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Halloween week special edition for your New Orleans music calendar! Hope y’all got your costumes ready because there’s no shortage of opportunities to show off your skills this week!
Monday, October 27, 2014
Square Dance NOLA
First Presbyterian Church of New Orleans // 8-10pm live music/dances // $5 BYOB
Get them dancing shoes out and join the old time party at First Presbyterian Church tonight! There’s a pumpkin patch outside, and some hootin’ and hollerin’ indoors with live music from Blackpot. This event includes all the trimmings of a big country dance, including red beans & rice, ice cream, a cake walk, 50/50 raffle, and more.
http://squaredancenola.com/
Square
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Neon Trees w/Echosmith, Fictionist
Civic Theater // 7pm // $25
Neon Trees arose from Mormon country (Provo, Utah) and came to national prominence in 2008 on a nationwide tour opening for the Killers. They’re now on their own national tour supporting new record “Pop Psychology,” released in January on Mercury Records. The band appeared on Leno earlier this year and has received critical acclaim for their artistic development over the last few years.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
New Orleans Rhythm Devils, Rebirth Brass Band, New Breed Brass Band, DJ Black Pearl
Blue Nile // 7pm
It’s not Halloween without at least a little Frenchmen Street in your life and this lineup at the Blue Nile is sure to be a hot one! Rebirth and New Breed bring the New Orleans hype and the Rhythm Devils got the funk. Kick it downtown and show off your best costuming skills to the legions.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Krewe of Boo // 6:30pm
New Orleans’ official Halloween parade kicks off from Elysian Fields at 6:30 and rolls all the way to Henderson for a costume party at Mardi Gras World with music from Big Sam’s Funky Nation and Destructo.
Jazz in the Park: Rebirth Brass Band, Kermit Ruffins
People United for Armstrong Park Costume Ball // 4pm // FREE
It’s the last Jazz in the Park of the season and organizers didn’t scrimp on the lineup! Two of New Orleans’ best known acts today will be performing, and I won’t be surprised if some other high-profile guests join in on the action. The weather outlook for this week looks great, so head on down to the gem of Treme to enjoy our native sounds. A Halloween costume ball, hosted by People United for Armstrong Park, follows. Support their great work and the continued success of Jazz in the Park with this sure-to-be hopping party that has just a $5 suggested donation.
Ogden After Hours – Tulane Stone Center’s Day of the Dead Celebration f/Rumba Buena
6pm
In my New Orleans Halloween-time, dio de los Muertos is a bigger deal and better time than Halloween itself. Ogden After Hours is getting a head start on my favorite day of the year with this Honduran-influenced salsa and meringue band featuring former members of Los Babies and Los Sagitarios. They’ll also have a kids art activity table and soul food. Nom nom nom.
Friday, October 31
HALLOWEEN on a Friday
Your options are MANY.
Quintron & Miss Pussycat w/Ballzack, Manatees
One Eyed Jack’s
9pm
Quintron & Miss Pussycat are two of the most interesting artists in New Orleans. From their Bywater lair, this duo has created the best noise and dance music in the south of the last 15 years and taken it national. They have 14 full-length albums, original instruments, and will assault your ears with awesome electronic chaos. They have a new album out now, too—“Death In Space.” If you’re looking for a freaky Halloween time, this will be it.
Voodoo Fest
City Park
10:30am-11pm
Hell yeah, first day of Voodoo on Halloween Friday! Can’t wait to see the costumes here, and rock out to locals Royal Teeth at 3pm and Soul Rebels at 3:30pm, and definitely the Melvins at 8:30pm. Headliners Outkast hit the stage at 9:20pm. Amazing.
Reverend Horton Heat w/Suplecs
Howlin’ Wolf
10pm
If you like old cars, pinup girls, greasers, rock’n’roll and swing, or are just interested in that scene, Reverend Horton Heat is for you. Based out of Dallas, this trio will take you to the Psychobilly Church and make you a believer. Loud, energetic, and humorous, the band is one of the few in the genre that has been able to make their artistic talents commercially successful with the use of their tunes in videos games (Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3, Guitar Hero, Redneck Rampage). The classic Reverend album, “Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em” came out nearly 25 years ago, but they’re still rolling fine with a new album out last January (“REV”). Looking forward to seeing what kind of Halloween antics they bring out for NOLA.
Other picks for Halloween:
Soul Rebels
Frenchmen Theatre
5:30pm
Big Sam’s Funky Nation
Blue Nile
10pm
Hurray for the Riff Raff w/Clear Plastic Masks, Dante the Magician
Hi-Ho
10pm
Saturday, November 1
Voodoo
City Park
Saturday’s lineup is even better than Friday. My picks for today include Big Freedia at 9pm (hometown girl headlining!), Arctic Monkeys at 9:40pm, Benjamin Booker at 8:30pm, Lauryn Hill at 6pm, Peelander-Z at 6pm, Death From Above 1979 at 4:30pm, Honey Island Swamp Band at 2:30, and March Fourth Marching Band at 3:15pm. But you don’t really need me to tell you what to do at Voodoo.
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The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Prytania Theater
12:15pm
Yessss Halloween classics. Do the Time Warp again this afternoon at the Prytania. You didn’t really think that Halloween ended on October 31, did you? The crowd always needs more Frank N. Furters so dig out the fishnets.
The Feast of All Saints and Sinners
Allways Lounge
9pm
One of the country’s best vaudeville sideshows, Freaksheaux to Geaux, hits the stage at the Allways tonight to celebrate All Saints’ Day with a variety of acts based on iconic Catholic martrys—authentic! Sure to be a true freak show. Crowd participation mandatory.
Sunday, November 2
Vince Vance & the Valiants
Heritage Park (Slidell)
5:30pm
Don’t know the Valiants? I’m sure you know their songs. They’ve climbed the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts multiple times with “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” Vince is the last original member of the Valiants, and was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame at the Rock’n’Bowl back in 2010. Little known fact—Vance’s son is another highly talented New Orleans performer: Ratty Scurvics!
Musical of the Living Dead
Shadowbox Theatre
8pm
Love musicals and horror? This is your match made in heaven as players at the Shadowbox Theatre pay homage to the classic zombie film “Night of the Living Dead” in its last night. They’re not half-assing it, either—slickers recommended for the splatter zone seating.
Voodoo
City Park
Last day of Voodoo for 2014 L. My picks for today include Foo Fighters at 6:30, Gogol Bordello at 5:30, Trombone Shorty at 4:45, Fuel at 4, World Inferno Friendship Society at 2:30, and Quintron & Miss Pussycat at 8pm.
Pet Fest 2014
Lafreniere Park
Halloweened out? Head out to Metairie for Pet Fest 2014 where pets and their humans have plenty to enjoy at this busy event hosted by LA/SPCA and Jefferson SPCA. Games, vendors, healthy heart walk, bake sale, live music, and an adopt-a-thon will draw the fur-loving masses out.
