THE LO DOWN: Bay Area Halloween Survival Guide
Brush up on your Monster Mashes and Thriller kicks, kids. The Bay Area goes dumb for Halloween, and you need to know how to hang. Check out this list for 10 tips on what to do, and how to do it, Bay Area style, this Hallows Eve.
1. Live 105 / Subsonic’s Spookfest (10/29, Cow Palace $50). Some say the lineup for Day One of this year’s Spookfest – including Moby, LA Riots, Steve Aoki, and MSTRKRFT – make up for the ticket price and location. I’m not sold, but I would venture to Daly City just to see Bay darlings Blaqk Audio. The electronic duo (featuring AFI’s Davey Havok and Jade Puget) are just back from LA with finished tracks for the upcoming Bright Black Heaven – fresh! I’m not sure when Live 105 got all techno-electronica-dancejam on us, but it should be fun as long as you…well, you know.
2. Wear a costume. No, for real. Regardless of where you’re going, if you’ve decided to leave the house and partake in festivities, do your part and spend 10 minutes (or 10 bucks) on costume-like garb. You may think it’s cooler to hit the shows in normal-wear, but get ready for everyone to think you’re a douchebag for Halloween. And let’s face it: you are.
3. Free Energy / Foxy Shazam (10/29, Slim’s $15). With guitar, cowbell, and a honky-tonk-meets-feel-good-pop sound, Free Energy delivers exactly what their moniker promises (ok, the show is $15 but groovy music is priceless, right? Right?). Foxy Shazam is a perfect companion: rock with a healthy dose of humor and spandex. Don’t forget the costume theme: glam rock! Totes what you were gonna wear anyway, I know.
baby Gaga googi
4. Leave GaGa to the pros. Lady GaGa + San Francisco = redundant. Not only will you be competing with a well-versed population of drag queens who will blow you out of the water, but if you opt for the authentic meat dress (a la VMAs), you will anger the vegans. Hell hath no fury like an angry vegan (they’re so hungry!).
5. Halloween Dance Party w/ Hottub / Planet Booty / Party Effects (10/29 Rickshaw Stop $10 Adv/$12 Door). Self-proclaimed crunk-funk-punk trio Hottub feels like lo-fi Tings-Tings meets Ke$ha. Electronica duo Planet Booty is the soundtrack to your older brother’s frat party, circa 1990. Party Effects boasts live house and a terrible/ironic website. You’re gonna (want to) get wasted at this party.
6. Get creative, sluts. I’m not gonna tell you not to wear a slutty costume, cause that’s your god-given rite as a Halloween reveler (and you need practice for that outfit you’re going to wear on New Year’s Eve). But change it up a bit, will you? Slutty angels, nurses, witches – over it. Slutty Chewbacca? Hilarious. Or just call it like it is – none of this, “I’m a Bond girl” bull. Try it: “I’m a whore.” You’re a natural!
7. GORILLAZ w/ N.E.R.D. (10/30 Oracle Arena, with fees $60-105). The buzz around the “Escape To Plastic Beach World Tour” has been hyped for months – experience it for yourself with Day Two of Live 105’s Spookfest. Beats and showmanship aplenty, Halloween is the perfect party context for this show.
8. Explain your costume in one sentence. Oh really? I had to have read that totally obscure graphic novel to know that you’re portraying a reinterpretation of the protagonist’s dead brother – even though you look like a condom? Repeat after me: “I’m a condom.” If it takes more than a sentence, no one cares.
9. MJ Thriller Halloween Ball: Foreverland (10/30 Yoshi’s SF, $25). A 14-piece tribute to Michael Jackson! Need I say more?
10. Go with the SF Classic. ORANGE AND BLACK, baby. Dress like a winner. GO GIANTS!