It's not October yet, but everything is going to the dark side this weekend. Friday falls on the 13th and it's got everyone in the mood for the macabre. Get ready for a witchy weekend with three weekend-long fests that all sound like a lot of fun, and I'm getting exhausted just thinking about it all. It's not in this Budgeter's budget, but there's also a vampire-themed convention called A Midsummer Nightmare going on throughout the weekend. You can learn more about it on nolamidsummernightmare.com.
Creepy Fest begins Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. at the Big Top on Clio Street with a double feature screening of the local horror flicks Goregasm and Zombie v. Mardi Gras. After the films the surf punk band The Unnaturals will perform, and there will be more surprises. This show is $5. And it moves down in the Bywater to Saturn Bar on St. Claude Avenue on Thursday night at 10 p.m. with such bands as Crotchbreaker and A Hanging again for $5 at the door.
To start off Friday night, the Krewe of the Living Dead is organizing a Friday the 13th Zombie Crawl through the Quarter and Marigny at 8:30 p.m. The crawl is free and participants should meet at the corner of Decatur and Esplanade before the crawl. Please dress to impress…or scare. When the crawl ends, you'll already have the perfect outfit to catch Creepy Fest at Checkpoint Charlie's at 10 p.m. with The Pallbearers, Dummy Dumpster, and more or see punk band Choke and Sheeple at Blue Nile upstairs at 10 p.m. And if that isn't enough entertainment packed into the Marigny, Dragon's Den will have Fat Camp, Dixie Witch, and more playing at 10 p.m. Across the Quarter is the Southern Gothic Festival at Howlin' Wolf. The cover is $20, but that price includes the ticket for their event the next night.
Saturday night, Creepy Fest takes over not one, but two clubs. Siberia and Hi Ho Lounge co-host a plethora of hardcore bands including Electric Frankenstein, Toxic Rott, Hawgjaw at 10 p.m. for $10 bucks for both venues. Go back to the Big Top on Clio to catch the Goth Fest.
If you've made it to Sunday in one piece, you can start your night with Mountain of Wizard performing at Eyecandy Tattoo on Magazine Street at 3 p.m. Close out Creepy Fest at Circle Bar with Fat Stupid Ugly People and Classhole at 10 p.m. for $5. If you've had your fill of music, you can watch the freaks and geeks at the Hellzapoppin' Side show at Siberia at 10 p.m. for $8.