Calendar 10.28 - 11.4

By DIG STAFF

del.ico.us | digg it! | reddit!

print | email | 0 Comments

WED 10.28

We love Boston and all, but Salem is the place to be this time of year. Why else would an over-caffeinated band of loonies decked out in pointy hats and flashing lights ride tricked-out bikes onfor a 20-mile pilgrimage that ends in a crazy party? In case you couldn't tell, the Red Bull Witch Hunt is not for the faint of heart. [Fourth Wall Project, 1301 Boylston St., Boston. 6:30pm/18+/free. myspace.com/redbullwitchhunt]

Halloween cuisine is traditionally more sweet than savory. But if there's one place that can put a hearty spin on a non-foodie's holiday, it's UpStairs on the Square. Celebrating the New England harvest, their Halloween Harvest Vegan Dinner features a "roots of evil" salad, sun "choke" soup and (someone ran out of puns) chocolate fudge cookies with pumpkin mousse. Don't need a pun to make fudge sound good. [Soirée Room, 91 Winthrop St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge. 617.864.1933. 6:30pm/all ages/$45-$65. upstairsonthesquare.com]

THU 10.29

If you have never heard James Cotton play the harmonica, may we highly suggest that you do so? Listening to his music will take you straight to his roots in Tunica, Miss., and into the Delta blues genre, where blues, jazz and soul were born. Even better, you could go see an all-star smash-up of a tribute to James Cotton at the House of Blues, including the talents of Huey Lewis (!), The James Montgomery Band, Jay Geils and Matt Kelly of Boston's own Dropkick Murphys, and many others. We bet this is one show that will definitely leave you singing the blues, in the best way possible. [15 Lansdowne St., Boston. 888.693.2583. 7pm/all ages/$35-$225. houseofblues.com]

Flashback to 1984 and a smokin' hot Sigourney Weaver for the Boston Preservation Alliance's Flick or Treat. Aside from claymation gargoyles, Bill Murray's deadpan and "Zool!" you'll get treated to pizza donated by The Upper Crust, beer donated by Samuel Adams and, as tradition demands, goodies for your sweet tooth. Wear the best costume and by the end of the night, a $100 gift certificate to Pierrot Bistrot will be yours! A deal like that is well worth the hours it will take you to get that song out of your head. [Electric Carriage House, 321 Columbus Ave., Boston. 617.367.2458. 7pm/21+/$20 with RSVP. bostonpreservation.org]

Leave it to ImprovBoston to follow in the tradition of many a horror film and prove that children are horrifying. And twins are horrifying-er! Gorefest VII: The Worster Seed is the seventh generation of the greatest slasher-comedy-gore-musical show of its genre. We're not entirely sure how many other shows fall into the genre of slasher-comedy-gore-musical, but we're trusting that however many there may be, Gorefest is the best. So, for those not weak of stomach, be prepared for a night of "mutilated nannies, vengeful Mormons and the messiest prom since Carrie." Oh, and don't wear white because yes, Paul Thomas Anderson, there will be blood. [Through Sat 10.31.09. 40 Prospect St., Central Sq., Cambridge. 617.576.1253. Thu-Sat 8pm, Fri-Sat 10pm/$19-$22. improvboston.org]

FRI 10.30

With roughly 200 billion Grateful Dead tribute bands out there, it makes sense that at least one of them would make a connection between the Dead, skeletons and skull logos, candy and Halloween. Enter Playin Dead, Boston's cover band. So, Stella Blue, if you feel like playing dead with Playin Dead at Dead-O-Ween, tuck some scarlet begonias into your curls, and shake it, shake it, Sugaree on down to the Hard Rock Cafe, where the band will perform under the watchful eye of the Grateful Dead display. Dank, man, dank. [22-24 Clinton St., Boston. 617.424.7625. 8pm/21+/$12. hardrock.com/boston]

