Candlelight Halloween: A Haunted Evening of Classical Compositions

Tomorrow night, Mrs. Highbury and I will be doing something a little bit different than our usual run up to Halloween.

Purely on dumb luck, I stumbled upon an event that was being advertised in a Facebook ad...

Candlelight Halloween: A Haunted Evening of Classical Compositions. The title and image immediately caught my eye, so I clicked to see what it was about.

From the Fever Event Facebook page:

A performance of some haunted classical music like you’ve never seen before. Fever's Candlelight is an intimate performance set in a historical building that is almost as stunning as the pieces you’ll hear. Savor the music in a uniquely romantic atmosphere created by flickering candlelight and the other classical music lovers. You'll be hearing some selections from the best known composers in history - discover new music and classics that everyone loves in the most magical setting!

• An intimate ambience in a beautiful venue bathed in candlelight
• A talented string quartet performing a mix of classical and modern spooky pieces
• The unique setting of The Cleveland History Center
• A safe, comfortable and socially-distanced event

My wife and I agreed that this would be an amazing experience, so we grabbed tickets to the Cleveland event not long before it sold out (similar events are hosted in cities across the country). We really lucked out! I can't wait to take a day off of the usual and immerse myself into some classics for a night.

 

Working Class Brewery - Grave Digger Pumpkin Ale

One week into October and still no Drunken Jackos pumpkin beer reviews!? What's going on here??

Okay, so one of the long-standing October traditions at Highbury Cemetery is getting out to the local grocery stores, perusing the beer aisles for new and interesting seasonal pumpkin beers, and then bringing them home to face our dreaded Drunken Jackos pumpkin beer rating scale. VERY scientific reviews for all our fellow pumpkin beer fans...

On a recent trip to a local store's beer aisle, I came upon Working Class Brewery's Grave Digger Pumpkin Ale from Cleveland, Ohio. I had never heard of this brewery before, and seeing as they were local, I dropped a six pack in the cart. An absolutely killer label helped seal the deal on this one!

Upon popping the top, I was greeted with a nice, subtle, slightly earthy spice scent. The beer poured smooth with a rich copper color topped with a thick foam head.

It had an unexpectedly creamy and smooth flavor with a nice pumpkin note, finishing with a slightly dry, spicy aftertaste.

Overall, this beer was wonderfully balanced, especially when compared to other pumpkin ales that I have tried. That balance, along with the creamy, smooth flavor make this a standout beer. If you are outside of the immediate Northeast Ohio area, you will probably have difficulty finding it, but is definitely worth seeking out.

Working Class Brewery's Grave Digger Pumpkin Ale scores a 4 out of 5 Drunken Jackos.

  

Market Garden Brewery - Franklin Castle Pumpkin Spice Ale

We're just getting started in the October season, but the annual, ever-increasing selections of pumpkin-flavored beers have been on the local grocery shelves for months already.

I'm actually a big fan of all things pumpkin beer, and a few years ago I came up with an idea to rate them all. Starting in October, I'd grab a different beer from the local grocery store shelf, bring it home, pop the top and see how it stacked up.

Thus, the HIGHLY scientific Drunken Jackos Rating Scale was born! Give a quick review of the beer, then give it a rating based on a 1-to-5 Drunken Jackos scale. Simple!

Today, I'm starting with a beer brewed right up the road from me in Cleveland, Ohio. Market Garden Brewery's "Franklin Castle Pumpkin Spice Ale" is a big hit for a few reasons.

First, being a lifelong Cleveland guy, I'm happy they named it after Franklin Castle, the legendary Victorian home reported to be one of the most haunted in Ohio. But winks to the city's haunted history aside, I wanted to pop the top on this one and rate it!

Upon first pour, I was met with a nice sweet, earthy spice note. Not overpowering, yet quite fragrant. It poured a nice rich, dark copper with just a slight foam head.

The beer had a crisp, smooth, sweet cinnamon spice flavor up front, followed by a surprising and different hint of vanilla. The sweetness gave way to a nice smooth, dry caramel aftertaste to round it all out.

I made quick work of this one, and I was really quite impressed. That little hint of vanilla was really quite unexpected, but made for a unique take on the pumpkin ale field. And because of that, Market Garden Brewery's Franklin Castle Pumpkin Spice Ale scores 4 out of 5 Drunken Jackos.

