Hauntcast Returns. Again!

There are a few Halloween- and haunt-themed podcasts across the universe, and I've tried to sample most of them. But somehow, the only one I come back to time and time again (Stockholm Syndrome?) is Chris Baker and crew's Hauntcast. Ugh, I feel so dirty for even typing that...

It's the only podcast that doesn't take itself too seriously, but entertains, actually informs and keeps my attention all the way through each episode. I guess it really speaks to the lowbrow neanderthal haunter in me. But that's cool!

So I was pretty excited to see the release of Hauntcast Postmortem 11, the newest episode, hot on the heels of the last episode. Which was released 9 months ago... But I'm REALLY excited to see that they were interviewing friend of the Cemetery, Brent Wilson from Planet Doom Haunt AND featuring killer horror punk music from The Spooky!

I fired up the new episode at work and flew through it way too fast. Again, another hilarious, yet informative episode, and I even have to admit that Brent's interview was really good, too. Good luck on your jump to pro haunting, good sir. I know you're gonna kill it!!

If you haven't downloaded the latest episode of Hauntcast, do yourself a favor and grab it right ovah heeah...



But wait, there's more!

Chris dropped an amazing little nugget a few weeks back that he was starting a Patreon campaign to bring the show back, along with all of the show regulars, monthly! Monthly!?

Hell yes I want that! A year or so ago, I actually wrote about feeling guilty when they tried to bring Hauntcast back as a subscription service and I never chipped in for it. I had always wanted to, but I always had something else to put that money toward.

In hearing this announcement, I immediately ponied up to support it this time around. And quite a few other patrons did, as well. As I type this, they are about $60 a month away from their goal of making the new and improved Hauntcast a reality. Just in time for the run-up to Halloween!

So if you haven't yet, go check out what's going on over at the Hauntcast Patreon page. New bi-monthly/monthly podcasts, contests and a ton of new content throughout the year. And all in a crazy, super fun, entertaining and informative package. They're so close to making this happen, I command you to throw down a couple of bucks.

Okay, no I don't. But at least check it out. It really is a great resource for our haunt community, and it's always a fun listen.


And finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't send out some positive Cemetery vibes to Hauntcast regular, Revenant. I was bummed to find out that he didn't have a segment in this latest episode, but was even more bummed to find out that it was because of some health issues that he's currently going through. His "Theater of the Mind" segment is by far my favorite of the show and his segment in episode 10 was probably my favorite segment ever. Get well soon and get back to making amazing and inspiring content. We'll keep the ghost light burning...

  

Revenant's Hauntcast September "Theater of the Mind" Segment

O Great Pumpkin,
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot complete,
The focus to complete the things I can,
And the craftiness to camouflage the bare spots so nobody will know the difference.

So back in September, I downloaded the latest episode of the Hauntcast Post Mortem podcast, ready to dive in and digest all of the amazing/hilarious/informative segments in the roll up to Halloween night. Except that I didn't...

I never found the appropriate time in my busy schedule to sit down and press play. My time was already more than accounted for with other, more pressing Halloween tasks and projects. My intent was always to find the time, but like a few other Halloween projects this year, it just fell through the cracks.

Fast forward to Thanksgiving morning. I'm setting out for an early morning solo drive down to my mother-in-law's house to celebrate the holiday with family. I realized that the two-hour drive would be a perfect time to finally get to that latest episode. I put the car in drive and finally, finally press play.

One of the segments that I always look forward to is Revenant's "Theater of the Mind." Always something that really resonates with me. And this segment REALLY stood out.

As I was driving, I started paying more attention to each word. It was like I had written the segment myself and that he was narrating an essay that had come directly from my hand. I couldn't believe it! As the segment continued, the smile on my face grew larger and the other drivers around me must have thought me insane as I let out laughs and bursts of "Exactly!" or "Yep!" to an empty car.

It's wonderful to know that others have the same highs and lows throughout the Halloween season and that they also "get" the true absurdity of the whole thing. Yet, like me, they also understand the true reasons of why we do what we do each October, and why it is so vital in continuing to do so.

As the segment came to an end, I was giddy with energy. It was everything that Halloween meant to me, perfectly packaged in a tidy 11 minute segment. I actually stopped the podcast to listen to the segment again. That little, unexpected jolt brought back all of the energy and excitement from Halloween night. It was perfect.

Do yourself a favor and go download the latest episode of Hauntcast here (if you haven't already). I've only gotten through the first half of the whopping 4 hour episode, and so far, all of the segments have been really good (and I have yet to get to the interview with Allen Hopps, which couldn't possibly be anything but amazing).

And if you'd like to get a snapshot into the small world of Highbury Cemetery, fast forward to Revenant's "Theater of the Mind" segment at 26:27. It's a wonderful jolt of Halloween fun and energy. Something that we all could use, now that the big night has passed for another year.

Thanks, Hauntcast.

Hola Ghost - "Chupacabra"

Big thanks to Johnny Thunder and Chris Baker over at Hauntcast for turning me onto this one! Hola Ghost rip out some amazing "Psychotic Flamencore" (take a listen and you'll know what that means) all the way from Denmark!

And have you listened to the latest episode of Hauntcast yet? Another hilarious episode featuring the music of Hola Ghost and a great interview with the gang over at Davis Graveyard. Listen now!!

Revenant's Hauntcast October "Theater of the Mind" Segment

So I'm sitting here, watching the remnants of Hurricane Whoever drop a steady downpour of rain across Northeast Ohio. Only this time, I'm actually quite thankful. I know that had this been 3 days later, Halloween would have been shot. Also, because I only set up my yard haunt display on Halloween night, all of my lovingly hand-made props are still safe, warm and dry in the garage, attic and/or basement.

