elks Lodge full of 15-year-old skaters, and Billy Childish and Co.’s fiery performances should not be missed. And speaking of energy, The Nerves are a nuclear-fission shockwave of rock/punk , with striking live performances that leave one believing in the vitality of rock. Singer/guitar player Rob Datum’s fingers fly over his guitar with the agility and bite of a rabid weasel, a flurry of sound that leaves one feeling used, abused, and really, really good. (10pm, $10)

Sun 12 **EARLY SHOW** BILLY CHILDISH & THEE HEADCOATS BLUES POETRY EXTRAVAGANZA Not only one of the most fecund songwriters in the history of man, Billy Childish is also an acclaimed poet (and painter, too!). With Bukowsi-eque dissection of language, chock full of bluster and themes of nihilism and paranoia, his poetry is at least as intriguing as his music. His blues/poetry fests are meldings of squalling blues and declamations of psychotic verse, something no snooty coffeehouse would touch with a ten-foot biscotti. This is going to be one of four of these in the US, so some be part of something rare but not rarified, and give your props to one of the most original and awesome humans on the planet. (8pm, $6)

Sun 12 **LATE SHOW**52 FLAVORS presented by DJ Jeremy Freeman A weekly selection of Chicago’s finest DJs spinning the hottest sounds for your dancing pleasure. Be it dub, dancehall, drum-n-bass, hip hop, trip hop, disco or jungle, this is a cheap and fun time to get out and shake ass. (10pm, $2)

Tues 14 Chicago Improvisers Series Presents THE VANDERMARK FIVE We have been (and continue to be) proud to present The Vandermark Five in a weekly, intimate, on-the-floor concert. The V5’s melding of rock’s intensity with unbelievable dexterity and intuition to free-jazz liberation of structure has been wowing critics and audiences alike. And it’s only three dollars!! (9pm, $3)

Wed 15 Empty Bottle Jazz Series Presents ALEX SCHLIPPENBACH TRIO with EVAN PARKER and PAUL LYTTON This one's gonna be a doozy! One of the founding forefathers of European improvised music, Alexander Schlippenbach is a towering figure on the piano-a tremendous force capable of fearsome flurries and lyrical grace, you'll never believe he just turned 60 last month! Last time he brought his trio to town was in 1989, and he's only been back once in the interim, for an infamous set with his enormous Globe Unity Orchestra at the Jazz Fest in Grant Park. This trio - with the modification of super percussionist Paul Lytton, who is subbing for Paul Lovens, the group's usual drummer - is one of the longest running in free music history, having made its first record in 1972. Evan Parker is, as anyone who caught him at the Empty Bottle fest last month can attest, one of the greatest reed players in the world. If you didn't hear him then, you've been granted a reprieve - don't blow it this time! (9pm, $8)

Thu 16 LA MAKITA SOMA with CREIGN plus FIVE DEADLY VENOMS Squalling like a healthy bastard son of New Wave, La Makita Soma’s ecclectic profusion of instruments come together in a dub-flavored rug burner that is a 100% groovy, man! It falls into that recently ubiquitous post-rock genre, but put Tortoise on a candy-flip of E and acid and then you’d come close to describing their sound. Creign’s improvised weirdness and inspired compositions steal sounds from jazz, if not the rhythm and pacing...they seem very Shimmy-Disc, like some Dave Licht/Kramer lost project.. From St. Louis supposedly fabulous (at least our hip early-twenties moles tell us so), Five Deadly Venoms roar up I-55 to vindicate the music scene of that river town. (10pm, $6)

Fri 17 LUSTRE KING with NEUTRINO (10pm, $6)

Sat 18 ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO (Bloodshot) with TRAILER BRIDE (Bloodshot) plus KELLY HOGAN AND THE J-LIGHTS Don’t let his punk-rock past fool you, for from the clangor of long ago emerged one of America’s virtuoso singer/songwriters. Alejandro Escovedo’s intimate, luxuriant songs fall roughly into the category of insurgent (read "intelligent") country, but their heart-wrenching melodicism hardly recalls dusty plains or whiskey bars. Flavored with strings and based in strong guitar work, his work is that of a truly original artist. Not to be missed. Trailer Bride is a dark and slinky outfit that incorporates slide guitar, musical saw, upright bass and sensuous female vocals into a sound termed "hillbilly noir." Think Mazzy Star from the Appalachians… Opening is the honey-throated chanteuse of Chicago country, the lovely Kelly Hogan and the J-Lights. With a supple range and a heart of gold, the diva with a sterling vocabulary, Ms. Hogan is a bright star in our musical firmament. (10pm, $7)

Sun 19 52 FLAVORS presented by DJ Jeremy Freeman A weekly selection of Chicago’s finest DJs spinning the hottest sounds for your dancing pleasure. Be it dub, dancehall, drum-n-bass, hip hop, trip hop, disco or jungle, this is a cheap and fun time to get out and shake ass. (10pm, $2)

Mon 20 Beluga Records Showcase with BUCKY DENT (Beluga) and PISTOL WHIPPED (Beluga) and THREE MILES DOWN (Beluga) Spunky indie label Beluga presents another in a series of showcase nights for their bands. Bucky Dent is a blend of pure power pop and melodic punk, a Superchunk-y young outfit. Pistol Whipped plies hard-edged alt rock with a pop twist, with male/female vocals that have ghosts of X and The Pixies haunting them. Three Miles Down’s atmospheric female-fronted prettiness sets the tone with their textural, moody rock. (10pm, $6)

