When I spoke to Ken Werner a couple weeks ago about his newly republished photography book of 1970s Castro and Polk Street Halloween celebrations, I asked him if he thought the giant Castro celebrations of the 1990s and 2000s would ever come back. His answer surprised me. He severely disliked how those officially sanctioned celebrations—with their city-permitted soundstages, police presence, and mainstream entertainment—had quashed the independent spirit of those before the AIDS pandemic. The quieter, spontaneous celebrations the Castro sees now, drawing hundreds of much-needed local revelers to bars and clubs on the strip, are much closer in spirit to those “outlaw” times.
I love that kind of expectations-flip revealing some true history (or at least a totally different perspective). As we move into Halloween and Día de los Muertos (Marigold Project Festival of Altars 8am-10pm, Sat/2, Potrero del Sol Park, SF, more info here), I look forward to more upendings from the spirit world, as the membrane between the living and dead becomes crepe-paper thin. Let’s dive into some spooky events and Dead Man’s Parties together.
EVENTS OF NOTE
ONGOING THROUGH NOVEMBER 3: TERROR VAULT: FATAL ABDUCTION This year’s alien-themed immersive adventure ion the basement of the Old Mint is one of the best. Check out our rave review here, our wild photos here, and our tips on how to get “triple nipples” here! Plus, my favorite thing of all in the city is the Fang Bang bar, which brings cozy goth vibes to the spooky space. Old Mint, SF. More info here.
ONGOING THROUGH NOVEMBER 4: “13 INVOCATIONS FOR WORLD PEACE” Let’s get witchy for world peace! “The 2024 D.I.R.T. Festival—or Dance In Revolt(ing) Times—gathers a cross-section of the Bay Area arts community to set an intention of peace and justice for the upcoming election. It is a gathering of diverse and multi-generational artists using the mediums of dance, theater, and music to light a spark for a healthy future for all. The 13 day activation includes outdoor and indoor performances, with multiple offerings at the 24th Street BART Station, Osage Alley, and inside Dance Mission Theater. Join us as we set a spell for tomorrow.” Dance Mission Theater, SF. More info here.
ONGOING THROUGH NOVEMBER 8: SOMARTS DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS: “BEARING WITNESS” The annual display of ofrendas and immersive artworks at SOMArts for Día de los Muertos is a must, featuring more than a dozen pieces by local artists that summon the spirit of activism and community. This year’s theme is Bearing Witness: An Expression of Love, Solidarity, and Justice for the People of Palestine: ” As Mexican-Americans, we wanted to create a space that embodies one of our most beautiful cultural, spiritual, and creative practices and have it be a way for us all to bear witness to what is happening in Palestine,” say co-curators Rio Yañez and Bridgètt Rex. SOMArts, SF. More info here.
THU/31: HALLOWEEN AT THE STUD Witness my long dormant DJ career rise from the dead as I join DJ Rolo and a cast of queer witches, ghosts, and demons for hella drag performances and a $100 costume contest. Will I stay upright? 7pm-midnight, The Stud, SF. More info here.
THU/31: “PSYCHO” AT SF SYMPHONY “Lights, Camera, Music!: Watch favorite films on the big screen at Davies Symphony Hall as the scores are performed live by the SF Symphony. Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is filled with infamous twists and turns. Bernard Herrmann’s music slashes with vivid effect as it plunges into the darkest corners of the human psyche.” Plus there’s a themed cocktail! 7:30pm, SF Symphony, more info here.
THU/31: PATRICK TOPPING The young UK house hero knows how to channel soulful sounds and raise spirits. Just be sure you can sweat through your Charli XCX Brat costume. 9pm, Public Works, SF. More info here.
THU/31: DAFT DISKO HALLOWEEN An high-powered mix of dance giants from several decades—Daft Punk, Breakbot, Cassius, Uffie, Giorgio Moroder, Chic—will have a costumed crowd at Audio on their dancing feet until the wee hours. 9pm, Audio, SF. More info here.
