Have you recovered from last weekend's bash and a half? Not scared enough by the thong-wearing guys? Forgot to buy those Bob Dylan tickets? Don't fret'here are some of the festivities happening tonight in Madtown, meant to scare you, sway you or make you forget that your costume got burned up on State Street.
Tonight, so many venues are featuring great bands that you'd have to be buried alive not to catch one. Many of the clubs are having costume contests and Halloween specials, so don't throw away that super-creative bedsheet ghost costume just yet.
The fun begins with a 10 p.m. masquerade ball at the Orpheum Theater, 216 State St. There will be several techno and house groups performing, including Nick Kick, local hip-hoppers The Crest and Switch Focus. There will also be a DJ room sparked with an extravagant light and laser setup. Says head planner John Basynski, \This will be the loudest, most lucid, most fun party ever!""
Also in store for Madison spinners are DJs Nick Nice, Mike Carlson and Corey Lee at the Cardinal Bar, 418 E. Wilson, at 9 p.m., DJ JC at the The Club Tavern, 915 Branch St., at 8:30 and even an Open Turntable Night at the Rathskeller at 8 p.m. for scratchers yet to be discovered.
If you're brave, The Inferno, 1718 Commercial Ave., hosts power punk-rockers The Skintones, Rest in Piss, The Murder Flunkies and Big Fat Ass. These guys make it their business to scare the crowd before they even step in the door. A costume contest will be seeking out the best monster-type, so put your tamer costumes aside and prepare to be scared. Doors open at 9 p.m.
The Great Dane Pub, 123 E. Doty, will get funky tonight with Spontaneous Throwdown. Also, there will be a haunted house inside the pub, where ten bucks gets you three shots upon entry and a beer when you leave'if you can. Expect a fantastic collision of funk, R&B and rock at The Annex, 1206 Regent St., where Left Undone will be pumping with Oval Opus and Muzzy Luctin. Tickets are $10 in advance, with doors opening at 8:30 p.m. for the 9 p.m. show.
Fans of The Grateful Dead and Phish will appreciate the multi-faceted jams of Ekoostik Hookah, performing tonight under the sparkling ceiling of the Barrymore, 2090 Atwood Ave. The Ohio band will be sure to play grooves from their latest album ""Sharp In The Flats,"" so bring your hippie clothes and your open ears. Tickets cost $15 today and the show kicks off at 9 p.m.
Madison is alive with soulful acts tonight, found at all the great jazz havens. The King Club features its own Jazz Jam with The New Breed quintet'$4 will get you into the 9 p.m. show. Also mixing up its own Halloween Jazz show is Liquid Lyric Lounge, 614 S. Park St., starting at 8:30 p.m.
Finally, Luther's Blues, 320 N. Randall hosts Phat Phunktion, a nine-piece band playing '60s soul and '70s funk. Doors open at 7 p.m. to make way for Luther's own costume contest, leading to Phat's fun at 9:30.
If you'd rather soak in a spooky movie, Alfred Hithcock's ""The Lodger"" will be shown at the Civic Center Oscar Meyer Theater, 211 State St., at for $1, with organist Dennis Jones playing during the film. The movie begins at 8 p.m., but get there at 7:30 for the various vaudeville acts and door prizes beforehand. If Halloween genuinely frightens you to bits, check out The Comedy Club, 117 State St., featuring Willie Farrell with Mike Mercury and Dave Gray.
For your intellectual side, Canterbury Bookstore, 315 W. Gorham, is inviting author Mark Salzman to read and discuss his latest novel ""Lying Awake"" at 7 p.m. The book is as intriguing as it is eerie. Also, Halloween Poetry Open Mic Night creeps into College Library Room 1193 at 4 p.m. It will give you chills, and maybe you can pick up a hot goblin date while you're listening to limericks.
For some people, nothing is scarier than real human blood. So what better day to suck in those fears than Halloween? Before you head out to partake in whatever scary adventures, give blood at the Red Gym Wisconsin Room from noon to 5 p.m. It's not for any vampires; it's for a good cause!