I seem to be in a completely different mindset this year in regard to Halloween. No real stress to get all those last minute props completed for the big night, because I only had one prop project this year. Everything is slowly being gathered in the garage and will be put out in a methodical yet relaxed order this Saturday. There's almost a sense of calm. It's quite strange, yet strangely enjoyable...

Back at the start of September, I had a freak mountain bike crash that left me with a broken finger. Long story short, I eventually had to go in and get three pins put into it to hold it together for the next 8 weeks. I was devastated. My Halloween to-do list went right out the window. 

But as the days went on, I slowly came to terms with what happened and started rewriting my new to-do list. A very short and manageable list. I was forced to take a step back and re-evaluate Halloween. I could either poo-poo the whole thing, or be content with the little I could do for this year. And then, I strangely became okay with it. In taking that brief time out, I had a chance to refocus on what it was that made Halloween so great. The fun of putting everything up and putting on the best show that we could for the neighborhood kids and their parents.

And as I set out to work on my stress-free list, I happened to download the Hauntcast podcast for October. I paid special attention to Revenant's Theater of the Mind segment, "The ABC's of Haunt Planning." As I listened, it was like a mallet over the head. He was talking about everything I was going through! Be happy with what you can get done and not stress about the things you can't. Nobody else will know. Perfect! It was a pleasant boost of reinforcement that Halloween, 2015 is still going to kick ass at Highbury Cemetery.

I have gone back and listened to that segment two more times. If you're getting bogged down in that pre-Halloween freak out, why not take a second, catch your breath, and take a listen...

DOWNLOAD THE OCTOBER HAUNTCAST PODCAST HERE.


Halloween Weather Forecast Update:

It's going to be close. We might get a light shower during trick-or-treat, but I'm going to keep the fingers crossed, hoping that it holds off until everything is put away for the night. Please, please, please...

   

Hauntcast: Post-Mortem

Sometimes, you don't know what you've got until it's gone. 

For me, that was the case with the hilariously awesome Halloween haunt-themed podcast, Hauntcast. In 2014, Chris Baker and crew called it quits, leaving a noticeable void on my iPod. Now honest truth be told, I was unfortunately one of the reasons that Hauntcast called it quits. 

After Hauntcast came back (the first time) as a subscription-based podcast, I never threw down the money to subscribe. For some reason, I always found something else on the list to throw my money at. I even remember talking to Revenant at MHC in 2013 about it, feeling bad that I hadn't yet subscribed. And yet, I continued to put it off. And last year, upon hearing about the demise of Hauntcast, I distinctly remember feeling bad for never subscribing. I felt kinda bad about it, because I really enjoyed the podcast...

So imagine my joy when last month, the announcement was made that Hauntcast was being exhumed! And as an added bonus, the podcast would again be released free of charge. I quickly went and downloaded the new episode and loaded it onto the old iPod. 

Listening to the new episode instantly put a smile on my face, as I remembered all of the great episodes of the past. And a lot of the old segments were back, choc full of great and useful information. After listening to the episode in its entirety, I realized that Hauntcast was, without a doubt, the best haunt-themed podcast available. There are other haunt-themed podcasts available that I really enjoy, but Hauntcast's sometimes (most of the time?) crude humor mixed in with insightful and informative segments make it my go-to podcast for all things Halloween and haunting.

And only now do I realize what a great asset it is to me, so this time around I won't dawdle. The podcasts are now free, including all of the old episodes, but Chris is asking for donations to help with the show. And all donations over $20 are now eligible for some really cool prizes. Donations must be in by March 30th to be eligible for the drawing, so why not go over and download all of the episodes and why not throw a couple of bucks their way to help support a great show. I'm heading over right now to do something I probably should have done a few years ago... 

Chris, JT, Rev, Shell and the rest of the crew: it's great to have you back!

 

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

I hope everybody had a great, labor-free Labor Day weekend. Mine couldn't have started any better, as I scored my first (and second and third) four-pack of Dogfish Head's Punkin Ale. I was really waiting for this one to come out, especially after the disappointment with Bell's Octoberfest Ale. The Punkin Ale is a full-bodied brown ale brewed with real pumpkin, brown sugar, allspice, cinnamon & nutmeg. I know this because that's what's printed on the label.

From their site:

A full-bodied brown ale with smooth hints of pumpkin and brown sugar. We brew our Punkin Ale with pumpkin meat, organic brown sugar and spices. This is the perfect beer to warm-up with, as the season cools.

It's a great, hearty brown ale that finishes with a nice, slightly spicy note of pumpkin, cinnamon and brown sugar. What's great is that it doesn't have an overwhelming brown sugar sweetness or a mouthful of pumpkin pie filling. I really like the fact that it's still a beer first that gives a hint of the pumpkin, cinnamon and sugar. Well done, Dogfish Head. You've again supplied me with the ale that will take me through to October 31st!

I also saw that Chris Baker, G-Host from the now supermondo infamous Hauntcast gave his glowing review of Brooklyn Brewery's Post Road Pumpkin Ale. So I guess I'm throwing down the challenge. Dogfish Head vs. Post Road. I haven't seen Post Road anywhere here, but I'll keep an eye out. I'll update you all when I find it and put the two in a head-to-head competition. And may the best Punk win.

Got a pumpkin ale you think is even better? Hit us up in the comments.