There is no shortage of Halloween parties to choose from Saturday, October 28 through Tuesday, October 31 in Northwest Arkansas. We compiled a list of some of our favorites featuring great music. Get your act (costume) together and meet us there!
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28 HALLOWEEN SHOWS IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
• ANDY FRASCO & THE U.N. at George’s Majestic Lounge will be the outrageous-get-down costume party of the weekend, without a doubt. Doors open at 7, show starts at 9 pm with openers Goose and Vintage Pistol (which by the way is my new favorite jam-rock band in the state – get ready to be taken by storm!).
An energetic showman who delivers a wild-eyed, fiery fusion of rock, pop, R&B, ska, and vintage soul, Frasco transitioned from the business side of music to his own place on the stage a decade ago, and he’s been relentlessly throwing contagiously crazy rock-and-roll parties around the globe ever since.
With the foundation of a huge, longtime following among the Wakarusa and Harvest Festival crowd – he considers Northwest Arkansas his “second home” – Frasco and his band have this year enjoyed another immensely successful international tour, they’ve played major festivals across the United States and internationally, and they’re a staple of the Jamcruise 2018 lineup.
Expect crowd surfing… LOL. (He’s really great at it.) Check out his video recap from this fall’s European musical adventures below.
UPDATE: Tickets were still available online for $15 as of 4 pm Saturday.
• Crystal Bridges’ Artinfusion hosts its annual Halloween in the Hollow costume art+music party in Bentonville, with live music featuring Golden Dawn Arkestra providing their other-wordly deep grooves and live art. Tickets to the extravagant event are $45 for non-members, much less for Artinfusion members, and are available online.
• The Crumbs, a talented roots/bluegrass band based in Fort Smith, is throwing a Rocky Horror Picture Show-themed Halloween pickin’ party at Core Public House in Fayetteville, starting at 7 pm.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31 HALLOWEEN SHOWS IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS
Our top pick for live music on the actual day of Halloween is Arkansauce and Town Mountain at Auditorium 51 on Mount Sequoyah in Fayetteville. All ages, limited-ticket event. Hard tickets available at Fayetteville’s Funky Yard Sale or online for $20 each; kids 15 and younger free. The event includes a pumpkin-carving contest, a costume contest, food truck offerings from Nomads; lawn chairs and blankets encouraged. Doors open at 6 pm, Arkansauce goes on at 8; Town Mountain goes on at 9:30.
[For more information about Arkansauce, check out our interview story with the Fayetteville-based progressive-bluegrass-based quartet. Below is a video from their recent Main Stage set at Hillberry Festival.]
ABOUT TOWN MOUNTAIN: Raw, soulful, and with plenty of swagger, Asheville, North Carolina-based Town Mountain has earned rave reviews for its hard-driving sound, in-house songwriting and honky-tonk edge that permeates the quintet’s exhilarating live performances.
The hearty base of Town Mountain’s music is the bluegrass triumvirate of Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt, and Earl Scruggs. But it is what the band adds to that mix that brings it all to life in exciting and moving ways, reflecting the group’s wide-ranging influences – from the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia and the ethereal lyrics of Robert Hunter, to the honest, vintage country of Willie, Waylon, and Merle.
Town Mountain released its 5th studio album, Southern Crescent, last year on LoHi Records and toured throughout the year. Since its release, the band debuted on the Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium stages. The critically acclaimed album debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart and remained for 10 weeks on the Americana Music Association’s Top 40.
OTHER MUSIC OPTIONS ON HALLOWEEN
• EDM standout Bleep Bloop headlines a Halloween show at George’s Majestic Lounge; doors open at 7 pm, with openers Um, Sumthin Sumthin, and Fayetteville-based NO.FACES. Ages 18+, tickets $18 in advance available online, music starts at 9. Check out Bleep Bloop’s music:
• Smoke & Barrel Tavern is hosting a Halloween party featuring DJ Syca, no cover, ages 21+, starts at 10 pm, costumes encouraged.
• DimeTrip is throwing a costume party at Chelsea’s in Eureka Springs starting at 9:30 pm. Cover $5. Costume contest around 11.
• Fossil Cove Brewing Co. in Fayetteville is holding a costume party featuring Vintage Pistol from 7:30 to 9:30 pm, then a costume contest, then RFRSH will provide some dance beats. Party goes from 7 to 11 pm, with food available on-site throughout the evening.
• Down in Fort Smith, Vanimal Kingdom is playing a Halloween party at Hero’s, with a cash prize costume contest. Starts at 10 pm, no cover.