by staff
Halloween falls on a Wednesday this year, and you know what that means – a week of festivities wrapped in two weekends of party! We offer our top picks for all the best Halloweeny events in town, including our own “Halloween Speakeasy” party on the 31st at Clubhouse Jäger. We’ve also included some decidedly un-spooky goings-on, such as the Vote No benefit shows at the Triple Rock on Friday and Saturday, album release shows, an experimental music/video fest and much more. So start planning your weekend agenda – and be sure to peep Beth Hammarlund’s handy guide for some fashiony costume ideas and our Halloween shopping guide for ideas on where to shop!
xo, l’étoile
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25TH
Local Kickstarter Artist Reception
@ Walker Art Center
1750 Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis
5-9 pm reception, 7 pm talk / All ages / FREE
The success of project funding site Kickstarter has proved that entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in the U.S. of A. It’s become a bastion for independent artists and musicians, helping them to pay for everything from art projects to albums. Tonight, the Walker is capitalizing on the impact of the site with a free talk with Kickstarter cofounder Yancey Strickler, bookended by a meet and greet with local artists who used Kickstarter to fund their projects, including the group behind Screenprinting: On the Cheap and Leslie Ostrander and Matt Marka, who funded their art book and CD The Pauses Between through the site. Chat with the artists, shop their goods at the mnartists.marketplace in the Walker Shop, and leave inspired. -Jahna Peloquin
Click HERE for the Walker Art Center site
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25TH
Book It: The Party
@ James J. Hill Reference Library
80 W 4th Street
St. Pail
7–10 pm / $15 ($10 Members)
Leave your library voices at home – James J. Hill Reference Library’s “Book It: The Party” series is billed as “Loud at the Library,” so no matter what volume you choose to employ, you’re unlikely to receive a dirty look from the librarian or fellow patrons. The Friends of the St. Paul Public Library have leveraged the considerable charms of the gorgeous and historic James J. Hill space to create a brilliant convergence of local music, trivia and free beer! You read that right, the mere ownership of a library card will get you a free Summit at this event. Trivia from Books and Bars’ Jeff Kamin will test your musical knowledge and there will be prizes, so keep that in mind when you assemble your crew for the evening (in other words, bring nerds). The chance to hear local music in the great acoustics of this library is a unique feature of the Book It parties, and local band Rogue Valley will play their sprawling, lush brand of folk-pop. The book it series is the kind of ingenious hybrid of the literary and the musical that works especially well here in the Twin Cities so come out and see what all the fuss is about. -Anthony Enright
Click HERE for the Friends of the St. Paul Public Library site
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25TH
Robust Worlds Record Release Show w/ Pony Trash + Dream Weapon + DJ Clint Simonson
@ Turf Club
1601 University Avenue
St. Paul
9 pm / 21+ / $6
Robust Worlds is a Chris Rose of Vampire Hands’ one-man-band side project. His mix of synths and guitar is dissonant and soothing at the same time — a heavily textured sound to be coming from just one person. He recently put out his debut album under the Robust Worlds moniker, Emotional Planet, on semilegendary local DIY label De Stijl, and it’s an understated, noisy yet fluid undertaking. Also playing is Pony Trash of recent Pick to Click notoriety, featuring members of Poliça, Vampire Hands and Gospel Gossip. Their shoegazy dream pop sound is peppered with psychedelic garage influences. Also playing is Dream Weapon, featuring Bennett and Cole of Daughters of the Sun, and De Stijl Records founder Clint Simonson DJing in between sets. -Danielle Morris
Click HERE For the Turf Club site
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25TH
Beatrix*JAR presents Spooky Sounds Vol. 1
@ Clubhouse Jäger
923 Washington Avenue N
Minneapolis
9 pm–1 am / 21+ / FREE
Beatrix*JAR – the duo behind exuberant sound collages heard at high art museums and on the streets alike – host an evening of electronic experimentation and spookiness. Think the Books grooving to Deee-Lite. The Ring Toss Twins and Talking Computron open with a blend of synth, layered noise and danceable tunes. Sure to be in turn disorienting, intriguing, and nostalgic, Spooky Sounds Vol. 1 will bring on the lo-fi Halloween flavor. These sound artists will introduce you to circuit bending toys and gadget-instruments that may convince you to replace your telecaster with a vintage Speak & Spell. -Chloe Nelson
Click HERE for Juleana Enright’s recent Q&A with Beatrix*JAR for The Culturator
Click HERE for the Facebook invite
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25TH
“Practice: Karen Kasel” Opening Reception
@ TuckUnder Projects
5120 York Avenue S
Minneapolis
6-9 pm (runs through November 25; email info@tuckunder.org for hours) / All ages / FREE
Feisty alternative gallery space TuckUnder Projects plays host to Karen Kasel’s latest solo show, “Practice,” opening this Thursday. A well-known and shown artist in the Minneapolis scene, Kasel has recently been riding a new creative wave after several years sabbatical of balancing the age-old struggle of family, life’s tasks and art. Her new, simplified and stark mixed media drawings are inspired by her realization that an artist’s job is often considered to be a critique of culture, a job that she did not want. “She prefers to investigate the clouds and trees, simply for the beauty of the view.” Kasel’s new works are intended to reflect renewed creative energy as well as “domestic rejuvenation.” -Nathaniel Smith
Click HERE for the TuckUnder site
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27TH
Darkness Day 2012
@ Surly Brewing Company
4811 Dusharme Drive
Brooklyn Center
11 am–6 pm / 21+ / FREE
