Halloween Hoopla: 13 frightfully fun, monstrously musical West Michigan parties to get your ghoul on

For Local Spins readers, 13 is a lucky number. With the harrowing holiday falling on a weekend, we’ve picked a baker’s dozen of Halloween bashes to haunt your Saturday night.

 

When Halloween falls on a Saturday, it’s beyond bewitching. It’s a monster’s party paradise.

“Halloween shows are a trip. People come out ready to get crazy, they are in costume and the vibe is all goofy and feel-good,” said RJ Nordlund, of the band Nordlund & the Nomad Assembly, which plays the Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill on Saturday night.

“I’m hoping the Tip Top will have folks come out and participate in the Halloween festivities. We get to be weird and wear costumes as a band which is a blast.”

With such an exhaustive array of options for Halloween festivities in the city, where can you possibly start?

There are even some pre-Halloween Friday night bashes to warm up your zombie blood — like Afro Zuma playing Rockford Brewing — but Saturday clearly is the bonanza of bone-chilling bashes and the creepiest night for the dancing dead.

To get ready for the haunted hoopla, Local Spins has compiled a list of 13 musical, spine-tingling spectacles to spook up your Saturday night.

1. HALLOWEEN ON IONIA
Where: Ionia Avenue south of Fulton Street, downtown Grand Rapids
Performers: Adrian Butler, Mark Witz, D-Wrek, DJ-M, Nortroniks, Van Hekken, Monica Parker, Steve Swift, Richard Oxygenn, Element, Sean Boney, Alexander Roelandt, Kane & Stoz and Zach Bletz.
When: 3 p.m.-midnight
Tickets: $15 advance, $20 day of show
The Party: Expecting to draw more than 10,000 attendees — many of them creatively costumed revelers — “Michigan’s largest Halloween Street Party” returns to downtown Grand Rapids for a rollicking night of costumes, live music, local food and craft beer. The third annual Halloween party will also hold a judged costume contest with prizes of up to $5,000 for first place winners.
Details: halloweenonionia.com

2. BASSNECTAR’S HALLOWEEN MASQUERADE
Where: DeltaPlex Arena, Walker
Performers: Bassnectar, G Jones, Yheti and SuperDre
When: 8 p.m.
Tickets: Sold Out
The Party: EDM superstar Bassnectar, aka DJ Lorin Ashton, will once again bring his pulsing, multi-sensory show to town, this time for the DeltaPlex Masquerade. Ticketholders for the sold-out show have recently taken to Twitter and posted pictures of both homemade and store-bought masks they plan on wearing for the show.
Details: deltaplex.com

3. FOUNDERS HALLOWEEN PARTY
Where: Founders Brewing, Grand Rapids
Performers: The Crane Wives, Mama Sol & Tha NUTS, Nortroniks
When: 9 p.m.
Admission: $5
The Party: West Michigan folk-rock favorites The Crane Wives return to Founders Brewing for a frightfully good night of folk-rock, neo-soul and electronic music, including Mama Sol & Tha NUTS and Nortroniks. Featured also will be a handful of fall-themed beers that were recently released: Mosaic Promise, Breakfast Stout, Dark Penance and Harvest Ale.
Details: foundersbrewing.com

4. SILVER SCREEN SCREAM
HALLOWEEN @ THE B.O.B.
Performers: Vox Vidorra, The Go Rounds and DJs
Time: 7 p.m.
Tickets: $10 advance, $15 at the door
The Party: The B.O.B. will serve as a spooky, time machine into cinematic history, with each of its five floors taking on the themes and ambiance of classic Hollywood horror films. Familiar scenes from movies like “Creature from The Black Lagoon,” “Frankenstein,” and “Dracula” create a backdrop for performances from Vox Vidorra, The Go Rounds and DJs Keller Shaw, Crafty, Brandon Hill and Mark Witz. And as always, The B.O.B. boasts a huge $6,000 purse for its over-the-top costume contest with $2,000 and a trip to Colorado for first place, $1,000 for second place and $500 for third place.
Details: thebob.com

5. A VERY SPOOKY HALLOWEEN @ THE STACHE
Where: The Stache inside The Intersection, Grand Rapids
Performers: Genetics, Desmond Jones
Time: 8 p.m.
Tickets: $8 advance, $10 day of
The Party: It’s Halloween jam-band style, with Colorado’s Genetics (by way of Michigan) firing up The Stache with its lively, prog-rock strains along with Grand Rapids’ own Desmond Jones. (Both bands also play a Thursday show at Holland’ Park Theatre.) The same night, California pop-punk band The Story So Far headlines a concert in the main showroom with Basement, Turnover and Forest Green opening ($20 advance, $25 day of show).
Details: sectionlive.com

