Charlene Arsenault
October is a month that knows exactly what it wants to be. Unlike September, which can’t decide whether it’s summer, fall or pumpkin-spice season, October arrives with a plan: Turn the leaves, darken the evenings, put something vaguely spooky on every available surface and give grown adults permission to leave the house dressed like a pile of poo or a sexy zombie.
Fortunately, Central Massachusetts is playing along. October’s entertainment calendar starts with disco, veers almost immediately into horror, makes room for jazz, Irish and Italian celebrations, comedy, classic rock, blues and animal welfare, then spends the final week barreling toward Halloween with Insane Clown Posse, metalcore and enough costume parties to ensure that Saturday, Oct. 31, won’t be a quiet night.
First, though, ah, ha, ha, ha — stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive.
Stayin’ Alive, billed as the world’s No. 1 Bee Gees tribute, brings the falsettos, white suits and disco fever to The Hanover Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1. Expect the obvious dance-floor staples — “Night Fever,” “Jive Talkin’,” “You Should Be Dancing” and, yes, “Stayin’ Alive” — alongside ballads including “Massachusetts,” “Words” and “To Love Somebody.” Tickets range from $40 to $80.
Things get considerably scarier Friday, Oct. 2, when Silver Scream Con V begins a three-day takeover of the DCU Center. Created by Ice Nine Kills frontman and unabashed horror fanatic Spencer Charnas, the fifth annual convention brings together a rather alarming collection of people you probably wouldn’t want answering your door after dark. Linda Blair of “The Exorcist,” David Arquette of “Scream,” Malcolm McDowell, Juliette Lewis, “Terrifier” star David Howard Thornton and “Saw” actress Shawnee Smith are among the guests, alongside performers who have donned the Ghostface mask and enough other horror veterans to keep autograph and photo-op lines appropriately creepy.
The Oct. 2-4 convention also brings some comic relief, with the Broken Lizard gang behind “Super Troopers,” Steve-O, Nick Swardson and others joining the festivities. Ice Nine Kills, Twiztid and Millington play a sold-out Palladium show Saturday night, but single-day and weekend passes for the convention itself remain available.
If fake blood and masked killers aren’t quite your lunchtime vibe, WICN Public Radio offers a decidedly mellower alternative Oct. 2. Berklee student and trumpeter Noah Allen performs at noon from WICN’s Studio 50 as part of the station’s Emerging Artist Series, showcasing up-and-coming jazz musicians live on 90.5 FM and online.
Saturday, Oct. 3, requires some choices. The Worcester Irish Cultural Festival takes over Polar Park beginning at 11:30 a.m., mixing live Irish music — including The Pour Boys — with Gaelic football, hurling, dancing, food, vendors and family activities.
Or head south to Indian Ranch in Webster, where .38 Special is still rockin’ into the night — albeit beginning at 1 in the afternoon. The Southern rock veterans behind “Hold On Loosely,” “Caught Up in You” and “Second Chance” hit the amphitheater with special guest Tim Charron. Doors open at 11:30 a.m., leaving plenty of time to hold on loosely to something cold before the show starts.
Later, Hotel Vernon embraces the October spirit in a decidedly different way when Mistakes Were Made presents “Candy & Chaos,” a free improv comedy show and jam from 7-9:30 p.m. The first half belongs to the performers; afterward, brave audience members can jump into the open improv jam themselves. No experience — or costume — required. Dignity presumably optional.
Sunday, Oct. 4, goes to the dogs. And cats. And pigs. And apparently an owl.
The 28th annual Pet Rock Festival returns to the Lancaster Fairgrounds from noon-5 p.m., bringing together more than 150 rescue groups and animal welfare organizations for New England’s largest animal welfare festival. Live music is headlined by Decades by DeZyne, with The Black Souls, The Dirty Genes and Solmere also taking the stage. Elsewhere on the grounds, Pups in the Air disc dogs fly, police K9s demonstrate their skills, humans attempt Pig Yoga, Blue the Owl represents Raptor Tales Rescue, and adoptable animals take center stage in the Rescue Groups and Shelters Pet Parade.
