Lina LecaroWhether you're looking for sexy soirees (and the half-naked costumes that go with them), elaborate and eerie environments or macabre musical mayhem, Los Angeles has the killer party for you this Halloween. We'd argue that when it comes to going out, no city in the world does dress-up, drink and dance happenings bigger or better this time of year.
The scariest part is — you actually have to choose! Here, a spine-tingling selection to haunt you for the next two weeks.
Maxim Halloween
Elaborate sets and production design with graveyards, haunted vignettes, scare actors and spooky lighting and music provide a backdrop for this Hollywood bash that typically attracts one of L.A.’s sexiest costumed crowds. R&B star Jason Derulo headlines and DJ sets by DJ Drew, Pravin Shaw, Eva Kane and DJ KJ keep the dance hits flowing. Special guests Purple Reign, Adam Selina and The Black Tape Project. Celebrity guests should be haunting the blood-red carpet here all night. Los Angeles Center Studios, 450 S. Bixel St., downtown; Sat., Oct. 21, 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; 21+; $500 and up. Tickets and more info.
A terrorific Tiki party goes down Sunday at Tonga Hut.; Credit: Mo Herms
Monsters & Mai-Tais
Tiki meets terror at the sixth annual ghoulish guzzler in one of L.A.'s oldest tiki bars. Vampy vendor parking-lot sale and art show begins at 2 p.m., with tunes outside provided by DJ Tonga Tom. Jason Lee & The Black Tides play in the bar after dark. Tacos and tiki drinks on the menacing menu all night. Costume contest with prizes sure to yield some horrific hula girls and creepy island creatures. Tonga Hut, 12808 Victory Blvd., North Hollywood; Sun., Oct. 22, 2-10 p.m.; 21+; free. More info.
Heaven & Hell
Angels, devils and everything in between take over three Hollywood nightclubs for an evening of sin and socializing. In its 23rd year, H&H attracts adult film stars and enthusiasts for a debauched evening for dress-up and dancing. Open-format electronic dance music featured in the heavenly big room at Project, with hellish hedonism and mixed dance sounds at the Study and VIP peepin’ at Beetle House, the Tim Burton–themed bar. Ron Jeremy and a bevy of porn peeps host. Enter at Project, 6356 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. Fri., Oct. 27, 9 p.m.-3 a.m.; 21+; $35 and up. More info, tickets and tables.
Haunted Hollywood
Sexy and scary getups galore will descend upon Cinematic Pictures Gallery for this fancy freak-fest, full of icons, ghosts, goblins and blood suckers haunting into the witching hour. At this Ivy Plus Society–hosted soiree, ticket price includes a premium open bar, DJ, small bites and a “scandalous” costume contest. Cinematic Pictures, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. Fri., Oct. 27, 8 p.m.-mid.; 21+; $65 and up. Tickets and more info.
Boardner’s haunted decor at Blue Mondays; Credit: Courtesy Blue Mondays
Evil Club Empire Events
ECE live for Halloween and they’ve got five fearsome events for the retro crowd this year, starting Friday night:Friday, Oct. 27, it’s Y2K’s Halloween Party featuring music and costume fun from 2000 to 2007. DJs Bruce Perdew, Jason Lavitt and Bip Jeffington spin flashback webs. Los Globos, 3040 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake; 9 p.m.; 18+; $7 before 10 p.m. with RSVP; $12 all night. More info.
Saturday, Oct. 28, Club ’90s and Club Y2K team up to present the BOO-yoncé Costume Party, a Queen Bey–themed costumed dance party featuring the music of Beyoncé, Destiny's Child and more throwback, ’90s and early-2000s hip-hop and R&B. Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Blvd., Echo Park; 9 p.m.-2 a.m.; $5 before 10 p.m. with RSVP. More info.
Monday, Oct. 30: Blue Mondays’ Nightmare Before Halloween Party gives you all ’80s in the main room and old-school hip-hop on the patio. Dress up and get down. Boardner's, 1652 Cherokee Ave. Hollywood. 9 p.m. 18+. Facebook.com/BlueMondaysPage.
Tuesday, Oct. 31: Club ’90s Halloween Night Party takes up all three rooms at Los Globos, with ’90s in the main room, old-school hip-hop upstairs and Latin music in the Red Room. Los Globos, 3040 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake; 9 p.m.; 18+; $10. More info.
