Article by Peter Daniel Deck / Photo by Sophia Evans
On a dreary fall night, there are few better ways to spend your time than at a venue like The Empty Bottle. Cold nights like this past Wednesday beckon one to cozy up inside a small dive bar and ingratiate oneself into a thriving music scene like that found in Ukrainian Village, and the 21st of October was no exception.
The Empty Bottle is a retro sort of grunge-inspired locale, laden with band posters of old and stacks of staples that catch the few lights in the room. Outside of the bar sat arcade cabinets, allowing music-loving patrons to sink their hard-earned quarters into Galaga and Ms. Pac-Man in between sets. Such a setting seemed a perfect fit for the wide array of performers, including the night's openers “Riddle M” and Philly band “Mopar Stars”. Both were quite distinct from each other, with the former playing a mix of late 70s-inspired ELO-like flowery ballads that sounded as if they were playing from your Dad’s old, crunchy transmission radio, and the latter an indie rock band strumming out bangers they self-described as taking inspiration from bands like “Gin Blossoms”.
The Tubs took the stage later on into the night, immediately making their presence known to everyone in the venue. The Welsh indie rock band is singular in its ability to connect to an audience, with the entire night being sprinkled with witty commentary, especially from the band’s drummer Taylor, who was celebrating his birthday. When they were not booing disruptive audience members or commiserating on memories of the venue, The Tubs were pouring their hearts out onto the stage with their visceral and alluringly optimistic post-punk sound. The sanguine sounds of the guitar and meaty drums were juxtaposed with reflective, depressing lyrics. A contrast that is not only sonically captivating, but lends itself to a unique and communal experience of introspection amongst guests.
Highlights included intricate riffs throughout the set, a spoken-word intro, and the song “Stoop to Me”, a Celtic Rock blend where vocalist Owen Williams reminisces about a one-sided relationship, lamenting that he doesn’t want to spend his nights waiting for the day they will come back to him, but will continue to do so regardless. When asked about the relationship between the band’s dissenting artistry and their Welsh identity, Williams commented that their music is “less of a rebellion and more of a resentment,” specifically towards “nobody knowing who the f*ck we are.”
The Tubs are currently on tour promoting their album Hard Life. If you did not get the chance to see them here in Chicago, make sure to stream their music or catch them across North America and Europe if you are craving a lively, refreshingly sardonic rock group that is not afraid to lay it on the line.