The festival also features the Juno Hero Awards, dog contests, a cat photo contest, sanctuary animals, vendors, family activities and vegetarian food. Admission is $15 for adults and $5 for children 12 and younger, with proceeds supporting animal welfare organizations and causes throughout New England.
The following weekend brings laughs and throwback rock. On Saturday, Oct. 10, longtime party band Alter Ego cranks through the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s at Rascals, with doors at 7 p.m. and music at 8. Admission is $10 for the 21-plus show. Meanwhile, Ham It Up Comedy takes over Penny Pinchers Brewing Company in Millbury from 8-10 p.m., pairing stand-up with whatever happens when an audience has access to craft beer during stand-up.
Sunday, Oct. 11, brings the annual Italian Heritage Parade to Shrewsbury Street, stepping off at noon. A vendor fair runs from 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at East Park with food trucks, music and children’s activities, while restaurants, clubs and bars up and down the street traditionally keep the celebration going with live music during and after the parade. Come hungry. This is Shrewsbury Street, after all.
By Friday, Oct. 16, it’s time to go your own way. Tusk brings the music of Fleetwood Mac to The Hanover Theatre at 7:30 p.m. The five founding members have been playing together in various configurations for decades, long enough to develop the sort of musical chemistry required to tackle a catalog that includes some of rock’s most recognizable songs. Tickets range from $44 to $74.
A week later, Friday, Oct. 23, Worcester music veteran Mitch Chakour settles into WCUW’s FrontRoom for what should be a particularly potent night of local music history. Chakour is joined by Cliff Goodwin, Deric Dyer, Marty Richards and Wolf Ginandes — five musicians whose collective résumés include work with the likes of Joe Cocker and Tina Turner. The intimate show starts at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6:15.
The FrontRoom, incidentally, is quietly becoming one of Main Street’s more interesting stops for live original music, bouncing among blues, jazz, R&B, folk and world music rather than sticking to a single lane.
If your Friday-night requirements lean more toward Journey, Boston, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon and the Eagles, 2Pieces Acoustic is down the road at Boland’s from 9 p.m.-midnight, reducing some of the biggest rock anthems of the ’70s and ’80s to one guitar, two voices and, presumably, considerably less equipment to haul out at closing time.
Then things start getting weird.
Insane Clown Posse returns to The Palladium at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, bringing the face paint, theatrical mayhem and devoted Juggalos that have made the Detroit duo one of the more improbable enduring acts in American music. If you’ve ever wondered what an ICP show looks like from inside the chaos, here’s your chance. Maybe don’t wear anything you particularly treasure.
And by Friday, Oct. 30, we’re officially in Halloween weekend.
Motionless in White kicks off its Sweat and Blood Tour at the DCU Center at 6:30 p.m., joined by Dayseeker, The Devil Wears Prada and Dark Divine. The Pennsylvania band brings its mix of metalcore, gothic theatrics and massive hooks to Worcester one night before the calendar itself finally catches up with the month’s mood.
Because this year Halloween falls on a Saturday.
Even people who normally greet Halloween with all the enthusiasm of someone answering the door for the 47th group of trick-or-treaters may feel compelled to go out Oct. 31, and there will be no shortage of places to do it.
At WCUW’s FrontRoom, DJ The Drifter hosts a Halloween costume party with dance music, prizes and electronic ambient music from Curtis Emery. Doors open at 6 p.m., admission is $15, and attendees are encouraged to let their freak flags fly — which, on Halloween night, seems less like an invitation than a civic obligation.
Meanwhile, Live Bullet brings the music of Bob Seger to Halligan’s in Auburn for a Halloween party complete with costumes and prizes. Expect plenty of Seger favorites and other classic-rock staples from the same neighborhood.
And there you have it: disco to Juggalos, Bee Gees to Bob Seger, Irish football to improv comedy, Fleetwood Mac to flying dogs.
October understood the assignment.