The Chicago garage bands’ intro to The Gories

In the late ’80s and early ’90s, The Gories made a series of stomping garage LPs and singles before splitting off into The Oblivians and the Demolition Doll Rods. Last year, they reunited for a tour, and this year, they’re bringing the reunion to the Empty Bottle. For an extra incentive to catch the garage heroes’ reunion shows, they’ve attached a few local garage bands as openers: White Mystery and John Battles on Oct. 22, and CoCoComa and Hollows on Oct. 23. For those unfamiliar with the band, The A.V. Club asked three of the opening acts (all Gories fans, naturally) to talk about their favorite Gories songs.

Alex White of White Mystery
I was really interested in the Demolition Doll Rods and The Dirtbombs when I was in high school. They were two bands that would play the Fireside and the Metro. What I later discovered is that the formative members of these two separate bands used to be in this band called The Gories. So I was familiar with their current music and got turned on to this joint project that they had probably 10 years prior.
A personal favorite for me—that I know is shared by many—is a song called “Nitroglycerin.” And I really feel like if someone wants to be introduced to The Gories, that’s a great song to look up, because it has a lot of that garage swamp backbeat thump to it. [I probably first heard the song] when I was 17—so about eight years ago.

Bill Roe of CoCoComa
My favorite Gories song is probably “View From Here.” It’s on the I Know You Fine, But How You Doin’ record—their second record. That’s the last song on it. It’s a great album closer. It’s got a cool riff. It’s all about looking at people from inside the grave—from six feet underground, basically. It’s not one of their more popular songs. It’s not really an essential song, maybe, if you’re going to be listening to The Gories [for the first time], but it’s one that I find myself coming back to. Sometimes those are the best ones.

Emma Hospelhorn of Hollows
My favorite Gories song is “You Make It Move.” A friend gave me I Know You Be Houserockin’ as a Christmas present in 2001, with a note that said “I’m pretty sure you’ll like this.” I had never heard of The Gories before, and that record was unlike anything I’d been listening to.