This year’s KCRW Ball may have come the closest one can get to the experience of William Randolf’s famed costume parties at the Hearst Castle during the decadent 1920’s. No matter which way you looked, there was no shortage of jaw dropping transformative wonder. Attendants pulled out all the stops, whether in home made or store bought costumes, while members of the neo-Vaudvillian troupe, Lucent Dossier, frolicked about in surreal mime action (my favorite of the troupe being the “Dirty Babies” and their lascivious handling of pumpkins).

Adding to the jazz age splendor was the picture perfect venue—the Park Plaza Hotel, adjacent to Mcarthur Park. This Neo-Gothic masterpiece, built in 1925 for the Benevolent and Protective Order of Ellks, houses multiple ballrooms and an opulent, open courtyard with ivy covered walls, outfitted for the occasion with enormous mounted discs projecting live video feed of the Pollock-esque paintings being created at one end of the courtyard.

Upon entering the Ball, the game of Choose Your Own Adventure began immediately. To the right was a room hosting ghost-stories, to the left, a labyrinth of rooms with different DJs and events, and straight ahead lay the grand staircase with a gynormous lit up mask hung above its apex, adding a perfect touch to these famed steps featured in the opening scene of David Lynch’s Wild At Heart.

Musical highlights of the night include Henry Rollins’ DJ set, attracting a wall to wall crowd of enthusiastic dancers, and Mariachi El Bronx whose set turned into a Felini movie as they performed their floor stomping rhythms in full Dia de los Muertos face paint while psychedelic projections flashed behind them and hundreds of costumed couples danced.

-Vanessa Gonzalez

Get a little appetizer by listening to the bands or watching some videos.

Upon entry, you were greeted by a thick black curtain, unexpected of what fun awaits you. Once through the curtain, in front of you is a giant inflatable bounce house next to a cotton candy machine. To your right is the bar, a set-designed stage with a window display of jack-o-lanterns, and a photo booth designed by Dan Busta. Projecting across the wall and bumping through the speakers was Video DJ Drew Tube. A two band bill, Petty Crux was first up. While they were a great energetic five piece of well dressed men, they were not the main course so I didn’t pay them much, or enough mind. They were very entertaining to listen to and watch while mingling through the crowd of dressed up characters. King Kong, The Empire State Building, and an array of painted faces and masquerade masks were in full effect. About 80% of the packed crowd were in costume participation. After a couple rounds in the bouncy house, the next band, Eating Faces, took the stage, a three-piece originally from Chicago but now based in LA. Drummer Collins Schude and guitarist/singer Callin Passero create a sound which reminds me of a dark mystical Dead Weather meets Queens of The Stone Age. Schude, dressed in a Werewolf costume, plays with such tenacity on a large drum kit, it’s hard to keep count of how many pieces it is. Passero dressed as Ace Ventura Pet Detective. His operatic melodies and guitar riffs can whisk you away, while Tyler Francavilla held it down on bass and brass. The party ended with a bang—literately. At the end of the Eating Faces set it was now time for a piñata, a paper mache masterpiece resembling Dracula filled with candy and other treats that Prop 19 supporters would be pleased by. After a few party goers took some swings and busted the vampire, Drew Tube spun some bumpin’ ’90s hip hop as people left or went to the after party that took place upstairs—but that, my friends, is another review for another time. —Rebecca Balin

—Craig Stephens

Download: L.A. RECORD 2010 Halloween Mixtape Side A

Download: L.A. RECORD 2010 Halloween Mixtape Side B

Fresh from a freshly cracked crypt—the 2010 L.A. RECORD Halloween mixtape! Freak yourself out and see you at Cha Cha tomorrow! (Remember—email us your pint glass design today or bring it to the Cha Cha tomorrow!)

SIDE A
Sundays Soundtrack “The Train Song”
Luna Is Honey ft KJ Tony “P.O.P. (Sexorcism)”
The Mumlers “Coffin Factory”
Missincinatti “The Unfortunate Miss Bailey”
Spindrift “The Isle of Lost Souls” (L.A. RECORD Halloween Remix 2010)
Hexham Heads “Spider Baby”
Tijuana Panthers “Creature”
Adamandevil “Freaks” (Robert Mix)
The Blank Tapes “Halloween”
Imaad Wasif “Redeemer”
Bloody Death Skull “Bats”
Crystal Antlers “Wind”
Tommy Santee Klaws “Smoke Spells”
Kay G “Jap Scary Farm”
Chelsea Wolfe “I Died With You”
Gonjasufi “Candylane”

SIDE B
Black Casper “Halloween Candy Dub”
Little Feet Learning Center “On Halloween Night”
Dusty Rhodes & The River Band “Trouble”
Tearist “Long Cold”
Gangi “Return Of Cthulu”
Sydney Wayser “Ghost”
Family Of The Year “Cult Of Mystery”
Featherbeard “Die Tier Fressen Moovie Staars”
Carnivores “Georgia Power Company”
Future “Future’s Lament”
St. Clair Board “Eyeball”
The Sugar Frosted Light Bulbs “Ruin Me”
Undercover Bonobos “Shadow World”
The Happy Campers “Survivor’s Guilt (Sleeping Bags)”
Baxter House “Dorothy’s Pink Tornado”
Eagle Winged Palace “Mansion On The Hill”
Cat Tracks “Fiddler’s Blues”
Soul Shoes “The Reagan Room”
Batwings Catwings “Witch’s Brew”
Gift Horse “October House”
Ecce “Paper of Thieves”

Here’s a little taste of all the bands that will be performing tonight at the Echoplex for The New Los Angeles Folk Festival’s MURDER BALLADS Halloween bonanza. Arrive at 8 pm tonight so you don’t miss anything. These bands will each perform a couple classic murder ballads in celebration of dark tradition.

