When the spookiest night of the year falls on a Thursday, All Hallows’ Eve basically turns into All Hallows’ Week. And who doesn’t love an extra run of Halloween parties? While plenty of killer events went down last weekend, there is still an abundance of bloodcurdling fun to be found. Here’s a rundown of some of the area’s coolest fright fests. Drink (blood) responsibly!
If you’re looking for the classic Burlington costume dance party, it’s hard to beat Halloween proper at the Lounge at Nectar’s (formerly Club Metronome). On Thursday, October 31, DJ Malcolm Miller will be on the decks, spinning jams for ghouls who would rather dance than stalk the night. On a similar tip, just around the corner, Einstein’s Tap House is running a full Halloweekend, with D Jay Baron on Thursday, DJ David Chief on Friday, November 1, and DJ Chia closing it out on Saturday, November 2 — aka the Day of the Dead. All three nights are costume parties, so you can either prepare multiple disguises or really get the most out of that “sexy sanitation worker” costume you thought was a good idea.
Radio Bean and Light Club Lamp Shop host the third annual Burlington Electronic Department Halloween party on Thursday. Roost.World‘s Zack Schuster has once again curated a loaded night of EDM, including Seattle’s Succubass; Providence, R.I., art rockers babybaby_explores; Massachusetts producer barbie.ai; and New York City’s Emmanuel and the Unlimited Consciousness. Roost.World and Plattsburgh, N.Y.’s ssj4weed represent the local faction. It’s a $20 ticket, but as always, you can reduce the price by showing up in costume.
Looking to laugh as well as scream? Head over to Vermont Comedy Club. The Burlington funny factory hosts a Thursday show titled “Possessed!,” which features local comics dressing up as their favorite comedians and covering their material. I haven’t seen a lineup, but I’ve got my fingers crossed for a Don Rickles impersonator who just mercilessly roasts anyone in sight. Now, that’s real terror.
But maybe you don’t want to dance or see comedy — you want to rock out on the most metal day of the year. The state suffers no shortage of spooky live music this week. The folks at the Stone Church in Brattleboro have put together one hell of a Halloween lineup on Thursday with a triple bill of indie rock and punk that is not to be missed: Guerilla Toss, Rough Francis and Aspero Saicos.
Charlie-O’s World Famous in Montpelier offers robotic surf-punk from the Tsunamibots on Thursday, while nearby Hugo’s hosts a jazzy Halloween with Ira Friedman and Timothy Quigley.
If you’re dressing up as Gwen Stefani or Fred Durst this year and are worried about not fitting in, never fear! Nectar’s is going all in on the ’90s with its Thursday-night Halloween party. ’90s Nightmare on Main Street is all about costumes, with Bathwater doing a tribute to No Doubt, North Beach Dub All Stars fulfilling all your Sublime needs and cover kings Lazer Dad tackling the whole damn decade.
For those not wanting to travel quite that far back in time, the Higher Ground Showcase Lounge serves up a dose of the Naughty Aughties on Thursday with the slacker magic of the Brokes, a so-called “note-for-note celebration” of the Strokes. If that description were totally true, the show would involve a lot of bathroom cocaine and plenty of student loan debt, but no one needs that level of accuracy, right?
That’s just a taste of some of the spooky delights on offer this Halloween weekend. Be sure to check our calendar and club listings for more, as well as the “Magnificent 7” on page 11. Whether you’re dancing, rocking out, laughing or just inhaling candy on your couch while watching slasher flicks, here’s hoping you spend All Hallows’ Eve in style!
Eye on the Scene
Last week’s live performance highlights from photographer Luke Awtry
Shiny Leopard Gang ‘Thriller’ Flash Mob, Church Street Marketplace, Burlington, Sunday, October 27: It’s almost noon on Sunday and chilly. A cold wind lashes the Church Street Marketplace, the stronger gusts provoking ripples of bright yellow through the waning foliage. Sharp and dry, these last leaves fly fast, forcing you to duck while scurrying across Cherry Street. It’s at this most vulnerable moment that the wind gets even louder, thunder claps and a wolf howls in the distance. You didn’t sign up for this. You just wanted a bagel and some caffeine to ease into a mellow Sunday. Then the beat to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” drops, and a mini mob of meandering zombies breaks into dance, nailing every MJ-inspired move. You are transfixed as grizzly ghouls from every tomb close in to seal your doom. Just then the song ends and the mob quickly disperses, as if it were never there.
Listening In
playlist of Vermont jams
Doomsbury
This article appears in Oct 30 – Nov 5, 2024.
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