Tuesday, Oct. 31: Blue Mondays bewitches for an extra night, offering a special terrorizing Tuesday, Blue Halloween Bash, serving up more ’80s in the main room and a multidecade mashup of ECE parties on the patio. Boardner’s, 1652 Cherokee Ave. Hollywood; 9 p.m.; 18+; $6 with RSVP before 10 p.m.; $10 all night. More info.
A Night at the Haunted Mansion
William Reed and CVLTVRE magazine present his spooky shindig at Pour Vous with DJs, (mandatory) costumes and thematic decor. Booze and bites served all night. Pour Vous, 5574 Melrose Ave., Hollywood; Fri., Oct. 27, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.; 21+; free with RSVP at ANATHM.com.
Release the Bats
The drive might be scary long from L.A. proper, but dark souls will want to honor one of the West Coast's longest-running goth clubs for Halloween. Celebrating its 19th anniversary, the batty dance bash offers DJs Dave Bats, Gabe Reanimator and Dave Grave revisiting 19 years of RtB set lists all night. Expect goth, deathrock, post-punk, alternative, industrial, darkwave and garage. Special live performance by The Wraith. Costumes encouraged or just dress to depress and express death. Que Sera, 1923 E. Seventh St., Long Beach; Fri., Oct. 27, 9 p.m.; 21+; $5. More info.
Club Banshee's Night Horrors at Medusa Lounge; Credit: Chaza Gold Photo for Club Banshee
Night Horrors
RedHotGear.Com and Club Banshee return to Medusa Lounge with a vengeance for their seventh annual Night Horrors costume blowout. The Blackouts (’80s post-punk covers), Killer Wolves (featuring ex-members of The Generators) and Cheap Tissue (garage and punk) plus DJs all night including Kevin Preston (Prima Donna), Scarlett Casanova (Hang the DJs), Victor Diablo, Apollo Star and yours truly spinning dirty horror rock, indie, electro dance, glam, deathrock, ’80s new wave, funky stuff and more. Costume contest, drink specials, creepy visuals and more. Medusa Lounge, 3211 Beverly Blvd., Westlake; Sat., Oct. 28, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.; 21+; $12. More info.
Minimal Effort All Hallow's Eve
One of L.A.'s biggest and best underground dance parties returns with a brand-new location and its usual lineup of top-tier house and techno DJs. This year's talent includes Claptone (presenting the L.A. debut of his elaborate live show, The Masquerade), MK, Damian Lazarus, Dusky, Brodinski, Lee Burridge, Anime Edge & Dance, Behrouz, Eagles & Butterflies, Human Resources, Adam Auburn, Bones and Matt Ossentjuk. Enox Events, 4560 Worth St., East L.A.; Sat., Oct. 28, 6 p.m.-2 a.m.; 21+; $79 and up. More info at minimaleffort.net.
KCRW Masquerade Ball; Credit: Lina Lecaro
KCRW Masquerade Ball
The radio fave Masquerade Ball returns after a three-year absence with its biggie boo-gie night to MacArthur Park, with a mess of the station's DJs and live acts including The Black Madonna, Matthew Dear, Moon Boots, Tensnake, Gemini Rising and Yolanda Be Cool. Interactive performance by Lucha VaVoom, Lucent Dossier Experience, Axon Orchestra and Les Petites Bonbons. Five fiendish ballrooms to get lost and possessed in. Masks or crazy costumes are a must. The MacArthur (formerly the Park Plaza), 607 S. Park View St., MacArthur Park; Sat., Oct. 28, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.; 21+; $125. More info.
Beastly Ball at the Theatre at Ace Hotel
Is downtown's Ace Hotel haunted? It will be for this audacious affair. The annual Halloween beast feast features DJs, drinks and dark arts. “Dweller-of-the-night” attire encouraged. Theatre at Ace Hotel, 929 S. Broadway, downtown; Sat., Oct. 28, 10:30 p.m.-1 a.m.; 21+; $25 advance, $35 door. More info.
Boulet Brothers Halloween Ball
The Boulet Brothers' mega-soiree is sure to be the ultimate in drag rags and extreme, elaborate costumery. The extravaganza will have an appearance by the queen herself — Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Three levels of DJs, dance floors, interactive horror mazes, demonic puppet theater, carnival games, dancers and themed rooms. Mistresses of Ceremony the Boulet Brothers host and there will be tons of creepy co-conspirators onstage, including The Glamcocks, The House of Avalon, Meatball & Pinche, Stefano Rosso, Rasputin’s Marionettes and the entire cast of season two of the Brothers’ Dragula drag competition TV show. DJs Mateo Segade and Barbeau spin electro debauchery all night. Globe Theatre, 740 S. Broadway, downtown; Sat., Oct. 28, 9 p.m.-3 a.m.; 21+; $30 and up. More info.
