Volcano!, Cougars, Zing! @ The Empty Bottle
Local rock headliners Volcano! throw together big beats, pop melodies, eccentric vocals, electronics and experimental rock structures. Cougars, the night’s second act, hits hard with no-nonsense rhythms, uncompromising rock riffs, well-placed horns and urgent vocalizations.
The night’s best set, however, may come from the opener, Zing!. Bringing together a handful of young, hardworking standouts in Chicago’s avant-garde jazz and rock scenes, Zing! is as much noisy math rock as it is free-jazz. Bassist Matthew Golombisky recently moved to Argentina, but his remaining compadres should carry on the group’s imposing mixture of effects and ambiance.