It’s starting to feel like Fall and that means Halloween.
University of Lethbridge Community radio station CKXU is excited about their second annual haunted house at the Old Firehall, Oct. 26 and 27.
There will be three levels of ’50s and ’60s campy horror movie styled fun. The actual haunted house in Oct. 26 and 27 from 1-7 p.m.. Admission is $10 for adults, Children 10 and up and students $5 and kids under 10 free. There will be an array of ghosts, ghouls, mad butchers, spooky monsters, wild witches and more. There will be plenty of activities for the kids and Mystery Gang tour guides and even a drive in themed photo booth.
In addition to that, that means there is a whole lot of music happening.
The Terrific Kids Collective collaborate with CKXU to bring in a big night of alternative rock and pop music, Friday, Oct. 25.
Saskatoon based Indie psych rock band The Radiation Flowers will be performing with Calgary based indie pop band 36? and local power pop band J Blissette and experimental art rock band Marigold. There is a $10 cover for the show, which begins at 9 p.m.
If hip hop is more your styles, Fright House fun continues, Oct. 26 with Calgary based tamil goonda rap collective Cartel Madras, Edmonton based experimental Prairie Hip hop and soul musician tzadeka aka Maigan van der Giessen - Emcee/Vocalist and Mark Czuba - DJ/Producer. Louis Cza and brettlee are also on the bill. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door.
But that’s not the only pre-Halloween party planned. Pops Pub South features Uncovered and the Plaid Ramblers performing beginning at 8 p.m. Kapow Comics celebrates Halloween, Friday, Oct. 25 with a big slab of local of metal. NyghtBlaed, Eons of Earth and Pomeranian Fight Club will be performing. Doors open at 7 p.m. There is a $10 cover.
For actual Halloween, Kelowna rock band the Wild! return to Lethbridge to play an intimate show at the Slice, Oct. 31. Tickets are going fast at $10 a pop. Local band 21st Avenue will be opening. The Junkman’s Quire play Halloween at the Owl Acoustic Lounge. theoretically Brewing celebrated hllloween by closing their patio with a haunted halloween party withWinnipeg ant-rock band Trapoline, Calgary hard rock duo Johnnor and local band Fawns. The music begins at 8 p.m. Admission is$15 in advamce, $20 at the door.
But the fun begins early in the week with a couple of outstanding Wednesday night shows.
The Slice rocks with new local band the Waterfront Lethbridge’s the Cayley, Calgary based rockers Homeless in Hawaii and Ontario band Excuses Excuses. The show begins at 8:30 p.m.
Just down the street, the Owl Acoustic Lounge features Edmonton pop rock group Wares plus Vandendool. Admission is by donation.
For rap fans, Drop N’ Beats is holding a fundraiser at Good Times, Oct, 24 for the McMan Youth, Family and Community Services. Performers include LRev, Heavy Knowledge, Our Neighbour the King and youth from Drop N Beats. Tickets are $10 in advance $15 at the door. It runs from 7-10 p.m.
There are a lot of open mics as well with open mics at Beaches on Wednesday and Jaymz Joseph hosts the open mic at the Slice in Thursday. The monthly poetry open mic with Teri Petz has been moved to this week due to Halloween.
It’s a good weekend to rock. The Bamboo Guppies return to Casino Lethbridge, Oct. 25 and 26.
The Slice features QuickDraw and MollytheBoyCat, Friday, Oct. 25.
The Owl Acoustic Lounge goes country on Oct. 25 with Rancho Deluxe performing.
The Owl Acoustic Lounge goes pop on Oct. 26 with local musicians Bailey Kate, Travis Matthews and Laura Hickli. Admission is by donation.
Local blues rock band the Steve Keenan Band return to The Slice on Oct. 26.
And The Geomatic Attic is back on Oct. 26 with Toronto based Lonesome Ace Stringband trio featuring Chris Coole (banjo), John Showman (fiddle) and Max Heineman (bass).
As usual , Geomatic Attic Shows starts at 8 p.m. sharp. Tickets are $30 for members, $35 for non- members.
There are a couple of plays happening this week as well.
Playgoers of Lethbridge present Paul Elliott‘s 2014 comedy Exit Laughing at the Country Kitchen, Oct. 22-26 for their Fall dinner theatre.
Tickets for the show are $58 at Casa. The show is at the Country Kitchen, beneath the Keg on Mayor Magrath Drive.
Playgoers of Lethbridge volunteers are embracing Paul Elliott’s 2014 dark comedy “ Exit Laughing” for their annual fall dinner theatre.
“ It’s a really funny dark comedy,” summarized director Linda Johnson, Playgoers of Lethbridge‘s co-artistic director.
The comedy stars several familiar faces including Teresa Huszar as Rachel, who made her Playgoers of Lethbridge debut in the spring production of “Where’s Oscar.”
The play also features Playgoers mainstay Shelly David as the simple, sometimes ditzy Millie, Jocelyn Steinborn as Rachel’s mother the conservative and always astute Connie, Marcie Stork as the wise-cracking, hairdresser Leona who was in ‘Til Beth Do us Part” and Josh Hammerstedt as the policeman.
“It is about four (southern) women who have been friends for decades who have bonded over a weekly game of cards. Then one of the ladies dies so Millie decides to borrow her ashes from the funeral home and brings them for one last game,” Johnson said.
“They worry about the police coming , and they do, but it isn’t as it seems. It isn’t what they perceive cops to be. They’ve come to entertain by request of the deceased,” Johnson continued.
Cocktails are at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30 and the play to follow.
Over at the University of Lethbridge, Theatre Xtra presents Girl Talk, a devised theatre production celebrating the female experience in 2019 and exploring the strength when young women support each other. It runs in the David Spinks Theatre Oct. 24-26 at 7 p.m. and at 2 p.m. matinee, Oct. 26. Tickets are $12 adults, $10 Seniors, $8 students and $10 for alumni.
—By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