If you have even a passing interest in beer you’re already aware that Minnesota is home to a boutique brewery whose beers inspire a level of devotion previously reserved for saints and starlets, Surly. Buckle your seat belts – this Saturday Surly lovers of all stripes will storm the brewery gates to spend the afternoon at the brewery, drinking great beer, eating great food and listening to live music. Miraculously, you can join them and also get a chance to lay your hands on the Holy Grail of local beer Surly’s mythical Darkness brew (six bottles per person max!). Food will come from some of the Twin Cities best food trucks, special and limited release beers will be available for just $4, metal bands will play sets every two hours and limited edition Darkness swag will be available for purchase. Come celebrate a Minnesota treasure and taste some of the sexiest suds around. -Anthony Enright
Click HERE for Anthony Enright’s column The Rogue Epicurean, a gentleman’s guide to living well
Click HERE for the Surly Brewing site
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27TH
“Gods and Monsters IV: Return of the Unholy Terror”
@ Cult Status Gallery
2913 Harriet Avenue S
Minneapolis
8 pm-midnight / FREE
Craving some classic horror F.W. Murnau-style this Halloween? Or perhaps you’re more of a Dario Argento aficionado? Whether you prefer to let the creeps slowly build up your spine or you’d like to see that spine gruesomely removed from a writhing starlet, this show is sure to have something that tickles your aesthetic fancy. Featuring works by more than 45 artists including Jennifer Davis and Biafra Inc. inspired by influential films in the horror genre, Cult Status Gallery will bleed with diabolical delights. The pieces in this third annual exhibit appear to run the gamut from slightly macabre toward somewhat more sanguine and on into some out and out gore. Try not to scream too loudly, lest you wake the art ghouls! -Staff
Click HERE for the Facebook invite
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27TH
Lady Heat “Gonna Burn Your Soul Dance Party”
@ Cosmo Restaurant at Graves 601 Hotel
601 N 1st Avenue (4th floor)
Minneapolis
10 pm / 21+ / FREE
Be prepared for some heat at the CosmiQue “Gonna Burn Your Soul Party” this Saturday night. The talented lady all-vinyl DJ trio Lady Heat bring their soul dance party to the Graves Hotel in downtown Minneapolis to infuse the Halloween weekend with some soul. If dancing the night away to stylish über talented DJs isn’t your thing (how couldn’t it be?), then come for the Halloween festivities: a costume party, prizes and “general spooky fun” is all promised. Top off a night of good music with promising drink specials and this dance party is guaranteed to heat your weekend up. BONUS: The trio is throwing yet another Halloween soul dance party bash this Tuesday at Icehouse; click HERE for details. -Lizzy Shramko
Click HERE for the Facebook invite
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27TH
Richard Lloyd w/ Baby Boys
@ The Belmore/The New Skyway Lounge
25 N 4th Street
Minneapolis
8 pm (sharp) / 21+ / $5
Post-punk legend Richard Lloyd of Television fame is helping to break in Doug Anderson’s new joint, the Belmore/New Skyway Lounge, this weekend with a just-announced show. He’ll be performing material from his solo catalog dating back to 1979, plus Television’s seminal album Marquee Moon, backed by his new trio. Anderson says “this is the best I’ve seen Mr. Lloyd in years.” Here’s hoping so – his show last year at Nick and Eddie’s warehouse space was uneven, though with hints of pure genius. If nothing else, it’s a rare chance to see a living legend within the intimate confines of the Belmore. Swoonworthy local popsters Baby Boys open. In a just-announced addition, a costume contest and party will be hosted by Gallery Co and Johnny Cliffords HIFI Hair. Admission to show will be free with costume, and costumed guests will receive 10% off the menu, with prizes for best costume. -Jahna Peloquin
Click HERE for the Facebook invite
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27TH
Le Cirque Rouge Halloween Costume Ball
@ Amsterdam Bar & Hall
6 W 6th Street
St. Paul
8:30 pm doors, 9 pm show / 21+ / $15 advance, $20 door
Amsterdam + burlesque? Yeah, that sounds about right. One of your favorite St. Paul hangs joins forces with the wisecracking, jazz-singing, rowdy members of the Le Cirque Rouge and Cabaret Show for a Halloween extravaganza unlike anything else in town. Complete with a midnight costume contest, and performances by Ballet of the Dolls, Courtney McLean and the Dirty Curls, Switchblade Sideshow, and Fates Palette, promises a show that will have you rocking your socks off (or maybe more). -Emily Cain
Click HERE for the Amsterdam Bar & Hall site
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27TH
The Halloween Masquerade Ball
@ Ground Zero
15 NE 4th Street
Minneapolis
9 pm-2 am / 18+ / $10
Night crawlers seeking the macabre unite tonight as Ground Zero hosts their annual Halloween Masquerade Ball. Creep the dance floor to dark tuneage provided by veteran DJs Nitrogen, DV8, Fenris and Noise. Plus, enjoy a naughty undead assortment of go-go dancers, numb your fear with 2-4-1 drinks from 9 to 10 pm and have your mind blown by a sinister vibe of frightful decorations. Ghastly surprises around every corner. Costumes highly encouraged. -Juleana Enright
Click HERE for the Facebook invite
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27TH
Diamond Rings w/ Gold Fields + Vague-à-bonde
@ 7th Street Entry
701 1st Avenue N
Minneapolis
8 pm doors / 18+ / $8 advance, $10 door
What if Robyn and Leonard Cohen and David Bowie had a baby? And what if that baby was raised in a Lisa Frank universe, grew up to be a pop rock prince, and rocked gender-bending makeup and shot hoops in his low-budget music videos? There’s no need to imagine it, guys. The future is now, and it’s Canadian. This Saturday night, Radio K presents John O’Regan, aka Diamond Rings, in what’s sure to be one of the best events of Halloweekend. Wear your glam rock finest, and be prepared for O’Regan’s sweet sweet baritone to whisk you away to a glittery wonderland. BONUS: The Saloon is hosting a Diamond Rings album release party on Thursday night. Click HERE for details. -Beth Hammarlund
Click HERE for the First Avenue site
The English Beat w/ Paul Collins Beat
@ Mill City Nights
