From the ominous bassline to the theme that’s unsettling and campy, DZR’s “Leprotic Nurses” sounds like it was crafted for Halloween. The Salinas goth trio DZR and three other local favorites aim to get folks in the mood for scary fun with a pre-Halloween, all-ages rager dubbed Markapalooza – it’s DZR bassist Mark Anda’s brainchild – Friday at Somos Gallery. Garage rock savants The Pip Squeeks, grunge-centric Burnt Palms and heavy-psych outfit The Tomb Weavers also perform, flanked by a freaky lightshow courtesy of Lumiere Alchemical.
Markapalooza 7pm Friday, Oct. 30. Somos Gallery, 262 Main St., Salinas. $7. 422-9200.
On Halloween night, just before darkness drapes itself across the sky, mesmerizing musical force of nature Rushad Eggleston will do things with his cello that aren’t legal in some states. The virtuoso cellist will kick off a solo set at 6pm down the coast at the Happy Halloween Bash with Rushad Eggleston at Big Sur Roadhouse. The community is invited to bob for apples, decorate cookies, paint pumpkins and faces, tell ghost stories and watch scary movies, while Eggleston hops around like a 5-and-a-half-foot bunny rabbit performing a rabid hybrid of punk and classical music.
Happy Halloween Bash 6-9pm Saturday, Oct. 31. Big Sur Roadhouse, 47080 Highway 1, Big Sur. Call 667-2370 for reservations.
Bay Area rock/hip-hop heroes Forrest Day return to the Planet Gemini on All Hallow’s Eve for the ninth year in a row. This time, the dynamic horn-spiked collective has enlisted Moses Nose to warm up the audience with their infectious brand of vintage metal.
Forrest Day and Moses Nose 9pm Saturday, Oct. 31. Planet Gemini, 2110 N. Fremont St., Monterey. $10 at the door. 373-1449.
Los Angeles instrumental rockers Banshee Bones will have the downtown Monterey streets echoing with an experimental cocktail the band describes as, “Rock and roll married your dark progressive side.” Recycled Records owner Sean McCann is a longtime fan.
Banshee Bones 9pm Saturday, Oct. 31. Bull and Bear, 479 Alvarado St., Monterey. Free. 655-3031.
Down on Cannery Row, Blind Pass will summon the spirits with a collage of Rolling Stones, Sublime and Radiohead covers, with a costume contest too.
Halloween Party with Blind Pass 8:45pm Saturday, Oct. 31. Cooper’s Pub and Restaurant, 653 Cannery Row, Monterey. Free. 373-1353.
A short distance down the road, scary gets sexier with the Minor Williams Band laying down some savory soul, including James Brown’s “Sex Machine,” Stevie Wonder’s “She’s a Bad Mama Jama” and Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.”
Exotic Halloween Party 9pm Saturday, Oct. 31. Sly McFly’s, 700 Cannery Row, Monterey. Free. 649-8050.