After struggling through the unseasonably blazing hot weather a week or two ago, we’ve officially entered “spooky season.”
For many, this is their favorite time of year, with myriad haunted houses, cemetery walks, seances and celebrations creeping up all over Sonoma County.
One such scary event (depending on what one is into) is “Halloweird,” an annual cabaret by-way-of-burlesque show featuring all sorts of wonderfully weird performances, all gathered together at the Mystic Theatre in Petaluma at 7pm, Halloween night, Thursday, Oct. 31, by North Bay Cabaret producer Jake Ward.
Ward puts on several local shows throughout the year. His Halloween show started back in 2013 at the Arlene Francis Center in Santa Rosa, where there was a variety show called “All Hallows Eve.” From there, it moved around and has outlasted most of the venues where it was staged, including Santa Rosa’s Annie O’s and House of Rock. It later landed at Whiskey Tip (also RIP), where it was rebranded as “Halloweird.” This year’s event marks the second year in a row at the Mystic, and Ward is excited, to put it mildly.
When asked about people perhaps dragging their feet in terms of getting out of the house for an adult-only (i.e., 21 and up) event on a work night, Ward exclaimed, “You can sleep when you’re dead!” He then mentioned the early start time before leading into some new acts that he’s really thrilled to present to the crowd.
“This year’s lineup has the most first-time performers we’ve had in several years, and I’m really excited about it,” said Ward. “After seeing Erica Ambrin perform at the Railroad Square Music Festival, I knew she had to be part of Halloweird. Our DJ, Dyops, also recommended a few new faces, including drag artist The Dragon King and local musician/dancer Fleevs.”
Bohemian readers and music fans no doubt know Ambrin and her fantastic blend of hip-hop and soul. Her presence will surely settle the crowd before all the shenanigans begin. The night kicks up a notch with drag artist The Dragon King, who describes themselves as “a nonbinary drag king” and “a gender-neutral lizard” who enjoys “long walks on the beach eating gender norms as a midday snack.”
Ward said, “Other fresh talent includes pole dancer Amber Fox, circus artist Lucy Juggles and Dizzee From Earlier, a boundary-pushing performer I discovered through Jamie DeWolf’s Oakland show, The Ruckus Revival.”
Lucy Juggles is a self-described “uniquely charming one-woman comedy juggling show” that appears to be one of the tamer acts of the night. Dizzee From Earlier seems to have a low profile online, yet photos show a bikini-clad person with a mask on who looks like a cross between a pig head and a gas mask. So, we’re going to vote them into the non-tame acts, but this is up for interpretation.
“We don’t have any acts that have been with us every single year, but there are a few fan favorites that return often,” said Ward. One example is Max Madame, a circus sideshow performer who Ward stated “is always a huge hit.” A peek over at Madame’s Facebook page describes them as “Oakland’s Pussy Stunt Artist & Mad Dame of Sideshow.”
Ward also noted Roxy Mirage as a frequent collaborator at the event with her electrifying “shocklesque” performances, which “keep the audience coming back for more.” He added that the aforementioned DeWolf “is also a spoken word artist that has been with us since the very first North Bay Cabaret show 10 years ago, captivating crowds every time he hits the stage.”
Rounding out the group of newcomers to Ward’s merry band of lovable weirdos is Pauline Persichilli, who has been performing at North Bay Cabaret events since she was 18, originally as a belly dancer. Now, 10 years later, she will debut her burlesque performance under the name Charlie Bones for the first time at North Bay Cabaret.
Is it a bummer that Halloween falls midweek this year? Should there be a petition to move it to the last weekend of the month? Ward has an easier solution: “The entire month of October is Halloween, as far as I’m concerned. September, too.”
Ward again stressed that just because All Hallows Eve falls on a Thursday, “Halloweird” is in fact, an early event.
There’s no need to worry about staying out too late. This is an early show—doors open at 6pm, and the variety show runs from 7 to 9pm. “If you head out by 9pm, you’ll have gotten your money’s worth and still be in bed at a decent hour,” said Ward. This seems easy enough. But then Ward added, “That said, I highly recommend sticking around for Van Goat, our swing-punk band that will keep the energy going until 10pm.”
Attendees should feel free to let their freak flag fly, come in costume and participate in the costume contest. Other fun and games include a Freak Photo Booth, all kinds of specialty “creepy cocktails” that will warm one up to take a plunge in some on-stage party games that may push those boundaries of comfort or open up new ones. Also, lest we forget a major selling point: FREE CANDY!
Other acts include Qu’in de la Noche, the “dark siren of San Francisco,” whose resume is a lengthy and diverse one that includes appearances at Ward’s Star Wars themed burlesque shows at the Mystic, “Empire Strips Back” and “May the Fourth Be With You,” which takes place in May, ’natch. A cool new addition to the proceedings will be local artist George Utrilla Angulo in the house doing a special live painting, using what’s happening all around him (and that’s really saying something) to create a stream-of-consciousness work of art.
Ticket prices are varied, with VIP tables in the front row for two going for $200 and tables for four at $400, all right up front and including cocktail service, popcorn and “a sweet treat.” There’s a gold circle seated reserved area for $44 each, which is next closest to the stage, and the regular reserved seats at $34, with balcony seats the cheapest at $29 each.
There is indeed a subgroup of spooky, wild and edgy performers in the Bay Area, and it’s always interesting to see them gathered alongside fans, looky-loos and the curious. So it’s time to join the fun, and don’t be afraid to get weird.
The Mystic Theatre is located at 23 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma. For more details, go to mystictheatre.com.