111 5th Street N
Minneapolis
8 pm doors, 9 pm show / 18+ / $22
Ska, you know. The English Beat are the key proponents of two-tone ska. Icons, if you will. If you like ska, these guys are as
magnificent as you’d figure they’d be – lead man Dave Wakeling sounds as good as he ever did, and the backing band he’s assembled is crackshot featuring, sadly, no original members of the ’80s version of the band but sounding terrific just the same. Confession: I’ve always been more of a General Public guy – Wakeling wrote some of his best songs apart from the limiting confines of ska. But I know plenty of people who disagree with me wholeheartedly, and I did just see these guys a few months ago, and they do not disappoint. Openers Paul Collins Beat features the former frontman of power-pop group the Nerves – not a ska band at all, more of a new-wavey thing, but very damn cool. -Jon Hunt
Click HERE to read Jon Hunt’s music column, We Will Rock You
Click HERE for the Mill City Nights site
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27TH
Southside Desire’s “Songs to Love and Die to” Vinyl Release Party
@ Nomad World Pub
501 Cedar Avenue S
Minneapolis
9 pm / 21+ / FREE
If your post-punk grit yearns to dance away its blues at a psychedelic beach party, find the cure Saturday. Southside Desire’s debut album title, “Songs to Love and Die to”, encompasses their Northern neo-soul with bittersweet twee lyrics. In a nod to the doo-woo influences on their single, “When I Was Your Queen”, the ladies will don retro hairdos by The Hive Salon and couture from Minneapolis newcomer, Sarah Stubbs. The Goondas, The Sex Rays, and JT & the Sloppy Seconds will help keep up the low-fi/bluesy groove alive. DJ Brian Engel of Hotpants/Hipshaker fame and costume contest round out the night. -Ryn Gibson
Click HERE for the Facebook invite
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27TH
Another Saturday Night Halloween
@ Kitty Cat Klub
315 14th Avenue SE
Minneapolis
10 pm / 21+ / FREE before 11 pm, $3 after
The good-lookin’ men and ladyfolk of the Twin Cities are sure to congregate at this month’s edition of Another Saturday Night, the latest dance party concoction from DJs Bach and So Gold plus special guest DJ Espada, Gold’s brother in the Wants Vs. Needs DJ posse. VJ Methface will also be in the house with some special, spooky visuals. Recline in the shambly, luxe surroundings of the Kitty Cat Klub, or blow off some steam on the dance floor to a sexy mix of classic and modern R&B. Get there before 11 pm for free cover and happy hour drink specials. -Jahna Peloquin
Click HERE for the Facebook invite
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27TH
Attitude City Halloween Party + Jeff Dubois Bday Bash
@ Clubhouse Jäger
923 Washington Avenue N
Minneapolis
10 pm / 21+ / FREE
One of our favorite monthly dance jams is here! The crate-digging connoisseurs of Attitude City are at it again with a night of delicious dance beats and Clubhouse Jäger’s tasty cocktails. This month’s special guest is Mark Warren aka the Discomechanic, a Chicago native who started buying records all the way back when Chicago house was considered a new thing. His vinyl collection has since expanded to include a wide array of house, disco, edits, italo and modern jams. In addition to the regular Halloween hijinks, Attitude City co-founder Jeff Dubois will be celebrating his birthday whilst serving up his latest disco, house, boogie and italo finds. -Jahna Peloquin
Click HERE for the Facebook invite
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28TH
Pre-Halloween Spooktacular Fashion Show
@ Hack Factory
3119 E 26th Street
Minneapolis
7 pm / All ages / FREE
Creep yourself out with spooky yet glamorous fashions from local artists Rachel Bolgren, Beeth Cake, Natalie Mazarol, Emrys Mariel, Greta Herman and more in this Halloween fashion show within the industrial confines of the Hack Factory. Arrive early to gain access to Beeth Cake’s plethora of fabric, sequins and glow-in-the-dark accouterments to give your ensemble a glittered boost. Win the costume contest and receive a special prize, or come uncostumed – all are welcome. A solid live music lineup rounds out the night, including Rollerblade, Tiny Fantasy, John Zuma St. Pelvin and Diva 93, plus a performance by Mandy Mwarhol. -Ryn Gibson
Click HERE for the Facebook invite
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28TH
Hot Roxx Halloween Hoedown Hextravaganza
@ Hexagon Bar
2600 27th Avenue S
Minneapolis
9 pm / 21+ / FREE
Calling all you Rhinestone Cowboys and Coal Miner’s Daughters: You’ve been looking for a place to rock those studded snakeskin boots and your embroidered polyester suit, and this here’s the spot! This year’s alliterative bash collects past and current members from some of the TC’s most buzzworthy bands – Chambermaids, Voytek, STNNNG, Daughters of the Sun, Blackthorns, Pony Trash, Gospel Gossip and more – into supergroups Hard Roky Cafe and Tramps Like Us to scare up modern interpretations Roky Erickson and Bruce Springsteen tunes, plus Heavy Deeds doing country covers, Father You See Queen doing electronic covers of ’60s classics and New York’s Marching Jaybirds offering up some old-timey tunage. You’re sure to hear some AM radio stalwarts, and if you’re lucky, a stray Conway Twitty tune may even sneak in (we love us some “Hello Darlin’”). Between sets the Hot Roxx DJs will be spinning a tempest of twangy tunes to keep your boots a’tapping. -Staff
Click HERE for the Facebook invite
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28TH
OFF! w/ The Spits + Double Negative
@ Station 4
201 E 4th Street
St. Paul
7 pm / 18+ /$16 advance, $18 door
Make the trek to Saint Paul’s Lowertown to see an amalgamation of bands some may have been too young or too dumb not to see yet. On the second leg of their U.S. fall tour, OFF! is the newest endeavor from Keth Morris (Black Flag), Dimitri Coats (Burning Brides), Mario Rubalcaba (Hot Snakes) and Stephen McDonald (Redd Kross). The Spits, known for performing in Ronald Reagan masks or as toilet-papered mummies, will probably have Halloween garb worthy of a look. And the new singer and drummer for Double Negative are definitely worth a listen. -Ryn Gibson
Click HERE for the Station 4 site
OFF!
