(Lindsay Attaway/Flickr)
THURSDAY, OCT. 29
Pat O Ween
Union Pool, 484 Union Ave, Williamsburg, 10pm
Here comes Pat! A lot of them, actually. Attendees are to dress as their favorite pat, whether it’s Pat Sajak or Patti Smith. The pat-sibilities are endless. Union Pool has the music down pat, as well: B+B favorite and DFA artist Lauren Flax of CREEP will be DJing with JD Samson of MEN and Le Tigre, Andy Pry of Tiki Disco, and Amber Valentine.
Thank Goddess: Witch Bitch
Don Pedro, 90 Manhattan Ave, Bushwick; 10pm; free.
Prepare for the holiday with this queer feminist comedy show. Hosted by Tessa Skara and Joe Castle Baker, it features witchy performances by Jaime Wright, Ruby McCollister, Sam Taggart, and Marie Wojcieshowski with midnight drag shows by Lady Simon. DJ Sokolowski takes over after the laughs have subsided to have you dancing off any extra energy. There’s also purportedly a “Sacrifical Str8 Boi chained up in the basement” AND a costume contest. Whew.
Sally Can’t Dance: Pre-Halloween Tribute to The Cramps
Bowery Electric, 327 Bowery, East Village, 11pm, with open bar at 11:30pm and 2:30am; $10.
The Sally Can’t Dance Party launched with a tribute to The Damned, and now they’re toasting another classic camp band, The Cramps. Singers like Michael Cummings (Skaters), Jack Ridley (Threats/Drowners), Pat Phillips (Honduras) and others will be playing some “bad music for bad people,” backed by Jon Spencer, original Sonic Youth drummer Bob Bert, and more. Go-go dancers will shake it to a DJ set from Jonathan Toubin, and there’ll be a costume contest, so bring your best Lux Interior or Poison Ivy.
Cuntmafia’s Halloween Soiree
Tender Trap, 66 Greenpoint Ave., Greenpoint; 10 pm – 4 am: $5
Brooklyn rapper Cuntmafia (aka Contessa Stuto) is the Queen of Bushwick underground trap parties. I mean, c’mon she named her very first single “Reign in Ratchet.” If you’re not certain what any of those words mean, perhaps you should do your homework. Contessa will be premiering her new video, “Mistress of Ceremony,” at this Thursday night party, offering legit the best option for your Devil’s Night Eve. Expect to hear a lot of neo-horror rapper in various forms. Little Pain of Brooklyn recalls early ‘90s Memphis rap. Also look out for Bukkweat Bill from Florida and Niti Loc of the Lower East Side.
FRIDAY, OCT. 30
Tiki Disco Halloween
The Wick, 260 Meserole Street, Bushwick; doors at 10 pm to 4 am; $15 – $25
The DJ dudes of Tiki Disco (aka Eli Escobar, Andy Pry, and Lloydski) know how to throw a damn good dance party. Once again, they expand beyond the warm reaches of summer for, ahem, “mischief night” (sorry, Detroiters know that All Hallow’s Eve has and always will be Devil’s Night). Expect fun, reasonably-priced drinks and enough girl babes, boy babes, and everyone-in-between babes to go around.
Halloween at Knockdown Center
Knockdown Center, 59-50 54th St., Maspeth, Queens, 6pm to 9:30pm; free
Walk through a maze of Circus Peanuts candy, attend a seance for a tree trunk that has traveled the globe, nibble off of an edible meat sculpture, and check out some 3-D art while you’re at it. The goings-on at the 102-year-old factory turned art center in Maspeth, Queens defy easy explanation, so check out our story about them.
Thotlandia: Nightmare at Bella Noches
Club Republic Lounge, 990 Broadway, Bushwick; 10pm-4am; $5 before midnight.
This spooked-up edition of DeSe Escobar’s Thotlandia party will be part hookah lounge, part club, part vortex to another dimension—you’ll probably even forget about the horde of hipsters clad in overpriced “cool” clothes that will inevitably swarm. Featuring two floors (“Heaven” and “Hell”) of music, including beats from Chapman and a special performance by Cuntmafia.
