Halloween '16 - Rialto Avenue Does It Again

Venice is always a good time, but something about Halloween really brings out the extra fun in people ... especially on Rialto Avenue.

This year Halloween could not have been more gorgeous outside, so no one had to worry about getting chilly in their skimpy costumes or whatever. It was perfect. The little kids get an early start so Rialto started to get busy even before sundown, and this year the street was blocked off to make sure that everyone was safe as they ran around getting their tricks and treats.

One house really upped the game this year, and put up a giant bounce house maze inflatable slide thing that kept the kids happy all night long.

Almost all the houses on Rialto are done up in their Halloween finest, some more than others, but the spirit/spirits are definitely there.

The ghosts of Venice past were also remembered, with a graveyard of lost Abbot Kinney souls being haunted by the jerky Snapchat ghost (and a run over Abbot Kinney man under the wheels of a car). Funny, but sad, but true.

There has been a haunted house the past few years, and this year it was more elaborate than ever. It's pretty tame, but it is actually scary, because some of the passages you navigate are pretty narrow - and have bloody heads hanging from them.

There's good use of black lights and fluorescent paint, giving it all a very Fun House vibe, and everyone was all caught up in it, having a great time.

It was still scary when you emerged out the other side, because there you were greeted by a creep with a syringe of Zika that he wasn't afraid to "inject" the children with. It was awesome.

Also awesome are my friends Russ and Harry, who always go all out, with both their costumes and their hospitality. They have a big makeup table spread out, so anyone can do whatever they want, and they go all out with their snacks too ... I'm not sure if the brains ever got cut into, but the effort was certainly appreciated.

We had a great time on Russ and Harry's porch, watching all the kids come up to get their candy, one costume more fun than the next ... even all the dogs in the neighborhood were into it!

I think I was most impressed this year by two little girls  ... the first one was the famous "We Can Do It" Rosie the Riveter poster girl, who was just adorable.

Then the other little girl that had her own head in a glass jar that she carried around all night. How clever, and I loved that neither of these two little gems were anything close to a Princess. Love it.

My friends, the Oziers, must get honorable mention here for their version of Paul Bunyan and Babe his Blue Ox - Minnesota points, for sure.

The dragon house was again blowing fire this year, and you could tell that they've inspired their neighbors to bump it all up a little more.

There was a mad scientist laboratory, where a little dinosaur girl handed out candy ...

There was the traditional orange and black pumpkin house ...

There was more social commentary from some NAPL protesters who were a big hit ...

But most of all there were smiling faces on all the little kids dragging their bags of candy as big as them, and all the grownups that helped to make it another memorable Halloween here in Venice.

A Very Venice Halloween

Venice was really the place to be this Halloween, with fun and activities going down from one end of town to the other. Trick or Treaters were all over the place, from the traffic jams of kids on the Walk Streets all the way to the beach. Suzy Williams did a Halloween show at the Townhouse, there were house parties left and right, and one could find ghosty fun pretty much anywhere you went.

The real Halloween crown jewel of Venice is Rialto, though. All the neighbors get in on it, decorating their houses and themselves all the way over the top.

This year featured a new Haunted House, and as I recently overcame my childhood fear of those things (via a legit squad of Zombie Killers at Knott's Scary Farm), and dove right in.

It was impressive for a neighborhood thing, with a scary soundtrack, and spooky things popping out around every corner.

The hardest part to go through was a room of hanging severed heads ... because ... come on.

There was a mystical green light to go through, which blinded you for the next round of things popping out. Awesome.

As ghoulish as it was, it was still an attraction for all ages, all the way down to tiny new baby, Winslow, hanging out here with his new puppy friend, Boots.

Things glowed in the dark, strobe lights flickered, and everyone ate it all up.

I caught my neighbor Russ while still getting ready. It was so fun at their house because they had a huge makeup table, a big box of wigs and costumes and accessories, so anybody winding up at their house had exactly no excuse not to get in the Halloween spirit.

As for myself, I slapped something together to walk around in, and lost my hat band (black leather with pink and orange pompom if anyone finds it in the Haunted House!), like you do at any good party. I loved seeing all my friends and neighbors (and people that may have been them, but I couldn't tell through their awesome costumes) out and about having fun so much that I didn't really mind losing it. (But feel free to send it over if found!)

One house had a Star Wars theme, the next was all orangey and traditional O.G. Halloween style.

My very favorite part of the entire holiday is seeing what the little kids are dressed as, and this year did not disappoint. I think the best one was a little Lego boy, but by that time my camera didn't have any more room on it!

I don't think I've ever seen bigger bowls of candy than this year, and watching the kids struggling down the sidewalks with their stuffed pillow cases full of sweets, I'm pretty sure that's right. Whoa.

I'm always happy to see the fire-breathing dragon house, and consider it the centerpiece of the whole Rialto shindig every year. This year there were a few Mother of Dragon Khaleesi's running around, so it was even better.

All I've heard was that everyone having a total blast, so I hope Halloween was crazy and fun and safe for you all, and that all that candy is being doled out responsibly today. Ha.

Thanks for all the fun, Venice ... Until next year, Goblins!

Venice Does Fall

It's always kind of hard to tell what time of year it is in Southern California. You have to really pay attention to the sunlight, the evening air, what blossom's fragrance is wafting over everything ... it's subtle. This year has been especially tough to discern where in the calendar we are, with record heat still blasting us at the tail end of November. That's when you have to go by the Venice sign.

Our banner over Windward Avenue is all decked out in orange and white for the Fall season, and under the still almost full moon last night, it looked appropriately down for Halloween.

