Smut at the Empty Bottle always means stepping into something gray, amorphous and what I've always said about them: transportive. After so many shoots, I've come to expect the unexpected. Their setlist seems to be in constant flux, with familiar songs emerging in a completely different order, or a new track that materializes to remind me of the constant growth of smut. Led by Tay Roebuck, their performances ride waves of oscillating moods, from intense to serene in a heartbeat, and the energy on stage challenges the status quo. This unpredictability makes watching and photographing smut a fresh and fun experience with each watch, with never a repeat, proof of their growth.