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25TH-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28TH
Feast for the Eyes: Food & Wine Film Festival & Vita.mn Small Bites Feastival
@ St. Anthony Main Theatre
115 Main Street SE
Minneapolis
Showtimes vary / Shows $8.50; Festival passes $125 /
Small Bites: 7–10 pm Friday & 11 am Sunday / $20 per party or $35 for both
Some of our favorite movie moments revolve around food, wine and cooking and apparently we’re not alone. The Film Society of Minneapolis presents a first of its kind festival devoted to the rich history of food in film including 15 feature length foodie films and a a slew of shorts labeled “Small Bites.” The festival includes not just film, but also commentary, tastings and samplings presented by food critics and personalities helping to expand your mind as they tease your tastebuds. Vita.mn’s Small Bites programs on Friday night and at Sunday brunch pairs eats from over a dozen local restaurants (Such as Barbette, Butcher and the Boar and French Meadow) and food purveyors with a hour of food-themed short films and tasty libations – plus a bloody Mary bar and live music from the Cactus Blossoms on Sunday. If you’re in the mood to gorge yourself grab a festival pass for admission to all 15 feature films and test the limits of your appetite. -Anthony Enright
Click HERE for Anthony Enright’s column The Rogue Epicurean, a gentleman’s guide to living well
Click HERE for the Film Society of Minneapolis site
FRIDAY OCTOBER 26-MONDAY, OCTOBER 29TH (Runs through November 11)
“The Learning Fairy”
@ Open Eye Figure Theatre
506 E 24th Street
Minneapolis
Times vary / $15 general admission, $12 students, $10 children 12 and under
Looking for a family-friendly event that isn’t a snooze-fest for the grown ups? Take a trip to the Open Eye Figure Theatre for Episode 2 of The Learning Fairy. The Learning Fairy along with her buds Mr. Make-It, a mad scientist who can transform things before your eyes, The Questioning Girl who is ever inquisitive, and the Fairy Band will take you on a one-of-a-kind romp through old school theater magic and puppetry. -Emily Cain
Click HERE for the Open Eye Figure Theatre site
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26TH
“Playing With the Dark” Opening Reception
@ Highpoint Center For Printmaking
912 W Lake Street
Minneapolis
6:30 pm (runs through November 24) / All ages / FREE
Local institution Highpoint Center For Printmaking plays host to a friendly neighbor from the North this month in “Playing With the Dark,” their eighth exhibition with Canada’s premier printshop, Open Studio. A nonprofit and internationally famous shop located in Toronto, Open Studio’s Executive Director Jennifer Bhoga will be curating recent work by four print artists, Jennie Suddick, Shannon Gerard, Laine Groeneweg and Daryl Vocat. Expect a mix of serious themes with humorous visual solutions in an array of mezzotints, etchings, screenprints, three-dimensional work and installation. -Nathaniel Smith
Click HERE for the Highpoint Center for Printmaking site
Laine Groeneweg "Boy is a Plane" Mezzotint, 2012 / Image courtesy of Open Studio
FRIDAY OCTOBER 26TH
“The Curative”
@ Target Commercial Interiors
81 S 9th Street (enter via the double doors on Nicollet or through the skyway)
Minneapolis
7-10 pm / FREE
As you may expect, the Target Corporation employes many of the Twin Cities most creative and talented artists and artisans. For the second year, Target invited all of their employees to submit work for consideration in a juried exhibit. This year’s show (limited to 32 individuals) includes 60 works in a variety of media; illustration, paintings, short documentary, fashion design, book making and more. With exceptional jurors Carolyn Payne (Director of the SOO Visual art Center) and renowned artist Ruben Nusz, the show is sure to have a distinct perspective. Some familiar names from the local creative community include brother and sister team Sally and Dan Hartman, artist collective Cave Party, Ashley Ackerson of BNLX and fashion designers George Moskal and Lindsey Hopkins. You’ll also be introduced to dozens of less know but equally talented artists. The Curative is a great reflection of the passion, creativity and diversity of the Target employees who help make our community so vibrant. -Anthony Enright
Click HERE for the Facebook invite
Art by Nicolas Bensch
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26TH
“Tarot, Mystics & The Occult” Opening Reception
@ Light Grey Art Lab
118 E 26th Street
Minneapolis
7-10 pm (runs through November 9) / All ages / FREE
Do you know what you want to be for Halloween? Do you know what you want to be in life? If you lack direction and seek answers, step on up to the “Tarot, Mystics & the Occult” opening at Light Grey Art Lab. Featuring a new, intricately illustrated tarot deck that will be for sale and a tarot-themed show curated by Lindsay Nohl, the art opening will include card readings for a small donation. So find some answers to the big questions, and get in touch with your inner mystic just in time for the Western world’s most mystical holiday. -Chloe Nelson
Click HERE for the Light Grey Art Lab site
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26TH & SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27TH
The Retros present “The Shining”
@ Willow Creek Theater
9900 Shelard Parkway
Plymouth
11:30 pm nightly / Friday featuring introduction by Colin Covert / $5.50