This is a really great beer to start the season off. Smooth and flavorful, and easily drinkable.

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**And as an added bonus, I see that TONIGHT, October 3rd, Market Garden Brewery is holding their 8th Annual Pumpkin Beer Festival!!

From their event page:

Franklin Castle Pumpkin Spice Ale, Franklin Castle aged in rye whiskey barrels--CO2 and on nitro, Pumpkin Giant, and Franklin Castle poured from a pumpkin.

We'll also have a dozen guest pumpkin beers and ciders to round out the offerings.

We will be highlighting a special pumpernickel rye pretzel and sweet potato pie, as well as other fun seasonal dishes.

Corn hole, giant jenga and pumpkin painting will also be available...

Wow, that sound pretty cool!! If you're anywhere near the Cleveland area, it might be worth checking out. Unfortunately, I'm booked solid already so I'll be drinking my Franklin Castle from the couch...

  

Subtype Zero - "Inhumane"

I've been meaning to post this one for a while now. Local Cleveland band Subtype Zero is absolutely killing it with that "'86 Slayer" classic thrash sound. I picked up their first LP when it was released and it is killer all the way through. This is a band that I'm definitely going to check out live!

Meeting Tom Atkins at Cinema Wasteland

This past weekend, I headed up to the biannual Cleveland Cinema Wasteland horror convention where one of the featured guests was none other than legendary horror actor, Tom Atkins.

Atkins, who starred in such horror classics as The Fog, Escape From New York, Night of the Creeps, Creepshow, and most famously, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, had his table set up, ready to sign autographs and chat with fans.

I was excited to meet him, and when I had my chance, I knew exactly what I wanted to him to sign...

I pulled out my copy of Death Waltz Records' Halloween III: Season of the Witch vinyl soundtrack and requested a very specific line from the film, to which he laughingly obliged...

A post shared by Highbury Cemetery (@highbury_cemetery) on Mar 11, 2017 at 11:11am PST

While he was signing the insert poster and taking the above photo, we had a quick second to chat about acting, horror films and the city of Pittsburgh, where he still resides today. I was very happy to hear stories about his favorite Carpenter film, The Fog, as well as how proud he was of his work in Halloween III. It's nice to see that the film, universally panned after it's non-Michael Myers release back in 1983 finally get its due and become an immensely popular cult classic today.

Tom Atkins was by far the nicest and most approachable horror actor that I have met. And the passion that he still has for his work made for an incredible experience for me. If you haven't, find a convention that he will be attending and make time to go meet him. You won't regret it.

Lakeview Cemetery - Cleveland, Ohio (Part 2)

It's time for another edition of Cemetery Sundays, where I grab my camera and take a walk through a local cemetery, documenting the ornate beauty of old tombstones, sculptures and mausoleums.

This week, I'm continuing my tour through Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio. If you missed the first part of the tour, please go back and check it out here. This famous cemetery is enormous and I was able to snap over 175 photos throughout the grounds.

Here is part two of my tour of Lakeview Cemetery...


The Haserot Angel
This is without a doubt the most famous grave in the cemetery. The sculpture, titled The Angel of Death Victorious, was created by artist Herman Matzen in 1924 and sits centered over the Haserot family plot. The seated bronze figure, holding an inverted torch, now has an interesting oxidation patina, giving it the appearance of weeping black tears down the face. It took a while to locate the sculpture within the massive cemetery (it's actual location is at the end of the road between sections 2 and 3), but I was rewarded with 10 minutes of beautiful sunlight and uninterrupted time there. People have traveled far and wide to see this, and seeing this piece in person made me understand why.

The John D. Rockefeller Family Plot
Oil magnate, philanthropist and founder of the Standard Oil Company. The family plot is marked with this enormous obelisk, located just to the left of the James A. Garfield Monument.

A shot from the top of a hill. Downtown Cleveland and Lake Erie in the distance.
 

The Grave of Eliot Ness
Cleveland Safety Director and Prohibition Agent famous for bringing down Al Capone. His story was the basis for the film, The Untouchables.

The Grave of Harvey Pekar
Cleveland underground comic writer, famous for his series (and film), American Splendor. "Life is about women, gigs and bein' creative."

The Grave of Alan Freed
50s Cleveland radio DJ who first coined the term "rock & roll."