The Empty Bottle wasn't empty

I really need to quit using Old 97s lyrics for show reviews that have nothing to do with the Old 97s. But anyway. On Saturday evening, I made the (frigid) drive down to (frigid) Chicago to see the Scott Amendola Band play at the Empty Bottle. It was an early 7:00 show, but the place filled up quite impressively.

As well it should have. I enjoyed the shit out of that show, to use a technical term. The band (featuring Jeff Parker and Nels Cline on guitar, Jenny Scheinman on violin, John Shifflett on a very skinny upright bass, and Scott on drums) performed their album Believe - as well a couple other numbers. Set up in the middle of the floor, they ripped through the songs, obviously having a good time with each other and the crowd. It's a jazz album, but the songs pass through a dizzying number of styles and a variety of rhythms. I'd seen Jeff Parker and Nels performing together before, but on Saturday I was most impressed with Nels, Jenny, and Scott - Nels and Jenny in particular, for the amazing sounds they were coaxing from their instruments. Nels' guitar reminded me of a piano at times, while Jenny's violin seemed to imitate both horns and the scream of an electric guitar. The link below is a short video I took of the awesome new song whose name I cannot, of course, remember. "Blues for" something. At any rate, it is excellent.