Costume contests & parties
Ground Zero's Halloween Masquerade Ball (Saturday): Leave it to the goths to throw one of the Twin Cities' best Halloween parties. Ground Zero's annual ball is the signature event for the darksiders' club of choice. Expect attendees dressed in full dominatrix gear and a stage show at midnight.
First Avenue's Halloween Party and Costume Contest (Monday): First Ave hosts one of the biggest Halloween parties in town. Hosted by Ian Rans of "Drinking With Ian," the party offers more than $1,000 in cash prizes for best costumes, plus DJs Soviet Panda, Jake Rudh, Smitty and Roy Freedom.
MORE COSTUME CONTESTS & PARTIES
- SINFULLY SEXY HALLOWEEN BALL VIII: Eighth annual party includes "Any Coin, Any Cocktail" drink special, DJs and $1,000 in cash and prizes. Hosted by Chris Castle.
- FRIGHT NIGHT: Three rooms of music and dancing with DJs Strangelove, Justin Styles and more. $1,000 cash prize for best costume.
- BACK FROM THE DEAD: Party and costume contest with more than $4,000 in cash and prizes.
- THE ENK! PRESENTS PRE-HALLOWEEN COSTUME PARTY: Two dance rooms playing Top 40 and techno, plus go-go dancers, prizes, $1 drinks till midnight for those wearing high heels and lipstick, and $3 rails and domestics until midnight. DJs include Innovation, Tyler Hampton, Cities of Gold and Nathan Vox.
- PHANTASMAGORIA 2: THE HAUNTED PALACE OF THE MAHARAJA: Rock the Cause's annual bash featuring 35 themed rooms, belly dancers, private bars, appetizers and live world music. (8 p.m. Sat. $25-$50. 2601 Sunset Blvd., Mpls. www.irockthecause.org.)
- THIS IS HALLOWEEN: Costume contest and Halloween party with 25 DJs in four rooms, plus $500 in cash and prizes.
- HALLOWEEN HOUSE MUSIC PARTY: Aster Cafe hosts a night of house from DJs Woody McBride, James Patrick, Peter Styles, Artemus, and Evil E.
Rock gigs
E.L.nO. (Friday-Saturday): Everyone's favorite Electric Light Orchestra cover band, E.L.nO., can always be counted on to wig out on Halloween. The Dave Campbell-fronted band is playing back-to-back shows on Halloween weekend. Friday's gig, which also features Joey Ryan and the Inks covering Bob Dylan, will culminate in "one Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame-style mega jam." On Saturday, the band headlines Brit's Pub's Halloween party, where partygoers are encouraged to dress as their favorite Brit, along with Kinks cover band Kinda Kinky.
Tribute band shows (Saturday-Monday)
- Oddball, one-off cover-band nights have become a local Halloween rock-club tradition. The seventh annual 20 Dollar Love Halloween Tribute Show at Lee's features tribute bands If You Want Blood (AC/DC), Rip the Joint (Rolling Stones) and the Oneness (Ween), plus PBR specials and a costume contest.
- Retro vinyl night Hot Roxx is back with its Halloween Hextravaganza, this time with a vintage country theme. Bands include the Blackberry Brandy Boys (Dave Campbell's cosmic country outfit with Little Man, Matt Latterall and Brian Just), the Flying Dorito Brothers (Night Moves' take on the Flying Burrito Brothers), the Sister Magnets and Brothers Steel (members of Ear Candy, Pink Mink, National Bird and Red Flags) and Amos Moses (an electro Jerry Reed cover band with members of Heavy Deeds and Vampire Hands). Hot Roxx DJs spin between sets.
- The Triple Rock's eighth Halloween Tribute Show features My Name Is Jonas as Weezer and the Badhearts covering Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. Plus Anthrax, Dead Kennedys and Sex Pistols cover bands.
MORE ROCK SHOWS
- A PSYCHEDELIC HALLOWEEN: The Flavor Crystals, the Vacant Lots, Chatham Rise and Boom Island.
- VITA.MN'S HALLOWEEN PARTY: Dream Crusher, Kill-Me Kare Bare and the Idle Hands, costume contest with $100s in prizes, $3 mystery shots.
Dance parties
BOO-ty Bash (Friday): Transmission DJ Jake Rudh lends his extensive musical library and nimble fingers to Hipshaker's Halloween dance party. Doubling as a benefit for Zenon Dance, the soul and funk night will include deep cuts from DJ Flipstyle and Hipshaker resident DJ Greg Waletski (who's also a longtime Zenon dancer), plus drink specials, trick-or-treat bags and a raffle.
Too Much Blood/Hellraiser III (Saturday): First Ave's dance party Too Much Love transforms into its darker twin, Too Much Blood. Expect the same dance tracks from resident DJ Sovietpanda and special guests with a Halloween twist, plus a costume contest with cash prizes. Also Saturday in First Ave's Record Room is Hellraiser III, the Halloween edition of monthly techno/electro/industrial night BLACK, with DJs Slow Derek, Ryan Simatic, Jobot and Zwaremachine.