Vampiric couple at Bar Sinister; Credit: Courtesy Bar Sinister
Bar Sinister's Ghostly Halloween Ball
Spirit in the Room and Suicide Queen perform live in the haunted courtyard at Hollywood's favorite dark dress goth-o-rama, Bar Sinister. As always, deathly denizens will descend upon the dance floor for the club's formidable DJ lineup: Tommy, Jeremy Dawson, John C., Amanda and Rocky inside. Freaky fetish performances take place upstairs. Host Kent Kaliber guides the experience while the club's famous go-go ghouls seduce you over to the dark side. The club will be fully decked out with nightmarish decadence by Tim Sinn and Cat DeCuir. Boardner's, 1652 N. Cherokee Ave., Hollywood; Sat., Oct. 28, 10 p.m.-3:30 a.m.; 21+; $20 and up. More info.
Labyrinth Screening and Masquerade Ball
A screening and party inspired by the film Labyrinth in a downtown movie palace sounds like a magical way to spend Halloween, does it not? Watch David Bowie in his enchanting role as Jareth the Goblin King, then meander the theater filled with delights including magic shows, live music, full bars, photo booth, complimentary bubbly and more. Presented by Cinespia. Costume required for entry. Los Angeles Theatre, 615 S. Broadway, downtown; Sat., Oct. 28, 7 p.m.; 21+; doors 7 p.m, screening 9 p.m. More info.
Rise of the Wraiths
DJ Skent brings you “sounds of the darkness” at this immersive, theatrical ghost ball filled with ghostly creatures and artful environments. Sir Fin and Sasori Michi in a rare display of the Japanese bondage art kinbaku and many more performers possessed by All Hallows' Eve await. Sacrilege DTLA, 215 W. Sixth St., downtown; Sun., Oct. 29, 9 p.m.; 21+; $60 includes open bar. More info.
Fiendish friends forever at Club ’90s; Credit: Courtesy Club 90s
Dead Prom
You might get lucky with your date or die with ’em, or both, at this high school ghoul gathering. The ’80s-themed haunted dance features Loud as Funk performing live, plus DJs spinning ’80s hits, prize for prom king and queen in best costume, free candy, photo booth and drink specials. Los Globos, 3040 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake; Mon., Oct. 30, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.; 21+; free with RSVP. More info.
Lethal Amounts’ Disobey: Anton LaVey Exhibit
Celebrating the life of Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey, Lethal Amounts marks his death 20 years ago (Oct. 31, 1997) at a space that was known as Rudolph Valentino's speakeasy during the Prohibition years. This opening-night event for an exhibit of LaVey's original art and items on loan from fans and collectors around the world will feature appearances by Kenneth Anger, Steven Leyba and Coop. Music from DJ Howie Pyro and DJ Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio, Blink-182). Black Rabbit Rose, 1719 N. Hudson Ave., Hollywood; Tue., Oct. 31, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.; 21+; $50. More info.
HEX Halloween 2017
LADEAD and Evil Club Empire join forces for their 12th annual Halloween night “darkside massive” event, featuring three levels of dark, danceable sounds. Daniel Graves, Xian Vox and Daemon bring industrial, EBM, electro and more to the grand ballroom; Eser, Jason Farber, Dark Chrystal and Virtigo spin darkwave, goth, post-punk and dark ’80s in the basement; and Shane Dingbat, Krieg Knight and Steven Rivera feature deathrock, punk and goth rock on the patio. With ghoulish go-go dancers, haunted visuals, an absinthe bar, two smoking patios, a scare room and a VIP speakeasy, this one promises to be a fiendish feast for the senses. Costumes required. Globe Theatre, 740 S. Broadway, downtown; Tue., Oct. 31, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.; 21+; $15 and up. More info.
Monster Hop
Cretin Hop and Green Slime present a grindingly groovy fright night of local bands dressing up as your favorite long-gone heroes of punk, psych-rock and heavy metal. The Creation Factory appear as The Music Machine, C.G. Roxanne and the Nightmares as The Dead Boys, Los Sweepers as Los Saicos and members of L'Aura Moiré, OGOD (Over-Gain Optimal Death) and Babylon as Motörhead. DJs from Green Slime and Cretin Hop all night. Rockin' costume contest. Moroccan Lounge, 901 E. First St., downtown; Tue., Oct. 31, 8 p.m.-2 a.m. More info.
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