Holographic Halloween
Powrplnt, 562 Evergreen Avenue, Bushwick; 10pm – late : $10, sliding scale
Get to this unholy “christening” of Powrplnt’s new IRL location in Bushwick to witness the transfiguration of this project by artist Angelina Dreem, who had a hand in Body Actualized (RIP, sad face). Dreem launched Powrplnt last year at Stream Gallery and says the new, more permanent location is still very much a raw space. But wide open spaces translates to more room for partying anyway, and there will be plenty of reason for it: performances by Junglepussy and others, DJs, a “black-lit intimate basement zone,” and drinks galore. Proceeds go to benefit Powrplnt.
The Gateway’s Haunted Mansion
The Gateway, 1272 Broadway, Bed-Stuy; 7 pm to late; free with RSVP.
What better place to spend your Halloween than a new DIY venue inspired by Dario Argento’s ‘70s Italian horror masterpiece, Suspiria? The lineup consists of close to a dozen bands, including disco-punks The Makeout Club (drummer is one of Gateway’s own), High Waisted (Brooklyn surf rockers), and Mahogany (dream pop outfit). Extra points if you dress up as Argento’s bedraggled ballerina the moment she sees the demonic specter instead of her reflection. RSVP to RSVP@thegatewaybk.com.
SATURDAY, OCT. 31
Spectacle Halloween 2015Spectacle Theater, 124 South 3rd Street, Williamsburg; 8 pm – 2 am: $20
Spectacle Theater is getting a makeover and to celebrate the success of their Kickstarter campaign, they’re throwing a party. The movie marathon came early this year, but here’s your chance to drink beer in the space (LOL, like you never do that anyway…) and see how many people plus a few bands (Sleep ∞ Over, Jantar, Mil Kdu Des, Daniel Klag) can squeeze in. Claustrophobia— it’s spooky! But fear not, there are also plans for a “spec-and-poke” tattoo booth, visuals, and other people dressed in costumes. Dranks provided by Secret Engine brewery.
Bohemian Grove’s Halloween ShowBohemian Grove, 64-66 Grove Street, Bushwick; 7 pm – 2 am: free
If you live in the non-tony parts of Bushwick (Quooklyn for the restuvus) here’s a great option for spending this Hallows’ Eve within crawling distance from home and hit up Bohemian Grove. Music starts at 8pm and they’re really packing em in tonight: seven spooky acts for your pleasure until 1am. And with such an early start and end time, you’ll have plenty of Halloween left to scoot elsewhere or follow this party wherever it may take you. Our picks for the creepiest bands of the night: The Night Screams (primitive, blue-inspired garage) and the Gabba Ghouls (like the Misfits and the Gun Club made sweet love).
Halloween at UnionDocs
UnionDocs, 322 Union Avenue, Williamsburg; 9 pm – late; free
This costume party and freewheeling screening event will put GIFs, visuals, and video art by UnionDocs residents on the big screen. There will be DJs and “decorations made by real artists” instead of CVS. Bring cash money to purchase drinks tickets at the door. And hey, for once you don’t have to feel guilty about dousing yourself in booze beyond recognition, because all your slurping goes straight to UnionDocs which does a lot of cool stuff for the community.
Monster Mash meets NY Night Train’s Haunted Hop
Secret Project Robot, 389 Melrose St., Bushwick; $10
Two awesome parties join forces for this blowout. First up, from 8pm to midnight: Alana Amram’s annual Monster Mash will feature bands impersonating classic NYC acts like The Fugs, Television, Blondie, Beastie Boys, and The Ramones. Then Jonathan Toubin breaks out his collection of spooky 45s (listen to his mix here if you just can’t wait). Costumes inspired by New York’s “grime and glory” will be judged, at 2am, by jokers dressed as Al Goldstein, George Steinbrenner, and Leona Helmsley’s dog.
Unter: Bomb Threat
Secret Location, TBA with ticket; 2 am – 9 am: $15-20
A post-apocalyptic, air raid-themed rave might be the best way to invoke ‘90s warehouse raves while encouraging people to dress for Halloween at the same time. Gas masks, anyone? It’s gonna be dark and twisted and in no way anything close to your memories of trick-or-treating. The organizers of this rave are doing it old-school style, meaning 1) no way this thing starts before midnight and 2) the lineup is aimed to keep you dancing for freaking hours with a slew of DJs and producers at home in a variety of sub-genres. Get down to ass-shaking house from Ghostly’s Octo Octa; acid house techno from Volvax; Ryan Smith of Wrecked, a guy who pumped some much needed steroids into the dance music heard at gay clubs; and Modest Glesman, the industrial DJ whose sound is maybe the most fitting of this militaristic nightmare rave.
