There are three kinds of people on Halloween: First, those who start thinking about their costume in July and spend months thrifting for the necessary garments, paper-macheing headgear and practicing their gore make-up application. Next, those who buy a sexy fill-in-the-blank costume from Amazon. And lastly, those who throw something together the night of. I usually fall into that final camp, but this year the buzz about Pearl Hour’s Halloween party had me searching Google images for inspiration and browsing Goodwill weeks in advance.
All types will be welcome in the costume contest, with prizes supplied by Pearl Hour, Other Brother Beer and Poppy Hall. When asked what criteria the judges will be evaluating, there was only this: “We want to keep it flexible.”
Songs Hotbox Harry Taught Us will provide music at 9pm, and I suspect they, too, are of the last-minute-throw-it-together ilk. “We might play Monster Mash,” says band member Tara Wings, “but that would require us to rehearse.” After nearly a decade performing together, Harry’s capable of providing danceable tunes, even by the seat of their pants.
BiG SuRCuS will represent the craftier crew, closing out the night with a burlesque performance and costumes of feathers and glittering jewels. Under the direction of Rosalia Webster and Jessica Cooper, they’ll perform Beautymark, a series of dance cameos that tell tales of beasts turned into beauties, the moral being that our oddities are ultimately our greatest sources of strength.
And for the truly costume-challenged, you can always order one of Pearl Hour’s drink specials, which come with a set of vampire teeth.
SONGS HOTBOX HARRY TAUGHT US AND BiG SuRCuS 9pm music; burlesque starts at midnight, Thursday, Oct. 31. Pearl Hour, 214 Lighthouse Ave., Monterey. No cover. pearlhour.com