Dirty Honey Hits Chicago

Dirty Honey 2020 Tour

The Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL, USA Feb. 11, 2020

by Bruce Unruh

If you’ve never heard Dirty Honey before, don’t be surprised if you think you have; several generations worth of classic rock influences mix and swirl throughout their original songs making them sound immediately familiar right from the first listen, kind of like deja vu. Since first forming in LA in 2017 Dirty Honey has risen fast, becoming the first and only unsigned band to reach the Billboard charts and opening shows for the likes of Slash and The Who. Their show at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago on February 11 was well attended, well performed and well received with killer solos galore, a hyped-up crowd and a grand, stadium-like vibe packed into a cozy up-close small venue experience. They played all the songs from their 2019 self-titled and self-released EP, including their hits “When I’m Gone” and “Rolling 7s”, threw in a couple of new songs and also performed a great cover of Aerosmith’s “Last Child”. Just the thing for a cold Chicago February night! Tasting notes: Peppery Aerosmith riffs layered with Robert Plant vocal feel highlights at the front of the pallet, notes of ripe Soundgarden and silky tones of The Guess Who, full rich finish of funky Black Crows southern rock that lingers warm and satisfying. At this point in their distillation, Dirty Honey is an impressive blended spirit, I wonder what kind of single malts await as they continue to hone their craft?

The Amazons opened the show and did a hell of a job warming up the crowd for the main event.  They’re from the UK, not South America, and there’s not a single large fierce woman in the band nor do they appear to have a massive business in online general retail.  Their sound is unique and compelling, though, and I’d gladly go see them again as a headliner, maybe next time I’ll get a chance to ask them about the name? This is The Amazons’ first tour in the US and the crowd at the Bottom Lounge gave them a nice warm welcome..