Halloween S(t)inging Spooktacular!
Sid Gold’s Request Room, 165 W 26th St, Chelsea, 9pm
If you’ve been looking for an excuse to travel up to Chelsea to visit the new piano bar where Manhattan Inn fixture Joe McGinty (Psychedelic Furs) holds court, this is it. Joe has posted a list of spooky songs (e.g. themes to The Addams Family and The Munsters, “The Monster Mash,” “Werewolves of London,” and Black Sabbath songs) that all are invited to sing along to. Plus there’ll be gobo-dancing from Anna Copa Cabanna, live theremin, burlesque by Francine “The Lucid Dream,” and a “Thriller” dance contest — all while your favorite b movies play.
The Raveyard 5
Oct. 31, China Chalet, 47 Broadway, Chinatown; 11pm-late; $10 at the door.
Restaurant-turned-club China Chalet has a party for all you seeking something focused more on dancing than carving pumpkins. DJ sets by Michael Scanlon, Zan Goodman, Teri Kaplan, and “special guests.” Spooky. Oh, and for those of you too cool to dress up, please note that costumes are “essential.” RSVP at theraveyard2015@gmail.com.
Psychopomp: A Halloween Club Night
Brooklyn Masonic Temple, 317 Clermont Ave, Fort Greene; 9pm-late; $20 (tickets available here)
Nightlives collide in this party co-produced by Boom Collective and Meatball in association with queer mag GAYLETTER. Proud life-ruiners CHERYL (as well as others) provide visuals, and a host of DJs will spin until late. The Masonic Temple, a replica of King Solomon’s Temple, bills itself as “one of the most outstanding structures in the United States.” Jackie Gleason once performed there — now you can party like royalty in his footsteps.
Cobra Club’s 4th Annual Zombie Prom
The Cobra Club, 6 Wyckoff Avenue, Bushwick; 9pm-4am; free?
The ’80s have moved into this Bushwick spot, as DJs spin tunes from the times. Starting at midnight, there’s also karaoke. Gives you time to get enough liquid courage to sing Thriller while dressed as an actual zombie. If that’s not your speed, there’ll be drink specials and cupcakes. Something for everyone!
Death Rites II
Aviv, 496 Morgan Ave, Bushwick; 9pm-3am; $10 adv / $13 door.
Toxic Shock Syndrome presents the second edition of their Death Rites show. Featuring more spooky sounds than your ears may even know how to process: industrial punks Pop.1280, darkwavey outfit BootBlacks, “nihilist queer revolt musik” dreamcrusher, two DJs, and a midnight organ concert by Griffin McMahon. The night is also a record release show for gothy-pop duo Tempers. And if you’re somehow bored in the midst of all that, there’ll be tarot readings, projections, games, and a live insect show.
Halloween at Palisades
Palisades, 906 Broadway, Bushwick; 8pm-4am; $10 adv / $15 door.
Crawl out of those shadows and you’ll be greeted with a hefty slew of bands, three of which (art-punks PILL, electro-Brooklynites Malory, and female-fronted rockers Guerrilla Toss) are releasing records. Come feast your ears on eclectic “shitar”-slaying PC Worship, Queens-based hardcore outfit Show Me The Body, techno-noise artist Container, DJs, and more.
Halloween at Secret Loft
Secret Loft, 255 McKibbin Street, Bushwick; 9pm-late; $5 early, $10 late.
Yes, things still happen at the McKibbin Lofts sometimes. Keep tabs on the FB event to find the unit number and you’ll catch a fine bunch of local music acts, including pop up-and-comer Lilly Wolf and hip-hop trap duo Ratchet By Nature, all while partying in a loft probably none of you can afford anymore. The real scare is remembering that only a year or so ago many of these loft units were ruled as “immediately perilous to life” by the DOB.
Costume Blood Bath
Bossa Nova Civic Club, 1271 Myrtle Avenue, Bushwick; 10 pm – late; $10
It’ll be business as usual at this Bushwick cool-kids club: “spooky bathrooms, ghoulish bartenders, zombie clientele,” and of course a “horrifying line situation.” But meeting people in that jaw-dropper is half the fun at what might be the grittiest/best place to dance in Brooklyn. That, and the best gloomy DJs around: this Halloweenit’ll be Veronica Vasicka, Vereker, and L. Sangre imploring you to shake your cat tail.