Stanley Kubrick’s horror masterpiece finds some of its most potent aspects in the same elements that damned it as a Razzie-nominated misfire in 1980. Jack Nicholson’s scenery chewing is perfect for getting to the heart of a desperate man craving control as he gets older. Shelley Duvall aggravated many viewers in playing the suffering wife, but again, that’s precisely the point. The Shining is a familial horror film, of a man frustrated by the damning circulation of his domestic responsibilities as husband to an annoying wife and “gifted” child (Danny Lloyd), getting older but caught in repetition: all work and no play making one murderous “dull boy,” who will be doing some “corrrrecting.” The Willow Creek presents The Shining as a midnight big screen treat for the Halloween holiday, the Friday screening introduced by Star Tribune critic (and Kubrick buff) Colin Covert. -Niles Schwartz
Click HERE to read Niles’ film column, The Niles Files
Click HERE for the Facebook invite
FRIDAY OCTOBER 26TH & SATURDAY OCTOBER 27TH
“Your Head is a Phantom Limb”
@ Patrick’s Cabaret
3010 Minnehaha Avenue S
Minneapolis
7-9 pm Friday, 6-9 pm Saturday / All ages / $10 per night or $15 for both
Gird your eyes and ears because this weekend Patrick’s Cabaret provides the chassis for a two-day festival highlighting sonic and visual arts experimentation like you’ve never experienced before. Curated by local sound artist Eric Lunde, the fest showcases an array of performance, theater, electronic, bending, beating, beat and video artists from Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Chicago. Friday’s line-up represents the “noise theater” side featuring text-intensive performances while Saturday is a sonic explosion of electric arts, noise and electronic music ranging from dysfunctional, extreme, ameliorative and rhythmic. For a complete line-up schedule, visit the project’s blog. -Juleana Enright
Click HERE for the “Your Head Is a Phantom Limb” blog
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26TH–SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28TH (Runs through November 4th)
James Sewell Ballet’s “Dance Macabre”
@ The Cowles Center
528 Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis
Times vary / $16, $26, $32
‘Tis the season for artfully morbid tales. Leave it to the innovative dancers of the James Sewell Ballet to take on the likes of Edgar Allen Poe (you know, the author you read in high school who wrote about that creepy beating heart), Grave Matters (a book about burials), and Giselle Pas de Deaux (ballet’s classic tragedy), in their new show Dance Macabre (that’s “Dance of Death” for those of you too lazy to Google-translate) opening this Friday. -Emily Cain
Click HERE for the Cowles Center site
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26TH & SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27TH
Transvestite Soup Halloween Show
@ Uptown Theater
2906 Hennepin Avenue
Minneapolis
Midnight / 18+ / $9
Join local troupe Transvestite Soup and they reprise the formerly long-running midnight bash that is The Rocky Horror Picture Show. This Halloween special edition will rock and shock you in true Rocky fashion as Transvestite Soup performs along with the movie, with plenty of audience interaction in between. So shake your sweet transvestite ass down to the Uptown theater this weekend and partake in the classic musical spectacle that is Rocky Horror! The flick screens at midnight on both Friday and Saturday but we recommend showing up between 11 and 11:30 pm to secure yourself a seat – and don’t forget the rice. -Staff
Click HERE for the Transvestite Soup site
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26TH & SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27TH
MN Musicians Vote No!
@ Triple Rock Social Club
629 Cedar Avenue
Minneapolis
7 pm / 18+ / $15 each night
You can usually tell the rightness or wrongness of a political position by the quality of musicians supporting each side. The Vote
Yessers have – who, exactly? Maybe Hank Williams Jr.? Maybe? Meanwhile, the Vote No contingent have arranged this mind-boggling
collection of amazing bands stretched out over two nights, with all proceeds going to benefit MN United for All Families and TakeAction MN, the two groups working their asses off to defeat these ridiculous amendments. Day One: Dillinger Four; Har Mar Superstar; Mayda; Magic Castles; Pink Mink; Bombay Sweets; Blood, Sweat and Beards; and DJs Channy and Drew (of Poliça). Day Two: Dave Pirner (of Soul Asylum), Charlie Parr, Tripping Icarus (feat. outspoken Vote No proponent Chris Kluwe), Adam Levy (from Honeydogs), Flavor Crystals, Carnage the Executioner, L’Assassins, Puppies and Trains, and comedians Tommy Ryman and Maggie Faris. Rock out and VOTE NO, folks. -Jon Hunt
Click HERE to read Jon Hunt’s music column, We Will Rock You
Click HERE for the Triple Rock Social Club site
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26TH
E.L.nO. Halloween w/ Joey Ryan & the Inks + DJ Jill Riley
@ Lee’s Liquor Lounge
101 Glenwood Avenue N
Minneapolis
9 pm / 21+ / $10
Not only is Lee’s Liquor Lounge the epitome of Minneapolis cool, it is also known for some of the best live music in the Twin Cities and will be featuring cover band extraordinaire E.L.nO this Friday. A local favorite, The Electric Light (Not) Orchestra includes former members of Accident Clearinghouse, Detroit, Billy Johnson’s Roadshow and Manplanet, not to mention the ultra-charismatic frontman (and DJ on the Current) David Campbell, dressed to the nines in Afro-tastic ’70s drag. As a special Halloween treat, they’re throwing in a ten-minute set of Duran Duran tunes. Also performing is Joey Ryan and the Inks playing the tunes of Bob Dylan – specifically, his ’74 tour with the Band – and Current DJ Jill Riley will be spinning the tunes throughout the night. Expect to hear some great music, see some crazy Afros and dance the night away. BONUS: Can’t make it on Friday? E.L.nO. will be playing a free show as part of Brit’s Halloween bash on Saturday night at with Kinks cover band Kinda Kinky; Click HERE for details. -Chelsea Streich
