Reefer Duberland

I've been kind of stewing about this today, but I suppose I'll weigh in with my two cents.

As we'd all guessed, last night's "secret show" did involve Interpol, as well as Liars and Bradford Cox of Deerhunter. Indie royalty for sure. But instead of getting some great late night treat for the Chicago independent music community, we got a bunch of big indie stalwarts sitting around on the stage making shit up and looking bored while doing it. Maybe I was a little naive in hoping the Bottle had something really big and special planned that would be talked about for a long time to come, but at least the guys could have looked like they were having a little fun in the meantime. Listening to Angus Andrew and Bradford Cox make bird noises over the same bassline endlessly while Paul Banks cowered in the corner and Daniel Kessler looked like he's rather be in the Bahamas did not make for a compelling show. After realizing "this was it", I moved to the back, realizing over half the audience had cut out as well. Some guy at the water station asked me if I thought it was "unanimous that this was terrible." I headed out to the pool room only to find Carlos D standing around somewhat sheepishly. Guess he wasn't invited to the party.

Was this the Empty Bottle's idea of an amusing practical joke to play on its regulars, or were they surprised by how much it blew too? Did they think we were the type of people who would be happy to pay 10 bucks just to be in the presence of Angus and Paul, even if they had nothing interesting to offer? Maybe the people who saw them at the Aragon earlier that night would be into that sort of thing, but I'm pretty sure everyone who was actually there is beyond that sort of star-struck behavior.

Sort of makes me want to boycott the Empty Bottle for awhile. But I've got tickets to Sunset Rubdown coming up, and I don't want to boycott Spencer Krug. Maybe I just won't buy any beer. Take that!