Eugene Weekly : Music : 10.23.08

Come On, Get Creepy
Pre-Halloween Halloweeny shows
By Vanessa Salvia

Mood Area 52

While the neighborhood kids will be donning their pirate and kitty cat costumes come Halloween week, you can celebrate the spookiest time of year in a more sophisticated manner with elegant, old-world atmosphere at Mood Area 52’s “Evening of Creepy Films” at Sam Bond’s (9 pm 10/29, $5, 21+). The Eugene band will provide a live instrumental soundtrack to F.W. Murnau’s cult classic vampire movie Nosferatu along with two short silent films by Georges Méliès: The Golden Bug and Voyage to the Moon (which is considered to be the first science fiction film — it’s the one that has the image of the rocketship landing in the moon’s eye). 

Under normal circumstances, Mood Area 52’s nuevo-tango and jazzy Southern European music inspires a floor full of dancers, but in this case, the band’s score adds spine-tingling suspense to Murnau’s already chilling (but often giggle-worthy) 1922 silent film. Though bandleader Michael Roderick might entertain the crowd beforehand with his energetic accordion, once the film starts, the band skillfully blends into the background, so the star of the evening is the sheer bloodsucking enjoyment on screen. 

With God, all things are possible, including a Eugene post-punk indie rock foursome known as Half Shark Half Jesus. The band will perform in costume to celebrate the release of its new CD Pink Pillows and will ring in Halloween at midnight, since the set will begin on the 30th and end on the 31st (technically, of course).  (10 pm 10/30, Luckey’s, 21+, $3.)  

If you’re creeped out by organ music like I am, imagine several organists playing the Psycho theme. While wearing wigs and costumes. In a church. Yikes! (See Brett Campbell’s column next week for more about Pipe Screams,  7 pm 10/30, First United Methodist Church, donation). 

If that sounds too wholesome, then SplatterHouse at Diablo’s might be more likely to smash your pumpkin (10 pm 10/30, $3, 21+). The club fills its two floors with Halloween guts and gore, and Eugene’s The Vinyl Pimpz will provide the mad dance beats. If you want to start your Halloween festivities hella early, Diablo’s “ScareOke” karaoke contest finals take place Oct. 28, and Oct. 25 brings the bar’s Halloween Fetish Ball, two floors of bondage and punishment scenes, fire dancing, piercing play and other kinky stuff. Fetish wear or all black duds are required for entry to this one, folks.