Spare parts for graveyard groovin': The A.V. Club's Halloween dance party roundup
Audre Krull
A boozy banana at last year's Halloqueen.
Monster-mashing time comes but once a year, and in typical Madison fashion, local DJs and dance-party promoters are taking full advantage of the public's increased willingness to get hammered while wearing costumes. Besides offering a chance to dance, lots of local events are giving rewards for creative costumes, as well as providing tasty treats, booze, and themes spanning the realms of science fiction and facial hair.
Friday
Before the Freakfest hordes descend upon State Street Saturday night, a few downtown clubs are making the most of the relatively crowd-free scene. "Nightmare On State Street" at the Orpheum will feature local DJ conglomerate Dirty Disco Kidz spinning beats to get crunk to, as well as treats from the suspect-sounding Orpheum Zombie Brigade. But it doesn't start until 10:30 p.m., so stop by the Cardinal for the Rebirth Halloween party featuring DJs Foundation, Donnie Vendetta, and Jeremy Thomas (plus a costume contest) or the Majestic for the third annual Halloqueen costume ball. With DJs Nick Nice and OCD Automatic on the ones and twos and Ginger Devil Ms. Davina DeVille hosting, Indie Queer's spooky bash has the advantage.
Saturday
Things get cracking pretty early on Halloween at the High Noon Saloon, where Ken Lonnquist And The Kenland Band take the stage at 1:30 p.m. to whip the kids into a frenzy with the Haunted Disco Family Halloween Dance. But non-breeders might as well sleep in and brace themselves for a night full of frightful delights. The Annex has a Star Wars-themed costume ball planned, with free beer from Ale Asylum and eats from JJ's Top Of The Swamp (5433 State Rd. 113, 249-0505), Talula (802 Atlas Ave. 441-1977), and Supreme Pizza (912 E. Johnson St., 255-2200). It might be hard to "dance" as metal bands Lords Of Discipline and Mobile Deathcamp turn their fully armed and operational battle stations on the crowd, but at least no one will be able to tell you're ogling Slave Princess Leia costumes from behind your Stormtrooper mask.
The Bayou attempts to graft NOLA Halloween onto Madison Halloween with a Masquerade Bash kicking off around 9 p.m., featuring DJ Jay Goya and Weapons Of Mass DeFunktion, food and drink specials, and cash rewards for costumes. Bayou employee Jessica Miyazato e-mailed The A.V. Club the contest categories, which include best and worst overall, "costume you would like to be tied up and whipped by," "costume it would be impossible to get it on in," and perhaps the purposefully vague "ABC" (anything but clothes!). Miyazato also told us that "fun pops out at you," at the Bayou, which could be a double entendre, depending on the costumes.
After that, tone it down a bit with Bob's '70s Disco Halloween Party Band at Mr. Roberts before hitting up the Inferno for Retroween, a night of old-school electro and techno with DJs WhiteRabbit and Eurotic and, judging from a hint on Inferno's website, the chance to get showered in blood. Rounding it all out back at the Majestic, Pnuma Trio will be jamming at the Halloween Mustache Masquerade, so grow one if you can, or glue one on if you can't.
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