A Nightmare on Bass Street
Secret Brooklyn Location; 10pm-10am (yes, that’s right); $15 presale.
Even if you drop the bass here, there’ll be plenty left to go around with beats by Baewatch, Star Falcon, Gosteffects, and more. It’s an afterparty for the Ultratoomba Halloween rave happening in Union Square that night, but starting early enough to be a whole affair on its own. Sixpoint is sponsoring the event, so get there early for some free beer.
Cake Shop’s Halloween Tribute Night
Cake Shop, 152 Ludlow St., Lower East Side, 8pm; $10
Once again, Cake Shop invites local bands to impersonate. This year, it’s Parlor Walls as Wire, Stringer as The Smiths, Dirty Dishes as Stone Temple Pilots, Death to Slater as Bruce Springsteen’s 2 Piece Band, The Regrets as Blondie, Hellbirds as The Ramones, and Oh Golly as Violent Femmes.
Halloween DefCon Industrial Dance Party
Pyramid Club, 101 Avenue A, East Village; 9 pm – 4 am: $10
Mingle with the ghosts of East Village past at Pyramid Club, one of the few places left around where you can truly convince yourself you’re back in the ‘80s. Soooo we know the Industrial DefCon dance party happens every single Saturday, but it’s Halloween so naturally costumes are gonna change literally everything. Expect more debauchery, fewer inhibitions, and absolutely no responsibility for one’s own actions (thank you #anonymity).
MoMA PS1 Halloween Ball
MoMa PS1, 22-25 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, 8pm to midnight
The host committee of this annual ball comprises a veritable who’s-who (who’s-boo?) of NYC culture and counterculture, starting with Michael Stipe, Darren Aronofsky, Genesis Breyer P. Orridge, and Kembra Pfahler (The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black). Performance artists, boylesque and burlesque acts, and musicians will provide the “dancing, costumes, pageantry and much much more.”
Halloween 3.0 at Silent Barn
Silent Barn, 603 Bushwick Avenue, Bushwick; 9 pm – late: $10 with costume / $12 without
At this show where bands dress up as other bands and cover their music, Dear Leader (a supergroup including members of Ava Luna, Cloud Becomes Your Hand, and Tiny Hazard) are gonna dress up as Aaliyah (RIP), Britney Spears (RIP?), Mariah, Missy Elliot, and Timbaland. Celestial Shore are transforming themselves into the Ramones and members of Very Fresh are planning to (collectively?) be Alanis Morissette, or perhaps they’re all going to be individual pieces of Alanis and only together will they become the angsty, ‘90s Bitch Queen. Wait, you knew Silent Barn is back in business again, right?
The Coincidental Hour Halloween
Babycastles, 137 W 14th Street, Chelsea; 10pm; “$7-50000 sliding scale.”
Performance weirdos The Psychic Readings Company, who just closed their demonic beauty pageant show at Clinton Hill space JACK, come together in hacker-art space Babycastles in an equally weird Halloween extravaganza helmed by host Ric Royer. We’re not quite certain what to expect from this “every single show wrapped in one show,” but we know there will be morbid audience participation and a bunch of performance and sound artists bringing their wackiest ideas to the table.
BangOn!NYC’s Warehouse of Horrors
Secret location, East Williamsburg, 9pm to 6am; $80
The entry free to this warehouse rager is hefty, but hey, it’s cheaper than flying to Burning Man, and the folks at BangOn! have been known to pull out all the stops. Once again, they’re converting a sprawling East Williamsburg warehouse into a fantastyland (or rather, terror dome) complete with a haunted house, bouncy castle, “graveyard cuddle puddle” (shiver), and a Coney Island-style sideshow featuring a flesh-suspension act (paging this guy). On the music end of things, B+B favorites The Juan Maclean (DFA) will be among the many DJs.
By Nicole Disser, Cassidy Dawn Graves, and Daniel Maurer
Correction: A quote that appeared in an earlier version of this post was removed because it applied to the Detroit-based Amber Valentine, not the one DJing at “Pat O Ween.”