Cloud Nothings formed in Cleveland and leveled up in Chicago. The trio, which evolved from a solo project of songwriter and guitarist Dylan Baldi, traded the sprightly power pop of their 2011 self-titled debut for serrated postgrunge skronk on 2012’s Attack on Memory, recorded with engineer Steve Albini at his Chicago studio Electrical Audio. Cloud Nothings brought a similar rawness to their John Congleton–produced 2014 album, Here and Nowhere Else, where Jayson Gerycz’s relentless drumming supports Baldi’s ragged vocals and squalling guitar. The band play with so much exertion that they sound near exhaustion, like a car careening ahead on an empty gas tank.
In the ensuing years, Cloud Nothings have cycled through personnel and styles of indie rock, but songs from Here and Nowhere Else have remained staples of their set lists. On “I’m Not Part of Me,” Baldi’s straightforward lyrics and joyfully repeated lines embrace the thrill and terror of independence. It’s one of the best rock songs of the past decade. These two Empty Bottle shows conclude Cloud Nothings’ fall tour, which celebrates the tenth anniversary of Here and Nowhere Else—a milestone Baldi recently admitted in a press statement he wasn’t sure they’d ever reach. “It feels good to be here in 2024 still playing music and making records,” he said.
Cloud Nothings Armlock and Farmers Wife open. Sat 11/30 – Sun 12/1, 9 PM, Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, $25 (Saturday show sold out), 21+