Want a night of freakinnnn' fun? Go to Mottley's Comedy Club on October 30th and 31st for a chance to see a handful of local comics perform for their Spooky-Ass Halloween Fun Time Freak Show. If you show up in costume, you'll get half-price tickets, which is pretty great since you probably spent 50 bucks for that should-have-been-$10 costume anyways. [Through Sat 10.31.09. 61 Chatham St., Boston. 877.548.3237. 8pm/21+/$20, $10 in costume both nights. mottleyscomedy.com]

This is not a Halloween show, but with a name like A Place to Bury Strangers, it might as well be. Space rock? Psychedelic rock? Asteroid rock? ... Well, whatever it is, the "loudest band"(according to fan bloggers all across the internets) in New York City and maybe even in this galaxy, they'll be rocking the Middle East Upstairs. Also: earplugs, earplugs, earplugs, earplugs. [472 Mass. Ave., Central Sq., Cambridge. 617.864.3278. 8pm/18+/$12. mideastclub.com]

Since winter decided to come early to Boston and deprive us of our fall, let Zili Misik warm you up with their smoldering combo of Haitian, West African and Brazilian beats. The all-female group is comprised of mostly Berklee students and alumni. These multi-talented women can take you from England to Portugal and back with their multilingual singing capabilities. If you feel that the cold has begun to chill your soul, Zili Misik's songs will surely lift your spirits with their songs of love and sensuality. If embracing inner feelings isn'taren't your thing, have no fear because their songs include other fun themes, like politics. Whatever your thematic preference, throw on your parka and head down to the Milky Way Lounge to kick your wintry doldrums to the curb. [284 Amory St., Jamaica Plain. 617.524.3740. 9pm/$10. milkywayjp.com]

SAT 10.31

Sam Raimi's cult classic, Evil Dead II, is screening at the Brattle Theatre on the most appropriate day of the year ... though, really, when isn't this gorefest appropriate? The tale of a man, his girlfriend, the spirits who possess their secluded cabin, and, of course, a chainsaw hand manages to straddle the line between scary and hilarious. The campy special effects (shockingly, Bruce Campbell's chin is not one of them) combined with Ren & Stimpy-style sound effects are actually masterfully done. You won't know whether to laugh or puke ... maybe you'll do a little of both. [40 Brattle St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge. 617.876.6837. 1pm, 7:30pm/$7.75-$9.75. brattlefilm.org]

Phil Collins, Duran Duran, David Bowie and The Runaways all in one night, it must be Halloween! Too bad these bands won't actually be at Church's Halloween Party, but four other bands will. Maker's Mark will be presenting Gene Dante and the Future Starlets, Sidewalk Driver, The Luxury and Lights Out in Fenway tonight. For those of you wishing to find a safe haven from the sea of monstrous children taking over the streets, look no further. Each band will be dressing up as their favorite famous band and party goers are encouraged to do the same! Those who win the costume contest will get something a lot better than candy in their bags. [69 Kilmarnock St., Boston. 617.236.7600. 8pm/21+/$10 adv, $12 dos. churchofboston.com]

Those brave enough to come to the 9th Annual Halloween Horror Marathon will have the privilege of viewing ''80s horror classics such as The Blob (which will render JELL-O inedible for you) and Night of the Creeps (zombies wreak havoc on a fraternity). And the Coolidge Corner Theatre wants to keep you up all night, so be prepared for 12-hours worth of screams and mayhem. Taking a break between films, the folks at the Coolidge—who know a thing or two about camping it up—will host a costume contest and live rock & roll performance that will cause heads to roll. [290 Harvard St., Brookline. 617.734.2501. 11pm/$10 double feature, $20 marathon. coolidge.org]

Need a break from the typical Halloween festivities? Scary movies and Dog the Bounty Hunter costumes aren't for everyone. Escape the bleached blond mullet wigs and gore by mixing up this year's holiday. Come dance the night away at Plough & Stars with DJ Christine Moore, without having to hear the atrocious "Monster Mash" on repeat all night. To further lure you in, this event is free. Instead of blowing coveted cash on an expensive cover, take advantage of this holiday miracle. [912 Mass. Ave., Central Sq., Cambridge. 617.576.0032. 10pm/21+/free. ploughandstars.com]