Tues 21-Wed 22 PETER BRÖTZMANN TRIO with KENT KESSLER and HAMID DRAKE And again, another doozy! German sax hero Brötzmann returns to Chicago, his second home, to launch a new THREE CD SET (!!!) of music by the Brötzmann Octet and Tentet (on Okka Disk), some of which was recorded at the Empty Bottle last year. This visit, he's opting for a good old-fashioned stripped-down setting, trio, with his favored drummer Hamid Drake and Chicago bass mainstay Kent Kessler, both of whom loom large on the new recordings. Two full nights of pure, unadulterated energy jazz straight from the source. (9pm, $8)

Thur 23 Benefit for ROCKTOBER Magazine The next issue of this most original and entertaining of magazines is the eagerly awaited KISS issue, complete with a tribute album included. This show will be featuring a slew of acts (featuring The Polkaholics and people from Cash Money, USA, The GOblins, and The Jan Terri Orchestra)all paying homage to the Great Painted Ones. Don’t expect spirited covers of "Strutter" or "Love Gun" however, the plan is to have a band giving voice to the long dead solo recordings of each member--Gene, Peter, Ace and the other one. Orchestrated by multi-talented and frisky Jake Austen of The Goblins, Chic-A-Go-Go, and Rocktober renown, this will be more entertaining than watching America’s Funniest Accidental Mutilations on ‘shrooms. (10pm, $6)

Fri 24 TRS-80 with THRENODY ENSEMBLE (with Eric from A Minor Forest) and MY SAILING LIFE Chicago’s very own TRS-80 are a real-drummer havin’, synth/sample based ensemble who have managed to seduce quite a number of hardened guitar-worshipping indie rockers into the hypnotic beats of trip-hop, ambient techno, and dub. Reminding me of a less frantic and more organic version of Orbital, they are one of the best bands in this genre that we’ve seen live. Threnody Ensemble is the cello-wielding side project of the talented Eric from A Minor Forest. Drawing on modern classicism much like The Rachel’s, it is delicate and gorgeous music, to be sure. My Sailing Life is the alter ego of Idful's favorite son who turns out insightful and beautiful music, influenced by combinations of groove and folk and pop and post-rock. (10pm, $7)

Sat 25 HEFTY SHOWCASE with ILIUM and GHOSTS & VODKA plus CHISEL DRILL HAMMER llium, whose freakishly young members wield their instruments with amzing dexterity, will surprise you with accomplished serpentine and almost jazzy songwriting. Complex instrumentals snake around rhythms like dancers in a conga line, truly neat stuff. Ghosts and Vodka, comprised of members of Joan of Arc, Cap’n Jazz, and Tetsuo, are an instrumental ensemble who carve songs from melody like Michaelangelo chisels marble. Chisel Drill Hammer is characterized by extremes of dynamic and off beat time-changes, less math rock, more like physics rock. It’s intricate and melodic, though, a joy rather than a chore to listen to. (10pm, $7)

Sun 26 52 FLAVORS presented by DJ Jeremy Freeman A weekly selection of Chicago’s finest DJs spinning the hottest sounds for your dancing pleasure. Be it dub, dancehall, drum-n-bass, hip hop, trip hop, disco or jungle, this is a cheap and fun time to get out and shake ass.(10pm, $2)

Mon 27 TEAM MUCILANI with SIT AND SPIN and BEAUTY PAGEANT Team Mucilani is a band that churns out some of the most charming lo-fi garage pop ever heard outside the cozy confines of K Records, without any cloying cutesiness. And dig the sing-along stylings of all-girl Sit and Spin, whose 50's style garage rock is a blast from an idealized past--dig the song titles like Primate Mixer Party. Beauty Pageant, culled like wheat from the chaff in our demo pile, create ultra-delightful quirky tunes in the vein of Mountain Goats or maybe Half Japanese. Hey wait! That's birthday cake, that's not meat! Yay! (9pm, $6)

Tues 28 Chicago Improvisers Series Presents THE VANDERMARK FIVE We have been (and continue to be) proud to present The Vandermark Five in a weekly, intimate, on-the-floor concert. The V5’s melding of rock’s intensity with unbelievable dexterity and intuition to free-jazz liberation of structure has been wowing critics and audiences alike. And it’s only three dollars!! (9pm, $3)

Wed 29 Empty Bottle Jazz Series Presents MITCH PAGLIA QUARTET A Bottle debut for this new Chicago saxophonist and his quartet with Tim Mulvenna. The instrumentation includes vibes and bass, as well as Mulvenna's ever-tasteful (editors note---AMAZING) drumming and the leader's soprano and tenor excursions. Experience the new, again - the Bottle way. (9pm, $5)

Thur 30 TEXTBOOK with MORENO and LAND OF THE EL CAMINOS A night to let Chicago Talent shine! Textbook, a project of Not Rebecca’s Mr. Dave and Mr. Eric, recalls the prime days of the Replacements, with straightforward rock accented by licks of distortion and bites of the blues. Moreno’s epic rock is a distortion-laced joyride through the fields of music that make the Midwest great—Hum, Shiner, Molly McGuire…fleshy, melodic rock that’s tighter than a baby-tee on Pamela Anderson Lee. Land Of The El Caminos are a happy bunch of pop punksters whose bizarre but really good vocals set them miles apart from the crowding mass of rock bands out there. (10pm, $6)

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TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE MONTH

What is the one word in the English language that changes both it’s pronunciation and meaning when you capitalize the first letter?

BONUS QUESTION

Alejandro Escovedo is the cousin of which percussive femme fatale?

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