Click HERE for the Lee’s Liquor Lounge site
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26TH
The Pleasure Principals
@ Clubhouse Jäger
923 Washington Avenue N
Minneapolis
10 pm / 21+ / FREE
In the mood for Michael and Janet, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks, Billy Idol, and Billy Ocean all under one roof? If you’re catching what we’re throwing out, you know Jäg is the place to dance tonight. Resident DJs Espada and Mike 2600 spin classic party jams all night long. Prepare yourself for a night of funk-filled, unadulterated, pop-tastic pleasure as you dance to the sophisticated spinnings and double DJ remakes of old school classics. -Staff
Click HERE for the Facebook invite
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30TH
Dark & Spooky Ladies + Dead Writers’ Party
@ Kieran’s Irish Pub
601 1st Avenue N
Minneapolis
Dead Writers’: 6 pm / All ages / $5 suggested donation
Dark & Spooky: 7 pm doors, 8 pm event / All ages / $10, $8 students
Two creeptastic literary parties hit Kieran’s the same night for what has the makings of an all-out word fest. First up, the Loft Literary Center’s annual Dead Writers’ Party will have local authors Scott Wrobel, Matt Rasmussen, Nona Kennedy Carlson and Sarah Caflisch gathering around an Ouija board in an attempt to communicate with a famous author as selected via social media poll. Will they spar with Hemingway, or get gonzo with Hunter S. Thompson? Cast your vote via Facebook. The event also includes a short open mic beginning at 6:15 pm, drinks, parlor games, prizes and a costume contest, plus scary stories from Dave Schrader, co-host of Darkness on the Edge of Town Paranormal Radio. Meanwhile, local poetry slam group SlamMN is hosting a fundraiser for the upcoming Women of the World Poetry Slam; festivities includes tales, music and poetry, all musing on the scary side of things from National Poetry Slam champs and Fringe Fest favorites. -Jahna Peloquin
Click HERE for the Loft Literary Center site and HERE for the Dark & Spooky Facebook invite
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30TH
Lady Heat Hot Soul Dance Party: Halloween Edition
@ Icehouse
2528 Nicollet Avenue S
Minneapolis
10:30 pm / 21+ / $2
Be prepared for some heat at the Lady Heat Hot Soul Dance Party on Halloween eve. The talented lady all-vinyl DJ trio Lady Heat – “The Blonde Butcher” Christy Hunt, “The Brutal Brunette” Danielle Morris and “The Red Reaper” Sara Jean Hanson – bring their soul dance party to Icehouse to infuse the Halloween eve with some soul. If dancing the night away to stylish, über talented DJs isn’t your thing (how couldn’t it be?), then come for some general spooky, costumed fun. -Lizzy Shramko
click HERE for the Facebook invite
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30TH
Halloween & Oates w/ Torch the Spires
@ 331 Club
331 13th Avenue NE
Minneapolis
In honor of Halloween, local indie rockers Al Church and State have joined with members of I, Colossus, and rechristened themselves “Halloween and Oates.” They’re playing a trio of shows over the course of Halloween week, including this free show at the 331 with heavy rockers Torch the Spires. (plus Wednesday night’s tribute band show at the Triple Rock; see below). They promise killer covers of all the Hall and Oates classics, plus if you dress like Daryl Hall, you’ll get a free mustache. We CAN go for that! -Jahna Peloquin
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30TH
Halloween Eve at the Hex
@ Hexagon Bar
2600 27th Avenue S
Minneapolis
10 pm / 21+ / FREE
Halloweekend keeps going strong at the Hex with yet another cover band show. Well, sort of. Ugly Motors will be playing covers of songs from ’80s hit machine Loverboy, while Dimensionals (featuring members of Sinks and Les Deux Magots) and Brother Nature – in their last-ever show – will be playing their own tunes. Adding to the festivities will be a costume contest for the chance to win top-notch prizes like free booze, Heggie’s Pizza and records, and DJ Hog Leg spinning The Mummies and “Monster Mash” on repeat. You can’t go wrong, really. -Jahna Peloquin
Click HERE for the Facebook invite
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31ST
The 9th or 10th Annual Halloween Tribute Show
@ Triple Rock Social Club
629 Cedar Avenue
Minneapolis
7 pm / 21+ / $8 with a costume, $10 without
When rock returns from the dead, it can be a pretty scary sight. Cobwebs in over-teased hair, maggot-infested guitar strings and do you have any idea what embalming fluid does to a leather jacket? Well, luckily the former rock gods taking the Triple Rock stage tonight aren’t the real deal, instead our fiendish local musicians will be conjuring up the spirits and badassedness of these legends for another epic installment of the T-Rock’s Halloween Tribute Show. Witness live channeling performances from Halloween and Oates (Al Church and State as Hall and Oates), Iron Maiden cover band Maiden Minneapolis, Me and My Aerosmith (Me and My Arrow as Aerosmith) and a group of folks doing Naked Raygun and Ted Nugent covers. Past costume contests have ranged from the obscurely specific – “Best Representation of a Forgotten ’80s-Era David Bowie Album Cover” to “Cutest Couple,” so put a little effort into your costume and definitely go for the extravagant. Just don’t stab yourself on anyone’s decade rusty safety pins; the Triple Rock won’t reimburse you for a tetanus shot. -Staff
Click HERE for the Triple Rock Social Club site
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31ST
l’étoile magazine & Clubhouse Jäger presents a Halloween Speakeasy
