February 25, 2016
EPISODE 8: BRUCE FINKELMAN, THE EMPTY BOTTLE, & THE EMPIRE OF COOL
Download on iTunes. Download the mp3.
For Bruce Finkelman, starting the Empty Bottle, Chicago's coolest music venue, at age 23 was just the beginning. He now runs nine different operations. We discuss seeing the world through "owner's eyes".
If you're a musician interested in teaching for Piano Power, visit pianopower.org/nerdsontour
Selected links:
- The Empty Bottle, a Chicago home for indie and underground music for almost 25 years
- Longman & Eagle, the Michelin-starred jewel of Bruce's restaurants
- The Tack Room, Bruce's piano bar, where the Nerds On Tour interview took place
- Living Colour's Vernon Reid, who played an entire set while stepping on Bruce's hand
- The dearly-missed Chicago club Lounge Ax, whose part-owner Sue Miller was a mentor for Bruce
- Matisyahu, who didn't end up getting a gig at the Empty Bottle
- Zingermann's, the Ann Arbor deli that also provided management training for Bruce's top staff
- Good to Great, one of Bruce's favorite management books (Abraham's partial to the audio version)