Frank Fairfield “Nine Pound Hammer”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lefJBwJhQ6E

Simon Stokes
“Big City Blues”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2H5dWqEkEk

Boy Scout Jamboree (Spindrift acoustic)
“Conversations With A Gun” from The Legend Of God’s Gun

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WYBgd59Wbw

Triple Chicken Foot
Triple Chicken Foot live

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFNkmyrGJtM

Vaud & The Villains
“John Henry” live

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfwD2UvmNJM

Amanda Jo Williams, Horse Thieves, and Olentangy John will perform as one band.

Amanda Jo Williams
“Sick & Dying” live featuring Feather’s grandma

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDpnBUMfsYs

Horse Thieves
Live at Echo Country Outpost

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkLaSmOYFYI

Olentangy John
“Oh! Be Joyful!”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqxaYTkS92w

Driftwood Singers
“Sweetly & Softly” live

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aok69PuBYa0

Julia Holter
“Fur Felix”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UShDUaoJ9Lc

RT N’ The 44’s
“Long Gone” live at Echo Country Outpost

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey1cElnK3W8

Emily Lacy & Henry Wolfe will do a song together. Emily will also perform a song with Julia Holter.

Emily Lacy
live at LACMA

www.youtube.com/watch?v=__2OKBvJbfQ

Henry Wolfe
live at Echo Country Outpost

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WnoVoQnSws

and special guest Tommy Santee Klaws
“Dead Leaves & Bumblebees” live at Echo Country Outpost

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzPiZF8KOaw

The lineup for the Murder Ballads event organized by LA RECORD’s Daiana Feuer and James Cartwright (aka The New Los Angeles Folk Festival) has been announced.

Taking the stage on Oct 26 with their renditions of old murder ballads will be: Frank Fairfield, Simon Stokes, Boy Scout Jamboree (Spindrift acoustic), Vaud & The Villains, Amanda Jo Williams with Olentangy John and Horse Thieves, Triple Chicken Foot, Driftwood Singers, RT N’ The 44‘s, Julia Holter, Emily Lacy and Henry Wolfe

October 26, 2010, 8:00pm, $8. 
Echoplex
, 1154 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026, (213) 413-820o. http://www.attheecho.com

Frank Fairfield
video: “Nine Pound Hammer”

Simon Stokes
video: “Big City Blues”

Boy Scout Jamboree (Spindrift acoustic)
video: “Conversations With A Gun” from The Legend Of God’s Gun

Triple Chicken Foot
video: Triple Chicken Foot live

Vaud & The Villains
video: “John Henry” live

Amanda Jo Williams with Olentangy John and Horse Thieves supergroup:
Amanda Jo Williams
video: “Sick & Dying” live featuring Feather’s grandma
Horse Thieves
video: Live at Echo Country Outpost
Olentangy John
video: “Oh! Be Joyful!”

Driftwood Singers
video: “Sweetly & Softly” live

Julia Holter
video: “Fur Felix”

RT N’ The 44’s
video: “Long Gone” live at Echo Country Outpost

Emily Lacy & Henry Wolfe
Emily Lacy & Henry Wolfe will do a song together. Emily will also perform a song with friend Julia Holter.
Emily Lacy
video: “Poison” live at the Hobby Shop
Henry Wolfe
video: “Someone Else”

And on Oct 23, they’re doing a free pre-show at Stories with Tommy Santee Klaws and Happy Campers in 3D (Hi Ho Silver Ohs doing Friday the 13th songs). Free beer. 7:30pm, Free beer. Stories, 1716 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026, (213) 413-3733

Peter Mehlman’s white hair stands on edge but he seems laid back enough to handle the curious crowd kneeling on his rug. They are behaving. If you run into these people the following night—Halloween Saturday—like I did, you encounter a wholly different creature letting it all hang out, runny make up, doing spontaneous splits on concrete.

photos courtesy of Post-Fact

In order to raise money for the next run of their play, New, Post-Fact Productions—Rachel Kolar & Lauren Brown—convinced Mehlman (Seinfeld writer/producer) to host a masquerade gala at his house. Gala doesn’t really describe the living room cocktail concert vibe. It was a casual and polite affair aside from a few rowdy adults and a topless one-man dance party wearing shiny leggings called Oliver. The performances hit intimate and quirky heights. An abstract movement piece by girls wearing underwear and black lipstick aroused the audience—I remember it now red-lit, the girls panting like dinosaurs or humans bursting from alien pods. That may be a false memory but I do recall voyeuristic attraction to their aggressive body movements. Amanda Jo Williams got the audience bobbing, corrupting their minds with sunshine and frogs. Heel-toe stomping followed He’s My Brother She’s My Sister’s jubilant clap. Ana Calderon spun favorites during wine chatter, and though Peter Mehlman reading a short story was neat, the biggest treat wore a Medusa mask and could seduce both mortals and gods using angelic persuasions—Henry Wolfe Gummer. Lights off. A tree rustled outside the floor-to-ceiling window and Gummer sat on the wall-less edge of a floating dining room. The way he kissed his D’s and crossed his T’s reminded me more of Mia Doi Todd than Jeff Buckley—but the latter when I found myself romanticizing my weaknesses. Of course fire crackled near his swinging feet.

—Daiana Feuer