Earlier this week, Riot Fest announced the reunion of the original lineup of the Misfits, and now a disbanded Chicago indie rock act is following suit. The Ponys, which last performed in Chicago in 2010 behind its Deathbed +4 EP, will headline the Empty Bottle on June 8 to celebrate the release of a new book examining the history of the storied Ukrainian Village venue.
The Empty Bottle Chicago: 21+ Years Music / Friendly / Dancing was assembled by former Time Out Chicago web editor John Dugan and includes photos and essays from the music venue's history. The book (which can be pre-ordered here) includes contributions from John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats, Steven Drozd of the Flaming Lips and more artists, writers and staff who have spent time at the Empty Bottle throughout its existence.
The Ponys, which features members of Chicago acts like Disappears and Bare Mutants, will be joined by masked ’90s garage rockers the Goblins and rising local DIY duo Earring. The show will also serve as the kick-off for the Empty Bottle's 25th anniversary concert series, which will invite acts that have previously performed at the venue to come back and grace its stage once more.
Tickets for the show are on sale now and are sure to sell out quickly. If you want to get an early start celebrating one of the best music venues in Chicago, you'll want to be there.