6. HALLOWEEN NIGHT
@ CAMP H SKATE PARK
Where: Camp H Skate Park, 5240 W. River Dr., Comstock Park
Performers: Murder Party, Bet on Rats, PotatoeBabies, Antilogical, Cashed Out
Time: 9 p.m.
Admission: $7
The Party: Appropriately named for an evening of terrifyingly terrific fun, rock’s ever-entertaining Murder Party headlines this special event at Camp H Skate Park, with the colorful, rollicking PotatoeBabies also on the bill. Attendees have an opportunity to win prizes if they dress in costume. Also JOE and Tonia Bug will perform in between the band sets. (Minors over 14 and older can attend but must have a waiver signed by a parent.)
Details: facebook.com/events

7. THE RETURN OF A.B. & COCONUT BROWN @ THE PYRAMID SCHEME
Where: The Pyramid Scheme, Grand Rapids
Performers: A.B. & Coconut Brown, DJ Snax, The Lake Effects, Nych G, I Believe In Julio, DJ Composition
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Tickets: $8 advance, $10 day of show
The Party: After leaving the stage haunted by their funk-inspired hip-hop from their previous Pyramid Scheme show, A.B. & Coconut Brown will once again return to The Pyramid Scheme amid a diverse lineup of music on Halloween night, with a costume contest in the mix, too.
Details: pyramidschemebar.com

8. HALLOWEEN @ TIP TOP DELUXE
Where: Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill, Grand Rapids
Performers: Nordlund & the Nomad Assembly, Bigfoot Buffalo, Jared Sjoblom
Time: 8 p.m.
Tickets: $7
The Party: One of Grand Rapids’ newest bands, Nordlund & the Nomad Assembly lead the way for this rootsy lineup of West Michigan artists with psychedelic roots-rock band Bigfoot Buffalo and Whitehall singer-songwriter also on the bill. Costumes encouraged all around.
Details: facebook.com/events

9. HALLOWEEN @ MULLIGAN’S PUB
Where: Mulligan’s Pub, Grand Rapids (Eastown)
Performers: Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish, Sailor Kicks, Terrible
Time: 9 p.m.
Admission: Free
The Party: As Jesse Ray puts it, “Dress up, get freaky and let’s have a great time.” The dim lighting and giant neon-colored skull that takes up an entire wall sets the scene quite well for a Halloween show. Jesse Ray & The Carolina Catfish are poised to rock out for this free show, along with Sailor Kicks and Terrible.
Details: facebook.com/events

10. HALLOWEEN MASQUERADE BALL @ BELL’S ECCENTRIC CAFE
Where: Bell’s Brewery, Kalamazoo
Performers: Red Sea Pedestrians, The Corn Fed Girls
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Admission: $10
The Party: Continuing a “modern Kalamazoo tradition,” Bell’s welcomes the Red Sea Pedestrians and The Corn Fed Girls for its 7th annual Halloween party that encourages “beautiful and weird costumes.” Hailing from Kalamazoo, the ever-eclectic Red Sea Pedestrians utilize their multi-instrumental abilities to put on a captivating show, which will include “some wild and entertaining spooky classics.”
Details: bellsbeer.com

11. HALLOWEEN @ SAUGATUCK BREWING CO.
Where: Saugatuck Brewing Co., 2948 Blue Star Hwy., Douglas
Performer: Big Boss Blues
Time: 6-10 p.m.
Admission: Free
The Party: This makes for the perfect pre-Halloween Parade party. Every year, thousands of folks flock to Douglas to ogle the creative and creepy costumes worn by parade-goers in the procession that kicks off at 10 p.m. on Center Street in downtown Douglas. Award-winning blues band Big Boss Blues will warm things up to get the evening started at Saugatuck Brewing, which also hosts a costume contest with prizes ($50 for first, $30 for second, $20 for third).
Details: saugatuckbrewing.com, saugatuck.com/HALLOWEEN_DOUGLAS

12. CONKLIN CEILI BAND’S HALLOWEEN BASH @ QUINN’S
Where: Quinn & Tuite’s Irish Pub, Grand Rapids
Performer: Conklin Celi Band
Time: 9 p.m.
Cost: Free Show
The Party: Celtic music’s Conklin Ceili Band is throwing a Halloween party “Irish style” at Quinn & Tuite’s, so costumes are a must for attendees. Fiddler Natalie Beversluis “will be wearing one for sure” the band notes, so swing by to see what she’s cooked up for the evening.
Details: facebook.com/events

13. SPOOK-TACULAR HALLOWEEN BASH @ GIPPERS
Where: Gipper’s Bar & Restaurant, 2929 Kraft Ave. SE, Grand Rapids
Performer: Flashback
Time: 9:30 p.m.
Admission: Free
The Party: Belding oldies band Flashback — influenced by the likes of The Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Hollies and The Guess Who — provides the dance music, with a costume contest that’s part of the evening’s festivities as well.
Details: gippersgr.com

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