By Dave Miller

Those Darlins, Peelander-Z and Birthday Suits all made lasting impressions on a killer bill with no filler Wednesday night at the Empty Bottle.

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I first saw Those Darlins in February 2010 at Schubas. They didn't look old enough to be in the tavern, but as soon as the show started they commanded the room's attention with a feisty blend of country, rock and punk. They were touring behind their self-titled debut album. It was a very good show, and perhaps the best part about them was they showed plenty of potential to be even better.

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How quickly Those Darlins have matured musically. I've seen the road warriors from Murfreesboro, Tenn., four times now. Part of their allure is they've developed a unique sound that's veered more into rock and punk since the first time I saw them, but they've maintained their country roots and pop harmonies. This Empty Bottle show was easily their best Chicago show I've seen. Right from the identity declaring "Be Your Bro" opener, it was apparent the Darlins were on top of everything. They sounded tight, their vocals were strong and they even dressed like they had their act together. It was a polished performance in the best sense.

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It was a show where faith was rewarded. Sometimes you see bands on the cusp of greatness and they never quite get there for any number of reasons. Those Darlins will surely become more popular and sell more albums, but, at least on this night, they reached greatness onstage. I'm excited to see what they have in store for the future. They have all the makings of a career band if they can avoid the typical pitfalls that pull bands apart.

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Nikki Darlin was the dangerous punk of the group stationed on the left side of the stage and Kelley Darlin sweetly came at things from a country angle on the right. In the middle stood Jessi Darlin, a magnetic mixture of both. She's the smallest in stature, but she has the presence of a rock frontman. Drummer Linwood Regensburg watched their back while snapping off chugging and kicking beats.

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The Darlins make a habit of trading guitars and bass, but they kept switches to a minimum this time and maintained a high level of performance from start to finish. It was the first time I've seen them play without a setlist. They've played different sets on each occasion. Mostly this time, though, you couldn't detect any communication between them about what would be played next. They were already on the same page.

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The main set showcased eight tracks from their standout new album, Screws Get Loose. The first five songs came from the album. Jessi sang a jaunty brand new song, "Burn Me Up," a keeper which featured hypnotic backing vocals. You can tell the band has a wide range of influences by listening to their orginals, but they also threw in two covers for good measure. Regensburg tossed in an inspired selection, Garland Jeffreys' "Wild in the Streets," and the band also put "Shakin' All Over" back in the setlist. The song is a spotlight for Nikki, who caught fire like someone threw a match into a barrel of moonshine. It's a song that's been covered many times, but Nikki claims at least a piece of it for her own the way she sings, struts and dances with abandon during it. It's so good that I can see them playing the song 10 years from now. A challenge for the band is to write an original that similarly ignites Nikki. She needs to be unleashed more.

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But there'll be time for that. Those Darlins will be able to stick around as long as they want. This is a band that can be at home equally in a honky tonk or, like on this night, rock club. Good music is good music, and Those Darlins now have two albums full of it. Their live performances are even better.

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Those Darlins setlist:

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Be Your Bro

Boy

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Waste Away

Mystic Mind

BUMD

Burn Me Up

Wild in the Streets

Prank Call

Fatty Needs a Fix

Red Light Love

Hives

Screws Get Loose

Shakin' All Over/Night Jogger

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Funstix

The Whole Damn Thing

Wild One

Who's That Knockin' at My Window?

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Start: 11:40 p.m./Finish: 12:54 a.m.

Totals: 18 songs, one hour 14 minutes

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On tour with Those Darlins for a string of seven October shows, Japanese punkers Peelander-Z put on an explosively entertaining show that was liked whacked-out comic book superheroes putting on a wild New Year's Eve party.

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Peelander-Z started its set and the next thing you saw was Peelander-Red playing his bass on top of the bar across the stage. And that was just the beginning. Peelander-Pink shined a spotlight around the club. Peelander-Yellow opened a suitcase and passed out noise-making instruments for concertgoers to accompany the band. Peelander-Green held up signs from his drum kit with names of the songs such as "So Many Mike," "Ninja-High Schooool" and "Mad Tiger."

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Some band members and a costumed giant squid ventured into the crowd during "Mad Tiger" to play, I kid you not, baseball. Near the end of the frenetic, 45-minute set, audience members were recruited to play the band's instruments onstage while the band returned to the crowd to bowl. At some point, there was limbo dancing, too.

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The crazy set didn't just break the barrier between audience and performer. It shattered it. Sure, it was shtick, but i was fun. Peelander-Z controlled a room full of people and captivated them the entire time, and that's not an easy thing for any performer to do. In lesser hands the approach may have grown tiresome, but the band held everyone's attention by blasting them with good, loud music, too. A secret to Peelander-Z's success is they're effective musicians beyond the over-the-top showmanship.

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Birthday Suits, a Japanese duo from Minneapolis-St. Paul, opened the proceedings with a startling amount of energy. Guitarist Hideo Takahashi and drummer Matthew Kazama buzzsawed their way through a short set with combustible intensity. Takahashi raged on his guitar and stalked the stage like he was Peelander-Z's aformentioned mad tiger. At one point, Kazama grabbed a fistful of sticks with each hand and beat his drums into submission.

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Those Darlins

October 5, 2011 @ The Empty Bottle

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Those Darlins

October 5, 2011 @ The Empty Bottle

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Those Darlins

October 5, 2011 @ The Empty Bottle

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Those Darlins

October 5, 2011 @ The Empty Bottle

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Those Darlins

October 5, 2011 @ The Empty Bottle

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Those Darlins

October 5, 2011 @ The Empty Bottle

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Those Darlins

October 5, 2011 @ The Empty Bottle

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Those Darlins

October 5, 2011 @ The Empty Bottle

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Those Darlins

October 5, 2011 @ The Empty Bottle

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Those Darlins

October 5, 2011 @ The Empty Bottle

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Those Darlins

October 5, 2011 @ The Empty Bottle

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Peelander-Z

October 5, 2011 @ The Empty Bottle

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Peelander-Z

October 5, 2011 @ The Empty Bottle