@ Clubhouse Jäger
923 Washington Avenue N
Minneapolis
Calling all F. Scotts and Zeldas! Join Clubhouse Jäger, l’étoile magazine, Bass United Recordings and Blacklist Vintage for a Halloween Speakeasy. Come carouse, dressed in your 1920s best and step back in time for a prohibition-themed costume party that combines the decadence of the era with a spooky twist. The cozy confines of Clubhouse Jäger – built in 1906 – will be transformed into a Jazz Age speakeasy where the booze flows freely and ragtime reigns. The evening kicks off with a classed-up cocktail affair from 8 to 10 pm, complete with delectable bites from Jäger’s kitchen, prohibition-era drink specials, a costume contest sponsored by Blacklist Vintage (who’ll be giving away a gift certificate), classic ragtime and jazz spun by DJ Dirty McKenzie, and a stylized photo scene where Stephen Stephens of Digital Crush Photo will capture your moment in time. After 10 pm, DJs Dirty McKenzie, Bryan Gerrard and SL8R will take the soiree into the night with an all-out dance party. Find your glam get-up for the party at Blacklist Vintage, where you can receive 10% off store-wide on dapper duds and festive flapper frocks when you present your Halloween Speakeasy ticket. Period dress strongly encouraged. -Jahna Peloquin
Click HERE for the Facebook invite
Promo image by Caroline Royce
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31ST
First Avenue’s Annual Costume Contest Party + Holla-Ween
@ First Avenue
701 First Avenue
Minneapolis
8 pm / 18+ / $5 advance, $10 door
For many a Halloween, the Ave has been the place to go to gawk at the most outrageous costumes in the Twin Cities, and from what we’ve heard about this year’s party, that’s not about to change. Ian Rans of Drinking with Ian fame is yet again this year’s host, and the First Avenue DJs Soviet Panda, Espada, Smitty and Roy Freedom will be back to keep you moving and grooving. Do yourself a favor and wear a costume – faux pas doesn’t look good on anyone, and over $1,000 in prizes is up for grabs. Crossover to the reggae/hip hop night the Bungalow’s “Holla-Ween” party in the Record Room and the drum-and-bass-oriented Konkrete Jungle’s party in the Entry is free. -Staff
Click HERE for the First Avenue site
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31ST
Halloween Cover Band Show feat. Teddy & the Turks + Sister Magnet and Brothers Steel + Anthony Shore + Sküll Wizard
@ Hexagon Bar
2600 27th Avenue S
Minneapolis
10 pm / 21+ / FREE
It’s a Halloween tradition to have a cover band show at the Hexagon, and this year is no different. Up first is Sküll Wizard, a new proto-hair metal band featuring ex-members of Death to Our Enemies. They’re technically not a cover band, but their sound may has well have been scraped off the Sunset Strip in the 1980s. Next up Anthony Shore, an Elvis tribute act from the UK (!) and the Sisters Magnet and Brothers Steel, an all-star super group tribute featuring members of Ear Candy, Pink Mink, National Bird and Red Flags and known for their covers of late ’70s AM Gold. Headlining the night is non-cover band Teddy and the Turks, whose spooky surf rock vibe is perfect for Halloween. -Danielle Morris
Click HERE for the Facebook invite
Anthony Shore
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31ST
Old Fashioned and Slightly Psychotic Halloween Costume Party
@ Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge
1900 Marshall Street NE
Minneapolis
7-10 pm / 21+ / $30 advance, $35 door
Tikis are often associated with breezy sunshine and the world of Gidget, and not as much with undead. But just take a gander at the made-for-TV horror film Trilogy of Terror (1975) and you’ll be ready for the tiki doll-meets-Chucky vibe that will reign supreme at Psycho Suzi’s come All Hallows’ Eve. Complimentary pupus and libations (including sacrificial blood) and seasonal kitsch will be on offer all evening at the expansive Northeast hangout. Don your finest Halloween frocks and revel in live music, photo booths, and slasher films galore. -Chloe Nelson
Click HERE for the Psycho Suzi’s site
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31ST
Transmission presents “Release the Bats”
@ Varsity Theater
1308 4th Street SE
Minneapolis
9 pm / 18+ / FREE
If Ministry’s lyrics on the Facebook page are any indication, this party promises to be the Halloween event for music lovers of the darker side of pop. Twin Cities crowds have come to expect nothing less of DJ Jake Rudh, who is known spin St. Vincent alongside Howard Jones (music videos and all) at his weekly Transmission DJ gig. For this Halloween special, Rudh is enlisting the eclectic sensibilities of DJ SLT to kick off the evening, which will be filled with goth, darkwave and industrial tunes. As scary as it might sound, this is an event worth braving Dinkytown and the legions of college-age zombies for. Trust us. -Lizzy Shramko
Click HERE for the Varsity Theater site
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31ST
CLAPS + Feast of the Epiphany + Thunderbolt Pagoda + The Funeral & The Twilight
@ Kitty Cat Klub
315 14th Avenue SE
Minneapolis
10 pm / 21+ / FREE
Things you will do at this show: 1) Not mistake CLAPS for a clichéd version of new wave. They play their set live and without looping, unlike some other’80s-inspired synth bands. 2) Ignite a chill in your spine swaying to Baltimore’s Feast of the Epiphany. 3) (Un)ironically close your eyes to hide the tears sprung from the overwhelmingly epic space rock that is Thunderbolt Pagoda. 4) Fall shaking into the thrashing pit of the Funeral and the Twilight’s darkly raucous ambiance. 5) Or, you know, stand in a dimly lit corner and bob your head. Either way, this lineup is the perfect night for fans of the darker side of music. -Ryn Gibson