10/31: SUBSTANCE 2024 WITH BLACK MARBLE One of my favorite ever bands, Black Marble, heads up a huge line-up of similarly dark-tinged sonic acts including Provoker, Riki, Plack Blague, Sacred Skin, and Dancing Plague for this annual black celebration. 6pm, Great American Music Hall, SF. More info here.
FRI/1 + SAT/2: ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW Ever-problematic yet supremely seductive “sweet transvestite from Transylvania” Dr. Frank-N-Furter and friends are back for a wild and immersive show at Oasis, courtesy of Ray of Light theater troupe. 7pm, Oasis, SF. More info here.
FRI/1: COWBOYS AND ALIENS: SPACE COWBOYS HALLOWEEN Massive Burning Man camp Space Cowboys has been lighting up Halloween with this wild intergalactic bash for decades, this time bringing breakbeat hero DJ Wes Smith and a lineup of dozens of beat slingers. 9pm-3am, Great Northern, SF. More info here.
FRI/1: MUSIC FOR THE MASSES HALLOWEEN EDITION What better way to celebrate Samhain than by dancing to the dark strains of ’80s goth and New Wave? Club Popscene mastermind DJ Omar spins classics from the likes of Depeche Mode and the Cure for your twirling pleasure. 9pm-3am, Cat Club, SF. More info here.
FRI/1: NICOLE IRENE ANDERSON: “A TANGLED CO-EXISTENCE” “Nicole Irene Anderson’s tautly constructed drawings and paintings of atomized, flattened landscapes and desolate suburban streets are exquisite scenarios of unease. Deploying her accomplished formal language—exacting, deliberate, dry—Anderson composes essential works charged with feeling and moral complexity. Working from equal parts memory, observation, and invention, Anderson lays siege to our nerves with plausible realities haunted by anxiety and loneliness yet shimmering with the phenomenological glint-glare of light.” I love a good haunted landscape painting! 5pm-8pm reception (show runs through January 4) at Johansson Projects, SF. More info here.
FRI/1: hoodslam// EMO PROM FIGHT NIGHT The mish-mash of awesome themes is both exhilarating and completely on-brand for long-running underground wrestling event Hoodslam, featuring wild styles in the ring from Rob Hands, Daniel Torch, and Brooke Havoc. 8pm-11pm, Continental Club, SF. More info here.
FRI/1: KAYTRANADA No one has done more to bring left-field electronic R&B sounds into the mainstream recently than Haitian-Canadian music producer, rapper, singer, and DJ Kaytranada. Show up to watch him fill the huge Hibernia Bank building with costumed, dancing devotees. 9pm, Hibernia Building, SF. More info here.
SAT/2: SF QUEER DIWALI Live bands, drag performances, bhangra DJs, and games are on tap at El Rio during the annual Indian celebration of light, welcoming all kinds of folks without judgement, just warmth and joy. 3pm-8pm, El Rio, SF. More info here.
SAT/2: DAY OF THE DISCO Things will be more sleaze than spandex as longtime electro player Thibaut Jean-Marie Michel Berland, aka Breakbot, pleasantly scrambles brains up Club Six. 9pm, Club Six, SF. More info here.
SAT/2: HALLOWEEN HOOPLA WITH CIRCUS BELLA PERFORMERS AT YERBA BUENA GARDENS “The 24th annual Halloween Hoopla is back with family-friendly frights and delights for kids under 10 and their adults! This year’s festivities are sure to amaze with awe-inspiring performers from Circus Bella plus live music from the Circus Bella All-Star Trio. The Hoopla grand finale is the popular Halloween Costume Parade – all kids are welcome to join in their best Halloween looks.” Noon-3pm, Yerba Buena Gardens, SF. More info here.
MON/4: DARK ALLEYS Goth music and bowling—they’re an unlikely pairing, perhaps, but this monthly party should melt even the darkest hearts. DJs Tom Axe, Zlaya, Polly Eurethane, and Starr Noir set an eerie mood at the hip Mission Bowling Club. 6pm-10pm, Mission Bowling Club, SF. More info here.
