Sounds of the season: Live, local Halloween music picks
Flash back to 1993 and that truly magical scene in “Hocus Pocus” where Bette Midler’s character, Winifred Sanderson, serenades a crowd of Halloween partygoers.
Flash back to 1993 and that truly magical scene in "Hocus Pocus" where Bette Midler's character, Winifred Sanderson, serenades a crowd of Halloween partygoers. Despite being a witch and thus casting a spell on the dancing parents, that musical number set a precedent for how I envision all Halloween parties to be: Full of dancing and a Bette Midler number. While I cannot promise any of the following shows to have the singing star, they should get you dancing — or at least humming a spooky tune as you leave.
The Philadelphia Orchestra puts its spin on creepy tunes from everything like the classical greats like "March to the Scaffold" to the theme from "Batman" on Saturday, Oct. 25. Halloween Fantastique strikes a chord at 11:30 a.m. at the Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall (Broad and Spruce Streets).
The Deli Philadelphia, a website devoted to local independent music, is celebrating its sixth anniversary with a musical Halloween costume party at PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12th St.) with co-headliners S.T.S. (also known as Sugar Tongue Slim) and Grimace Federation. The show starts at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25.
Halloween and ska make a perfect pair. The only place you can celebrate Skalloween is at North Star Bar (2639 Poplar St.) on Wednesday, Oct. 29 when The Toasters, Hub City Stompers and Rockers Galore play at 8 p.m.
It's a monster mash…up at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 30 at Painted Bride Art Center (230 Vine St.). Two bands of varying genres — electronic Worldtown Sound System and hometown rock 'n rollers Cask & Co. — collaborate on making the audience move.
The Woodmere Art Museum (9201 Germantown Ave.) is playing the "boos" from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31. Blues and jazz adaptations of "Ghostbusters," "Monster Mash" and other Halloween favorites will be performed for a family-friendly costume party.
Soul collective, Soulidified pays tribute to one of the highest selling albums of all time, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" on Friday, Oct. 31. The Dox and DJ Ambush of Soulidified provide the soundtrack for the evening at World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.). Costumes welcomed at this 7:30 p.m. show.
Bands aren't exempt from dressing up on Halloween. At MilkBoy's (1100 Chestnut St.) Halloween bash, four bands will do their best impressions of their favorite artists. The lineup includes Black Stars as the Rolling Stones, The Better Half as Pearl Jam, Katie Frank and the Pheromones as Tom Petty and Wild North as Neil Young. Just try to tell them apart. Rock out on Friday, Oct. 31 at 8:30 p.m.
Making Time's PURE HALLOWEEEN at Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden St.) features sets from the resident Making Time DJs you've come to know and love — Dave P. & Sammy Slice, Mike Z., Dave Pak, Rocktits!, Broadzilla and Greg D. — but also a live performance from guitar-rockers Dum Dum Girls on Friday, Oct. 31. Things get started at 9 p.m.
Come to a ball at the Trocadero Theatre (1003 Arch St.) on Friday, Oct. 31 — Dracula's Ball. Dark and dance-y bands Spider Lilies and Interface play at the costume party, beginning at 9 p.m., and DJs Heim and Chas Paris play the over-21 second-floor area.
What would Halloween be without hearing Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor on the Kimmel Center's (Broad and Spruce Streets) organ? For the first time, a special Halloween Organ Extravaganza will be held in Verizon Hall at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31 featuring three of the area's best organists.
Have a little glam-rock on your Halloween. A group of 25 musicians who specialize in dazzling hits of the '70s — Candy Volcano — will perform during a masquerade party at FringeArts (140 N. Columbus Blvd.) at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31.