It’s getting to be that time of the year when the leaves fall, the air becomes a little crisper and everyone’s inner child becomes giddy for the scariest holiday of the year. This week’s City Scene will be the first installment of your musical guide to Halloween festivities. Children are not the only ones who get to dress up. More often than not, adults are indulging themselves in costumes, candy and all-around debauchery in remembrance of more sober times as adolescents. This guide will lead you to all of the above, plus oh-so-scary musical performances.
Friday, 10/24
Experimental musician Gary Wilson will headline an all-ages show at UCSD’s Ché Café with local San Diego punk-rock newcomers Christmas Island. Notorious for playing his shows fully enclosed in a duct-taped trimmed bag, Wilson enthralls his audience with an unpredictable touch. Christmas Island’s lounge-like freak show of a performance will be worth your $10, and its garage rock will make you want to stay. The show begins at 8 p.m.
Saturday, 10/25
San Diego locals of The Donkeys will be grooving their psychedelic rock at the Ken Club. Enjoy some holiday-appropriate tracks off the group’s new album such as, “Black Cat” and “She’s A Wolf.” The shows begins at 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, 10/26
There are officially five days left until All Hallow’s Eve, so dress up if you dare, and enjoy a leisurely day at Bar Pink in North Park for its monthly Swami Record swap. Bring your old vinyls and try to trade them out for new and used LPs. You just might find some gems among the dust. Follow up your record swapping with a matinee show of Poltergeist at Whistle Stop Bar in South Park. Citizen Video will be hosting the horror-filled evening, ensuring you sleep with a nightlight on.
Monday, 10/27
To get your haunted palette warmed up for the weekend of Halloween, The Nightmares will be tricking and treating your ears at the Ruby Room in Hillcrest. The Portland-based punk rock band will be performing with the BRAAIINS! and The Anasazis. It starts at 8:30 p.m., and best of all, it’s free.
Wednesday, 10/29
Get together with your pals and have a pumpkin carving party with drinks, squash and seedy fun. Mind your fingers when carving … unless you plan on making a very permanent gory costume.
Stuff to look forward to:
Los Angeles’ HARDfest Haunted Mansion on Halloween night, a full night of DJs and electronic sublimity. Dress it up, dance it up, live it up. There will be performances by Justice, Crystal Castles, Crookers, Soulwax, DJ Destructo, Boys Noize, DJ AM and many more. Get your tickets as soon as possible for this all-ages fest of synthesized terror coming soon on Oct. 31. Visit www.groovetickets.com for tickets and www.hardfest.com for details. Check out next week’s City Scene for the second installment of your official Halloween music guide in Tempo’s Halloween issue. Boo!
&-Compiled by Staff Writer Anya Moberly