Click HERE for the Facebook invite
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31ST
Icehouse Halloween feat. Zebulon Pike + Bloodnstuff
@ Icehouse
2528 Nicollet Avenue S
Minneapolis
10:30 pm / 21+ / $6
There is nothing Hallo-fucking-weenier than tuned-down doom metal, my friends. And there is no doom metal band more doomy than Zebulon Pike. Their latest, Space is the Corpse of Time, sounds like Black Sabbath fucking Yes in a big gothic mansion, all low, rumbling doomy riffs and the kind of pounding drums people don’t play anymore in any context, mixed in with a decidedly prog sensibility (weird time signature turnarounds, acoustic breaks, etc). Ten-minute songs. NO LYRICS. Just doom. Just metal. Meanwhile Bloodnstuff sport a very compatible mid-’70s sensibility – you can hear these guys fitting in nicely on a 1975 bill at the Iron Horse next to Cain, maybe, all wailing blues vocals and grungy riffs and killer melodies. Seriously, how would you rather spend your Halloween night, if not being sonically pummeled? -Jon Hunt
Click HERE to read Jon Hunt’s music column, We Will Rock You
Click HERE for the Icehouse site
Zebulon Pike
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27TH; SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28TH & WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31ST
Chicka-Boom! BareBones Puppets Halloween Extravanganza
@ Hidden Falls Regional Park, North Gate
1305 Mississippi River Boulevard S
St. Paul
7 pm nightly / All ages / Suggested Donation of $5 to $20
The Halloween season is in full swing. Thrift stores are packed with frugal costume shoppers and haunted houses have popped up on every corner. One of the spookiest destinations is without a doubt Chicka-Boom! the BareBones Puppets Halloween Extravaganza. With five shows to choose from, you’re sure to find a time to fit your busy Halloween schedule. Expect creepy puppets, fire stunts, death-defying stilts, reanimation, summoning of the dead and general necromancing. Okay, we might have gotten a little carried away there, but not by much! Puppets are freaky, man. -Beth Hammarlund
Click HERE for the BareBones Productions site
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25TH-SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD
Twin Cities Horror Festival
@ Southern Theater
1420 Washington Avenue S
Minneapolis
Various times nightly (see the website for details) / All ages / $15 general admission, $13 students, seniors and Fringe button holders
Witches, goblins, ghouls…theater nerds! That’s right, no one does Halloween like a drama geek, and the best drama geeks in town are uniting at Southern Theater for ten days of skin-crawling creepiness, gallows humor, and senseless violence! Featuring over 30 performances, you have plenty of opportunities to be horrified by music, dance, film, storytelling and theater. And for the true masochists, an unlimited festival pass is available for the terrifyingly discounted rate of $70. And since students get a discount, the festival promises that plenty of parents will receive the most horrifying news of all this semester: “Mom, Dad, I’ve decided not to major in chemical engineering so that I can take classes that focus on my new passion…acting! Bwah ha ha!” -Beth Hammarlund
Click HERE for the Southern Theater site
NIGHTLY THROUGH OCTOBER 31ST
The Haunted Basement
@ Soap Factory
514 Second Street SE
Minneapolis
6 pm-midnight / 18+ / $22
Okay, so you’re the kind of fellow who’s lulled to sleep by The Exorcist. You think The Shining is for pussies. The Japanese horror collection is mere child’s play. Yeah, we get it, you can handle your horror…when safely ensconced by your giant LCD screen. But how brave, my little friend, will you be with there’s nothing standing between you and your worst nightmares? Enter: the Soap Factory’s long-awaited, long-feared Haunted Basement. Believe us, the artists behind this event don’t mess around. They painstakingly work to make every detail – every dim-lit bedroom, every satanic scene, every vomit stench – as terrifying as possible. As if the basement of the Soap Factory old digs isn’t scary enough, renowned local theater director Noah Bremer in collaboration with special effects makeup artist Kristen Leigh, the smell engineers from the St. Croix Sensory, and a talented team of local artists and costume designers join forces to scare the living shit out of you while highlighting the grotesque perversion of the mundane. Tickets sell out quick. So get yours now, or we’ll just assume you’re a weeny. -Juleana Enright
Click HERE for the Soap Factory site
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26TH-WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31ST
The Butcher Shop: House of Gore!
@ 1444 E Reaney Avenue
St. Paul
5-11 pm daily / All Ages, but intended for an adult audience / $5
Like a good scare? Willing to let strangers in frightening costumes grab at you? Got $5? Celebrate Halloween the way that it’s meant to be celebrated, in a dilapidated house filled with black lights, emotionally abusive actors and fake blood! Or is it real blood? Is it your blood?! Will there be spiders? Probably. Monsters? Certainly. A tent at the end filled with qualified professionals trained to help you cope with your agonizing case of PTSD? Probably not. The Butcher Shop: House of Gore! is not legally responsible for you being a wuss. -Beth Hammarlund
Editor in Chief: Jahna Peloquin / Header design by Caroline Royce / Contributors: Juleana Enright, Anthony Enright, Jon Hunt, Beth Hammarlund, Niles Schwartz, Nathaniel Smith, Danielle Morris, Lizzy Shramko, Ryn Gibson, Chloe Nelson, Emily Cain, Jahna Peloquin
