Scare Tactics

A Few Halloween Celebration Suggestions:

Martyrs’ has assembled four bands to celebrate Halloween this Friday night, and there will be some role playing involved, along with some spooky stuff. New World Ancients will be in costumes, performing the music of The B-52’s, and Terrible Spaceship, an eight-member band whose Facebook page lists its genre as ambient synthetic horror pop, will be performing songs from its Zontar, the Thing From Venus album. The Need And The Night and Funky Hot Grits will also be on hand. Admission is $10

Halloweekend: The Return is an annual celebration in which a number of local bands each perform a short set of songs by a famous artist. There will be five bands each night starting at 9:00 PM on October 30th and October 31st in the live performance space at Wall To Wall Recording at 676 N. LaSalle, at the corner of LaSalle and Huron in Chicago. The Halloweekend Facebook page promises there will be a full bar. I scouted this address and discovered there is nothing on the building to indicate that Wall To Wall Recording is located there. If you scroll through the directory/buzzer by the front door, you’ll find Wall To Wall Recording listed, along with a number to call to be let inside. I’m not sure if there will be another system for getting people inside while the event is taking place. Previously, this event has been held at The Abbey Pub and Martyrs’, and based on those showcases, I can attest to the talent and imagination these musicians put into their tributes.

Once again the choices are eclectic and inspired. Phil Angotti, who has covered The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Squeeze, and The Doors, will be taking on Tom Petty this time around. He will also be portraying Johnny Marr to John Aselin’s Morrissey when Johnny And The Creeps perform as The Smiths. Androgynous Mustache, which does tribute shows on a regular basis under the Soundtrack Serenade banner, are doing The J. Geils Band for this event.

Metropolly is fronted by Holly Senchak, a versatile singer-guitarist who impressed in previous shows as Courtney Love and Liz Phair, and helped out The Webstirs when they portrayed ABBA two years ago. As a techno band, Metropolly should be right at home covering Blondie on this Halloween night. Will Phalen was right on the mark as Beck last year, so there’s good reason to have high hopes for his Johnny Cash W/ June Carter set with Anna Phalen this time around. The Bon Mots are Halloweekend veterans who relish stepping out of their indie pop mode, so it will be fun watching them play that old time rock and roll of Bob Seger. The other acts on board for Halloweekend 2014 are Neal Alger And Co. as King Crimson; Dirty Pigeons as Queen; Falldown as Uncle Tupelo; and Chris Dorf And Friends as The Cars. As usual, some of these oddball band names are nom de plumes for the musicians involved. Admission for each night is $10.

On a theatrical note, The Mammals will offer an evening of female-created horror with its All Girl Edgar Allan Poe revue on Halloween night at Zoo Studios. The show features pieces adapted from The Raven, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Black Cat, The Pit And The Pendulum, The Imp Of The Perverse, and The Masque Of Red Death. All Girl Edgar Allan Poe runs on Friday and Saturday nights through 8th. Tickets are $20.