Halloween is right around the corner and, if the prospect of hanging around in a bar dressed up in a clever costume and drinking doesn’t grease the ol’ coffin hinges like it used to, you are not alone.
Don’t get us wrong, we love us some Halloween. We think. Sometimes we just get bored with it. But luckily, there is more than enough going on this year to keep things from being ordinary. So here it is, our 10 best bets to make this year’s Halloween more interesting:
Probably the most exciting thing going on in the city Halloween night will be (1) Liberty City Drag and Burlesque Four Year Anniversary Show, 9 p.m. at Tritone, 1508 South St. The event features performances by the Liberty City Kings, guest appearances by former Kings like Lance Fennig, Roi Ovarian and Miss Yvette, and music by DJ Evil V.
If you want to get your throwback glam-rock fix, look no further than BCKSEET Productions’ performance of (2) Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars, 7 p.m. Oct. 31 at Creative Co-Op, 535 South St. This tribute performance of the iconic David Bowie album is sure to blow the doors off the place in fine glittery fashion.
If you’re seeking a little more romance and elegance in your Halloween activities, catch (3) Brandywine Ballet’s “Dracula,” 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22-24 at Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall, 600 S. High St., West Chester.
Think of it as “Twilight” with a lot more talent, charisma and better acting.
If you’re looking for music to set the proper mood for some Halloween action, may we suggest some macabre hard rock in the form of (4) Rob Zombie’s “Hellbilly Deluxe 2 Special Edition” and the Murderdolls’ “Women and Children Last.” Zombie takes his B-movie-fueled sonic fury to ass-shaking, bone-rattling heights with tracks like “Sick Bubblegum,” “Jesus Frankenstein” and “Mars Needs Women.” The Murderdolls are no slouches either, with their aggressive eyeliner-laced goth-rock anthems like “Chapel of Blood,” “My Dark Place Alone” and “Drug Me to Hell.”
(We are not responsible for anything antisocial you might do while listening to these records.)
The (5) Dresden Dolls are back together, just in time for their 10th anniversary after bisexual singer Amanda Palmer took a break from the duo for the last couple of years to record and perform solo. The closest the tour gets to Philadelphia is the Halloween night show at Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Place in New York City (which has probably sold out in advance) but we’re not above hauling ass up there and paying ticket-broker prices for this show.
For sheer people-watching fun, it’s impossible to beat (6) Henri David’s Halloween 2010, which kicks off at 9 p.m. Oct. 31 at Sheraton Center City, 17th and Race streets. The annual Halloween ball is known for the most outrageous costumes to be found anywhere in the city. The costume contest starts at midnight.
It bears repeating that (7) “Out in AC,” a weekend of LGBT entertainment Oct. 29-31 at Harrah’s Atlantic City, 777 Harrah’s Blvd., is a top pick. The weekend features performances by Margaret Cho and Sandra Bernhard, as well as club events hosted by Perez Hilton and DJ Tracy Young.
Barnstorm Theater brings (8) “The Rocky Horror Show” to the stage through Oct. 30, 402 Tome St., Ridley Park. It’s got to be more fun than watching the film in a half-empty movie theater, right?
Why visit the traditional haunted house when you can roam the corridors of a big-ass gothic haunted prison? (9) Eastern State Penitentiary’s Terror Behind the Walls, 22nd and Fairmount Ave., remains a favorite because that guy you see shambling out of the darkened cell could actually be an apparition from the institution’s spooky storied past.
Last but not least, a fun time is almost a guarantee at (10) Witches of GayBINGO, 6-9 p.m. Oct. 30 at Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad St. The event is another long-running Philadelphia tradition and, seriously, how can you top drag witches working the room while you play bingo and raise money for local HIV/AIDS charities?
If all else fails, stay home or go out and watch a scary, horror or sci-fi movie. Classics like “Halloween” or “Hellraiser” never go out of style, but if you want some fresh thrills, pick up one or two of the more recent classics “District 9” or “The Descent.” If you must go to the theater, skip the latest editions of “Saw” and “Paranormal Activity” and try to find one of the limited screening of the promising new British sci-fi film “Monsters” (www.monstersthemovie.com), due out Oct. 29.
That is all.
Have fun.
Save us some candy.
Larry Nichols can be reached at [email protected].