SUN 11.1

We all know that the best part of Halloween is being able to wear lingerie in public and no onewithout anyone thinking twice about it. However, the sexiness of Halloween is not quite over, as the leather-clad ladies of Boiling Point Burlesque will show you (and a little bit more). They'll be strapping in, lacing up and then taking it all off again with all the glamour of classic vaudevillian fashion at Oberon. Meow. [2 Arrow St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge. 617.547.8300. 8pm/$20 adv, $25 dos. axe2ice.com]

Can you get more grassroots and badass than a community TV station showing the work of a local artist whose photographs focus on public spaces? No you cannot. Stop by Cambridge Community Television's Drive-By-Gallery and check out the work of Ian McClellan, whose exhibit, Meet the Streets, explores the juxtaposition of street art and nature (if he's from Cambridge, he'll have plenty of material ... in Central Square's graffiti alley alone). [Through Sun 12.13.09. 675 Mass. Ave., Central Sq., Cambridge. 678.661.6900. Free. cctvcambridge.org]

MON 11.2

Cold yet? We're going to go to a warm, cozy, laid-back restaurant in Cambridge. There's laughter, the sounds of beers clanking down on tables. Like something out of a Hemingway novel, you feel at home here. Turns out, so does Will Meyers of Cambridge Brewing Co., who'll make an appearance tonight. After ordering a pint of CBC's Great Pumpkin Ale, the only thing you have to worry about is whether to get the beer-braised short rib, or fuck it, the smoked duck! Is your stomach grumbling? [East Coast Grill, 1271 Cambridge St., Inman Sq., Cambridge. 617.491.6568. 5:30pm-10pm/menu à la carte. eastcoastgrill.net]

Part of a series on ethnographic provocateur John Marshall comes the Pittsburg Police, a series of short documentaries chronicling how local cops dealt with the racial tensions and rioting in Pittsburgh from 1969-1970. Following Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, 2,000 citizens were arrested and the city went bonkers. And while we applaud the Harvard Film Archive for offering a snapshot of the country's tumultuous racial history, we wouldn't recommend bringing a date along to this one. When are you supposed to make out? [24 Quincy St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge. 617.495.4700. 7pm/$12. hcl.harvard.edu]

TUE 11.3

Listen, The Black Heart Procession: We love the music. "Tropics of Love" has great lyrics with a haunting, albeit captivating rhythm to them and an intriguing "Desperado" feel to it. "Not Just Words" is nice chill music, and since you're playing at the Paradise Rock Club, you've now made the big time. But for fuck's sake, please work on the band name. The Black Heart Procession sounds like some god-awful metalcore band, except your guys' music is actually good, so it confused us. Plus, look how many other bands have done something with "procession": It was the 11th studio album from Weather Report, was a 1967 jazz-rock fusion band from Melbourne, a 1971 song by Moody Blues and the second single by some fucking British band called New Order back in ''81. We're sorry, but we're yelling at you because we love you. [967 Comm. Ave., Boston. 617.562.8800. 7pm/18+/$13.50. thedise.com]

WED 11.4

Barcelona-born techno god Paco Osuna started kickin' it in 1994, quickly becoming one of the biggest DJs in Spain and a DJ-in-residence at club Amnesia in Ibiza, Spain. Once at Amnesia, Paco met Sven Väth of Cocoon, who took Paco under his wing. Paco left in 2001 to forgo house music and pursue an illustrious career in techno, and ever since has performed at such festivals as Holland's Dance Valley, Belgium's City Parade, Spain's Sonar, Germany's Love Parade and Nature One, and a bunch of others. Oh, and did we mention he's ranked 1,280th out of 218,745 total DJs in thedjlist.com's comprehensive DJ database? That's, like, 98th percentile. And he's coming to Phoenix Landing? Shit. See you there. [512 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. 617.576.6260. 9pm/19+/$10 adv, $15 dos. blog.soulclap.us]