Cauldron

Judging strictly by the arrival of spooky outdoor decorations on neighborhood lawns, Halloween 2023 has been with us since mid-September. It’s not until local venues start booking rock and roll masquerades, that we truly find ourselves on this creepy holiday’s doorstep. Last Friday’s Charming Disaster gig at Reggies Rock Joint was a good start, and this weekend will provide numerous opportunities for spirited fun. Be sure to check out what your favorite night spot has to offer. Best wishes to everyone for a safe and fun Halloween weekend.

If you’re looking to put together a Halloween party playlist, check out previous Broken Hearted Toy posts from this month for suggestions. I was posting one song each day before the ghosts in Savannah, GA lured me away. I managed to escape from them and I’m now back on the job.

Halloweekend, the annual two-day event featuring local musicians masquerading as rock and roll stars, returns to Montrose Saloon tonight and tomorrow night. It’s particularly fun when the performers mimic the appearance of the acts they’re covering. This year’s 12-act showcase is particularly impressive, so it would be a good idea to drop by both evenings. Each showcase starts at 8:30 pm, with admission for each being $20. Montrose Saloon is located at 2933 W. Montrose Avenue.

Tonight’s Halloweekend lineup features The Sluffs (combining members of The Slugs and The Handcuffs) as The Who; Made Of Stone (featuring Eric Chial) as Stone Roses; Phil Angotti as Lovin’ Spoonful; Guns And Ammunition as The James Gang; Wild Things as The Troggs; and Greg Jacks and Brother Help as Booker T and The MGs. Tomorrow brings The 321’s as The Police; Amazing Heeby Jeebies as The Cramps; Androgynous Mustache as Madness; Sitting Still as R.E.M.; Metropoly as X; and Dead Freddie as The Clash. 

The above-mentioned Amazing Heeby Jeebies will perform as The Cramps tonight at Outta Space in Berwyn. Big Hair, Big Trouble will also on hand to provide what they like to call 60s and 70s psychedelic country and other weirdness. The duo consists of Jeebies vocalist Ary Paloma and vocalist-guitarist Ellis Clark from The Social Act and Epicycle.

Singer-songwriter Michael McDermott, backed by The Duke Street Kings, will perform a Halloweensteen show with special guest Devin Scott Hodge tonight at Park West in Chicago.

For those who enjoy laughing at gruesome medieval events and watery tarts throwing swords at wannabe kings, director Josh Rhodeson’s new production of Monty Python’s Spamalot will open on Halloween night at the St. James Theatre in New York.

Singer-guitarist Dolph Chaney isn’t known for frightening behavior, but he does have a few songs on the Big Stir Records Halloween compilation Stir The Cauldron - Sinister Songs Of Ghosts, Monsters, Devils, Zombies, Alien Invaders And More. Maybe he’ll perform them at his record release party for his latest effort Mug tonight at The Gallery Cabaret on Chicago’s north side. Librarians With Hickeys, Popular Creeps, and Alpine Subs will also be performing that evening.

Midweek In The Garden Of Good And Evil. My wife Pam and I spent four days this week in Savannah, Georgia. We weren’t there for the ghost tours or the fried chicken, but we did take a historical tour of the Bonaventure Cemetery that included tales of mysterious statues and headstones. We also stopped by the Mercer Williams House of Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil fame but didn’t take the tour. Surprisingly, we didn’t see many residences around the downtown Savannah area decorated for Halloween.