This Halloween, when all the ghosts and ghouls come out to play, the Rialto Theatre is putting on its own Halloween rock ‘n’ roll freak show.
Appropriately called the Spooky Prom, this quirky and spirited event will have performances by local Tucson bands, a costume contest with cash prizes, free candy and other surprises all night long. This is the first time the Rialto has organized this event, and according to Matt Baquet, drummer of the band Prom Body, it all began because the theater asked Prom Body to play a show on Halloween, and they rallied some of their musician friends to come play with them.
The other bands joining in Halloween night include Ghostal, Sun Bones, Numb Bats, Neon Eon and DJ Altrice. The event is showcasing all local Tucson bands, except the Numb Bats, in an effort to make more community ties and make this a uniquely Tucson event. All of the bands look forward to the event, because it gives a snapshot of the city and the “creepy community” we live in.
Baquet said all of the bands will be dressing up and covering a different Halloween song during their sets.
The party at the Rialto is open to all ages. The reason behind this is mainly because Baquet and Bob Hanshaw, bassist for the Sun Bones, said they believe “there should be more local, cheap, all-ages shows in Tucson, because life doesn’t just start at age 21.”Hanshaw also said the younger crowd appreciates music more than anyone else, and at that age, you make your strongest musical bonds. The Sun Bones’ music, described as a combination of tightly-focused songwriting with adventurous harmonies, will definitely get people of all ages up and moving, because it’s accessible, fun and sophisticated.
The show begins at 7 p.m. when doors open, and does not end until 1 a.m. when DJ Altrice wraps up the night. Admission to this night of rock ‘n’ roll fun is only $5, and there will be a full bar for guests 21 and older. Local artists Yu Yu Shiratori, Pat Foley of Carne and Queso and Parker Arriaga of Think Tank/Night of the Living Fest will make Halloween-themed installations for the occasion. All attendees are encouraged to dress up in a costume, because at 11 p.m., there will be a costume contest with cash prizes given to the first-, second- and third-place winners.
Throughout the night, Andrew Brown of Arizona Public Media will take pictures of guests in the “WALL OF GUTS” photo booth. Be sure not to miss out on what is perhaps the freakiest concert of the year.
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