The Hoyle Brothers and the Honky Tonk Happy Hour at the Empty Bottle
The iconic dive earns its slogan with this longstanding, under-the-radar tradition. The Hoyles have cranked out the tightest two sets of classic country swing on the third coast every Friday at 5:30pm since the turn of this century. Think Bob Wills, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, sung by golden-throated Irish frontman Myles McVeigh. The crowd: regulars who have attended for anywhere from six months to sixteen years, tradesmen throwing one back at the end of the week, multigenerational two-step and swingers who crowd the dance floor by the second set, fans and members of the prime-time band taking in the early scene, pedal steel guitar devotees who hang downstage right, studying the wizardry of Brian Wilkie. The unpretentious setting, the relaxed crowd, the stellar band, the tried-and-true tunes, that golden hour between the work week and overindulgence: Honky Tonk Happy Hour is Music Friendly Dancing. (Sharon Hoyer) Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, 773.276.3600, emptybottle.com
