Oct. 1-31: The Haunted Basement at the Soap Factory

More than 10,000 people braved the dark, smelly, diabolical depths of the Soap Factory's Haunted Basement last October. Now in its fifth year, this adult haunted house is still the scariest around -- so scary you need to sign a waiver. The torture rooms, endless mazes and dimly lit corridors are designed by a group of artists. Appreciate their work while they scare the bejeezus out of you.

  • 514 SE. 2nd St., Mpls
  • $21. Ages 18 and older only. Advance tickets strongly recommended
  • soapfactory.org or 612-623-9176

John Oliver

"The Daily Show's" favorite British correspondent is leaving Jon Stewart behind for a bit as he takes his hilarious shtick to the stand-up circuit. Oliver, who seems to overly commit to any political position (no matter its ludicrousness), should be a joy to watch, even if he's not interviewing Tea Partiers.

Bao Phi and Ed Bok Lee

Two of the Twin Cities' most revered spoken-word performers are releasing poetry collections this fall. As they did years ago when they helped kick-start the local scene, Phi and Lee are giving a joint performance. The poets will read from their books -- "Sông I Sing" (Phi) and "Whorled" (Lee) -- and partake in a discussion about their work (with music by DJ Nak).

Bassnectar

The dance-music superstar will be the second DJ to try out the massive Roy Wilkins Auditorium this year (Tiesto had a big crowd, but couldn't fill the 5,000-seat venue in April). If anyone could jump from club to mini-arena it would be Bassnectar, whose dubstep beats and extravagant light show should bring out a crush of clubbers.

  • 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30
  • Roy Wilkins Auditorium, 5th & Washington Sts., St. Paul
  • $35, bassnectar.net

Jim Gaffigan

Nobody does whispering internal monologuing better than Gaffigan. The comedian's self-effacing comments about his pale skin and his love/hate relationship with Hot Pockets never gets old. Rightfully so, his awkwardness has attracted a large and devout following.

Acme Comedy Co. 20th anniversary

Minneapolis' oldest comedy club has much to be proud of. It's nationally respected (Robin Williams famously came here to test material in 2008). It gave Nick Swardson his start. But more than anything, Acme simply needs to be commended for lasting this long in the cutthroat comedy business. To celebrate 20 years, owner Louis Lee is having 36 of his favorite comedians (including Jake Johannsen, Mary Mack, Ryan Stout, Tim Slagle) perform over five days.