The Effigies, Billy Batts & The Made Men

The Effigies are playing Smith's Olde Bar on Wednesday, October 21, with Billy Batts & The Made Men joining them on the bill. The show is in the Atlanta Room, 1578 Piedmont Avenue Northeast, and it's presented by SOBATL.

If you're not familiar with the name, The Effigies were one of Chicago's pioneering punk bands, formed in 1980 with vocalist John Kezdy, bassist Paul Zamost, drummer Steve Economou, and guitarist Earl Letiecq. Their DIY ethos and songs about corruption and urban alienation made them a seminal influence on the punk scene, and early releases like the Haunted Town EP (1981), Body Bag (1982), and We're Da Machine (1983) cemented their following. They shared stages with Naked Raygun, Big Black, The Circle Jerks, Black Flag, The Cramps, and Public Image Ltd, and engineer Steve Albini called them "absolutely essential to the development of a healthy punk scene in Chicago."

It's been a few years since the lineup changed. Following founding member John Kezdy's death in August 2023, the band recorded a new album with vocalist Geoff Sabin and released Burned in October 2024. As of 2026, they're recording their sixth album, so this date comes while they're still working on new material. Billy Batts & The Made Men open the night.

Doors open at 7 PM and the music starts at 8 PM. The show is 18+.