Well, it was even more disappointing to overhear people talk during the louder bits of Gunn’s set. If dudes in the bathroom all night were talking about a Gunn show being perfect for relaxing, it was disappointing to see the night culminate in even ever-so-slight confrontation from one of indie rock’s nice guys. Franklin”, had to walk up to two bros (who probably thought that Gunn’s band was a “ secret jam band”) and tell them, “If you’re going to talk, go to the bar.” It was a triumphant, yet troubling action. In any case, I’ll skip to the end here and let you know that the crowd noise last night at the Empty Bottle was so bad that Gunn, during his acoustic encore performance of “Mr. I’m not sure whether last night’s Empty Bottle show was evidence of tides turning, Pitchfork and/or Gunn himself (who recently signed to Matador Records) getting bigger, or just a coincidence. The divide between Lollapalooza and Pitchfork is as such: As the stereotype goes, douches go to Lollapalooza to party, while actual music fans go to Pitchfork to relax and listen to new music. Whereas a venue like Lincoln Park’s Lincoln Hall has the potential to attract bad news neighbors (I once attended a Titus Andronicus concert there where a bro was watching porn on his mobile device), the Empty Bottle usually attracts those that are there to discover something new. It attracts both fans of whatever act is playing as well as neighbors from the lovely Ukranian Village, a family-friendly and residential but still young neighborhood in Chicago. It was surprising because of all local venues, the Empty Bottle is one where I’ve never seen a disrespectful crowd. The Empty Bottle is a noisy venue, and even though the performers last night– folk rocker Steve Gunn, whispery singer-songwriter Jessica Pratt, and ambient harmonium player Mind Over Mirrors–can be on the quiet side, it was surprising for me to see signs posted on the bathroom warning the audience that part of tonight’s performance would be quiet and to, you know, shut the fuck up. Steve Gunn, Jessica Pratt, & Mind Over Mirrors Live Show Review: 7/16, Empty Bottle, Chicago
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