Ghoul and Spiter, Live in Cleveland 9-01-25

I made the decision to fly solo up to Cleveland this Labor Day to check out the Weapons of Mosh Destruction 666 Tour featuring 2 bands high on my list of needing to see live: Ghoul and Spiter.

I had been trying to see both bands live for a while now, but the timing had never worked out. Until now.

Five bands for 30 bucks at No Class, Cleveland's best hole-in-the-wall, cheap beer punk dive bar to see live music. It was a no-brainer.

After many years of trying, I finally got to witness the hooded madness of Ghoul, playing on a small stage in a small club, still complete with various gruesome stage characters sporting blood-spraying prosthetics. It was glorious. The band sounded tight and I was treated to a shower of fake blood not 15 seconds into their set. Twenty years on, they still bring it live!

The other band I really wanted to see was Spiter, a somewhat tongue-in-cheek black metal band, sporting the perfect throwback goth makeup, cape, leather-and-spikes metal aesthetic. Stripped down and raw, their set was a black feast for the ears.

And the absolutely insane Spiter video that started it all for me. (Not for the kiddies!)

I was wary at first of heading to the show solo, but I really wanted to see both bands, so I said what the heck. And it was the best decision. I don't go out to too many shows anymore, but I'm glad I went to this one. All five bands were really great and it was definitely the most fun I've had at a show in a long time.

All hail the metal and don't forget to support live music!

  

Love Bites at the Haunted Schoolhouse

This past weekend, I got the chance to go check out Love Bites, the Valentine's-themed haunt event at the Haunted Schoolhouse and Laboratory here in Akron, Ohio.

I've been going to the Schoolhouse for years, as it's literally 10 minutes away from the Cemetery, and every time I go I get a little nostalgic, as it was one of the first haunted houses I ever went to growing up (I think my first trip was maybe 1985?).

I've always loved the haunts, especially with this year's new ownership changeover and much-needed updating. This weekend's Valentine haunt was no different, with a few added lovey-dovey touches and an overall fun and great show with a large turnout.

Come get a kiss from the infamous DuWayne/Tater!!

Smoochie! Smoochie!


But what made this trip a bit more special was that for the first time in 35 years, I got a nice little behind-the-scenes tour, thanks to the haunt's makeup artist, Dave from Closed Casket Studios.

And while the staging and makeup areas were a bit smaller than I thought they were going to be, what was contained in both had the nostalgia kicking in like crazy...

The absolutely first thing I noticed was this amazing gem tacked to the wall. I couldn't believe it! An original early, early poster from the 70s/80s. ADMISSION TWO DOLLARS!! FREE BABY SITTING!! They just don't make haunt posters like this anymore. And look at all that glorious retro haunt art. It was a thing of sheer beauty!! God, I wanted to take it home with me. I wonder if they would ever let me borrow it to scan it and maybe make a limited run of screen printed reprints of it? I would probably buy all of the copies!!

After drooling over the poster for a few minutes, I checked out all of the other old art and props in the staging area and then the makeup room...

An unused prop (possibly from Unit 70?) that stood at least 9 feet tall!

Cemetery friend Randy Skalos from Haunt on Williams Street came all the way from Conneaut, Ohio to check out the haunt with us. He was digging this prop, too.

Not sure how old this piece was, but damn was it cool!

Ugh, how much for the killer Frank mask!?!?

The art on the back door of the Schoolhouse's original old school bus! (Another great thing about the new ownership was their understanding in keeping a lot of the original elements for the nostalgic types like me. I loved checking the old bus out as it was now proudly displayed near the ticket booth. Well done!)

So after the haunt and behind-the-scenes tour was over, it was time to head out for some drinks and grub with the crew. But not before making a quick stop at the merch table and adding a hilarious and awesome new haunt shirt to my collection...

Well done, Schoolhouse. Well done!!

  

Slayer Announces Final World Tour

So I have an embarrassing secret to reveal. I have never seen Slayer live. I don't even know how that is possible, as I've had numerous occasions to go see them over the 28 years that I have been listening to them. And they tour all the time! I guess I've always had something else going on when they came to town, always thinking that I could go see them "next time."

Well, "next time" is finally here, because after 37 years of creating some of the most iconic brutal thrash metal, Slayer are calling it quits after one last world tour. For me, it's now or never, so I'm grabbing a ticket for their June 7 show in Cleveland (technically Akron, as the venue is only 10 minutes from the Cemetery). I know about 20 of my friends will be going too, so it is shaping up to be one hell of a bash to celebrate the legacy of one of the best.

And if they can bring even half of the energy and aggression from the clip below to this show (I know, I know, no Dave Lombardo or Jeff Hanneman (RIP)), my heart may actually explode. I've been a fan for a long time and it's time to pay a proper homage to the masters.

Slayer's final world tour starts May 10 in San Diego. Check the current list of tour dates (with likely many additional dates to come) here, and I'll see you in the pit on June 7!

  

John Carpenter - "Anthology: Movie Themes 1974-1998" & Tour

Time to fire up the old turntable! Today, Sacred Bones Records announced the preorder for the new John Carpenter release "Anthology: Movie Themes 1974-1998."

Thirteen classic movie themes, originally composed by John Carpenter and newly rerecorded with his new band. The preorders are already selling out, so get on it while you can!!

And if a new John Carpenter record wasn't enough, he has also announced a new set of tour dates to support the release!! It looks like he's skipping the great state of Ohio again, so it looks like I'll be making the trek up to Detroit to catch the show.

I was fortunate enough to see his last show in Detroit, and it was absolutely amazing and fun. Read about it here.

  

Red Fang, Live In Cleveland 12-9-16

Not much going on in the post-Halloween Cemetery, but we braved the Lake Erie snow machine last night and made it up to the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland to catch Red Fang, Torche and Whores. All three bands killed it! A few more dates left to go on their tour, so go check them out if they happen to play your town...

 

 

Ghost, Live in Cleveland 9-21-16

At this point, I don't think you can see the band Ghost too many times. Wednesday night's show in Cleveland is the fourth time I've seen them, and each time seems to get better visually AND musically. Fresh off the release of their newest ep Popestar, the band embarked on another tour and made an early stop in town. I was able to bring my camera in this time, without any problems, and made my way down to the front to stake out a position to get some good shots.

To my pleasant surprise, Pittsburgh-based horror synth duo Zombi opened with an incredible, somewhat Carpenteresque set. I had seen them before when they opened for Goblin on their first U.S. tour back in 2013, but was amazed at the lush sound produced by only two people this time around...

Once the opening act was done, it was time to begin the night's ritual. Ghost exploded onto the stage, playing their newest track, Square Hammer, and didn't let up for the next hour-and-a-half. They played a nice variety of songs from their 3 lps, and had a cool stage and light show, along with a new female Nameless Ghoul on bass, a mid-set costume change and the usual dry humor from Papa. And even though the sound system seemed to cut out a couple of times and one of the confetti launchers malfunctioned, it was still an incredible experience. I HIGHLY recommend seeing this band live at least once (or four times), just for the all-encompassing experience. The Popestar tour has just kicked off, so go check them out if they play your town.

I'm REALLY happy with the photos this time around and had a hard time narrowing down the best shots, but here they are, in all their glory. Enjoy!! 

 (For some reason, this shot reminds me of the poster for John Carpenter's The Thing!)