You may still be struggling to come up with the perfect Halloween costume, but now is the time to decide how you will celebrate the actual holiday. The Ottobar's weekend-long Halloween Party starts off with a special concert by the band Rasputina on Saturday, Oct. 30. This mystical cello ensemble has chilling vocals that might just be the perfect formula to jump start your All Hallow's Eve. The party continues with another special Halloween Night concert on Sunday. A group of local bands is getting together to perform covers of what Ottobar manager Craig Boarman dubs "scary songs." These horrifying numbers include music from Joy Division, The Misfits, Christian Death, Samhain (a group whose name is the traditional Celtic word for Halloween), Bauhaus and other popular bands.
Rasputina, now on their official Halloween Tour, is a unique coalition of cellists who joined together in 1992 with the hopes of popularizing the cello in areas other than classical music. Melora Creager, the founder and only remaining original member of the group, has since provided all the lyrics and vocals for the bands. Creager has been playing the cello since she was 9 and Zoe Keating, who joined the group in 2002, has composed her own cello pieces, some of which have made it into films.
The band's sound is fluid and melodic, occasionally broken up by the loud scratching on the instrument's low low notes. A drummer provides the beat, which varies from heavy to light depending on the song, while Creager's rhythmic singing rings with a supernatural quality perfect for the Night of the Dead. Rasputina's penchant for the metaphysical landed their song "Transylvanian Concubine" onto the Buffy the Vampire Slayer soundtrack and their lyrical topics include the resurrection of a doll in the song "Gingerbread Coffin."Rasputina's preference for Victorian clothing means they will undoubtedly be putting a lot of effort into a special Halloween appearance. Even the name Rasputina is ominous as it references the Mad Monk Rasputin who precipitated the fall of the Romanov dynasty and had to be mysteriously murdered more than once before he finally died. The end result is dark and foreboding music coupled with mysterious lyrics perfect for the Halloween atmosphere.
There are over five local bands performing Halloween night. They include Triac, Battersea, Never Enough, and Facist Fascist. All the bands will be performing "scary" covers of famous songs. The audience will also be treated to the Misfits cover band, Ax Wound, who perform their music in a bluegrass-style.
There is no need to worry about having a costume for any of the Ottobar's Halloween events. The crowd at last year's party was a mix of people who dressed up and those who decided to forgo the tradition. The venue is expected to have a full house on Saturday while the crowd on Sunday is expected to reach about 100 people.
