Can you believe the spookiest night of the year is here? Halloween is truly a great holiday and when it lands on a Friday night it only gets better. There is some great live music going on in Champaign-Urbana this haunted evening. Smile Politely has put together a little list of some of the shows going on in the area so you can spend less time figuring out what to do and more time working on your Joe the Plumber or Tito the Builder costumes.
The Brothers Whys- Café Paradiso, 8 p.m., Free
The student sextet, The Brothers Whys, is putting on an “unplugged spooky story time” set at the Urbana coffee shop. This would be a good place to hit up before you put on your heavy face makeup for that David Bowie costume to enjoy some hot cider and deliciously poppy tunes complete with boy-girl harmonies. The group will have free copies of their CD, I Wrote This with Our Bare Hands, as well. But please, just take one and leave the rest for other trick or treaters.
Micah Walk Band, Dottie and the ‘Rail- Cowboy Monkey, 9 p.m., $5
You would think a costume party featuring Springfield’s country rock group, Micah Walk Band would have more twang than terror, but tonight they’ll transform into a 90’s grunge band. They’ll be playing all the hits from the likes of Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam. Nothing is what it seems on Halloween!
Gh0st- Iron Post, 9 p.m, cover tba
Where a costume, don’t wear a costume, just check out Gh0st’s third annual Halloween party at the Iron Post. A band that plays “Rock and Roll in the finest tradition,” Gh0st is sure to rock your face off. With, as their bio puts it, over 60 years of combined rock experience, Gh0st would be a great band to check out tonight for more than just their spooky name.
The Living Blue, Elsinore- Radio Maria, 10 p.m., $15
These two great area bands are not only hosting a costume party at one of the swankier live music venues in town, they are also judging the costume contest. First prize wins $200. Second and third also win some sort of prize and 4th place wins the shame of being the first loser.
The Brat Pack- Highdive, 9:30 p.m., $7
There is nothing much scarier than the eighties, so it seems fitting that the premier 80’s cover band, The Brat Pack, is performing two sets on Halloween night. In between sets another costume contest takes place. First prize at Highdive wins $150 from Best Buy. Second and Third take home Best Buy gift cards too. The only stipulation is you have to use it on technological items that existed in the 1980’s. Be sure to stop by the WPGU “Day of the Dead” costume party at Highdive the next night. The Best costume takes home a $300 Apple Store gift card and second wins a Nano.
Cornmeal- Canopy Club, 7:30 p.m., $8
Chicago’s Cornmeal brings the progressive-bluegrass thunder as the headlining act at for the Canopy Club’s Halloween Bash. Fiddler Allie Kral and the crew bring a positive vibe to the most devilish of nights. The show starts at 7:30, and there are three other bands on the bill (Family Groove Company, Jobu and Zmick ), so your $8 will go a long way.