I went along with my homies in National Anthem to their gig at The Townhouse downstairs in the Del Monte Speakeasy last night, and as we walked along under the sign, it finally kind of felt like Autumn.

Then they rocked so hard it was right back to Summer down there. And we were all fine with it.

Happy Halloween to one and all from Venice!
(where it's so hot it blew my idea of wearing a bubble wrap suit)

Tales From The Venice Crypt

I walk by my neighbor's house most every day, and always kind of laugh to be greeted by this character, all year round. Rialto gets decked out for Halloween every year, so maybe they just get a jump on decorating by leaving him there, but I always get a kick out of it.

On the other side of the sidewalk is a crazy, metal sculpture, and the point seems just to be fun.

I don't yet know these neighbors, but I want to. They're doing their part to keep Venice groovy and interesting ... what are you doing?

I'm excited to see.

Halloqueen Fourteen!

This was one of the most fun Halloweens in recent memory, for sure. It began back in the Summer, it feels like, with spooky Halloween decor showing up on houses on an almost Christmas level. I've never seen as many houses getting so into it, as the adult takeover of the holiday continues its advance.

The place to be in Venice for Halloween is Rialto Avenue, and this year was no different. The street was blocked off so kids ands their handlers could roam freely between the extra-decorated homes without worrying about cars. One house was better than the next, and so much candy was being handed out that kids could hardly carry their own bags of the loot.

I had to speed-race up and down the block, as this was another one of those over-booked holidays, but I certainly saw enough to be impressed.

People went all out, with full on horror vignettes, not seeming to care at all if it might be scary for little kids - good!

My friends Russ and Harry live on Rialto, and out-did themselves, as usual. From costumes to decor, people on Rialto mean biz.

The Dragon house was again breathing fire, delighting all who passed by. Live bands played in driveways, and sidewalks got congested with all the kids squeezing past to get to their sugary reward.

I didn't look at my photos until the next day, but among them seems to be a real ghost. I swear! It was this shadowy and black and white without my doing and I don't at all remember taking it. OoooOOOOoooo!

I couldn't linger long as I was going to see the Queens Of The Stone Age at the newly refurbished and fabulous Forum! This was the first time I've been to a big, real concert on Halloween, and it was a complete blast.

Everyone was into it, in full costume, as they made their way into the Forum after checking out the circus-y side show attractions and haunted house put on by Queens in the parking lot. We didn't get there in time for all of that (because of Rialto, which is a must), but I heard it was real scary.

Costumes ranged from Queens (and Kings) of the Stone Age and Vampyres (of time and memory) Josh Homme (a tall dude in a red wig) concert-themed get-ups,  to a full sized lobster, lots of John Snows, a few American Horror Story clowns and a full dumb range of sexy cats (REALLY?! My least favorite costume every year) which I railed against in my PSA costume of Sexy Einstein. Smart is sexy, Ladies!

Mariachis strolled the concourse, lending it all an even more festive vibe. Nick Oliveri and The Kills opened the show, and sounded great from outside, but we were in Halloween party mode out in the lobby and missed them. I waited too long on securing tickets and wound up with a nosebleed pair, but it didn't even matter. Queens will rock you, front to back, top to bottom. No one is safe.

Queens took the stage in priest costumes (!) and people went bezerk from the opening number, "Keep Your Eyes Peeled". Like BEZERK. People leapt to their feet in the last, highest row - and stayed on them the entire show. People were moshing so furiously, I was thankful that many of them had squishy costumes to pad and protect them a bit. Whoa.

We were in full party/enjoyment mode, so I didn't really take awesome notes (or take any good photos), but you can just read the set list and pretty much know how hard it all rocked. "Feel Good Hit Of The Summer". "The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret". A fun maraca opening to "My God Is The Sun". Josh Homme greeted the crowd by saying, "There's a shit ton of candy out there! What a night! This shit should be illegal! ... This is our last show for a long time (What?! Sad!!!) ... Fucking Smooth sailing ..." And they gave us fucking "Smooth Sailing." Awesome.

"If I Had A Tail" went right into "Little Sister" and then Homme said, "How 'bout something dark and dirty?" So they aptly went with "Someone's In The Wolf". After "Vampyres Of Time And Memory", Homme commented on how great all the costumes were (there was a pre-show contest in a boxing ring set up in the middle of the floor, manned by Suicide Girls - I hope it was won by a Queen of the Stone Age), and said, "That haunted house nearly scared the dick right off my body!" I'm not so bummed I missed that. "Are you having a good time, L.A. fucking Forum?!?!" The answer was a deafening YESSSSS! Man.

I love "I Sat By The Ocean" (they did not play my favorite "Kalopsia", but that's cool) and of course, "I Want To Make It Wit Chu"always keeps the party going. Speaking of parties, Homme said, "You could be at some stupid party, but instead we're at a stupid party together." As I was Einstein, I can solidly tell you - this party was nowhere near stupid. It ruled.

"Regular John" and "No One Knows" were followed immediately by "Go With The Flow" and "You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire" in a flurry of punches that left us feeling like we'd been in that boxing ring after all. That needs to be noted ... QOTSA are RELENTLESS. It just never lets up, in one of the most exhilarating live rock experiences you can have these days (but not for a couple more years now, I guess.) They're so tight it's ridiculous, which comes from all the shows they've logged over the last couple of years all over the world. Super, extra impressive. "Happy Halloween!!!", shouted Homme, as the band left the stage to pure, ecstatic fan thunder.

A couple minutes more of yelling and they really would be playing Songs For The Deaf. The priests blessed us again, and came back out, this time with their friend, The Devil (Nick Oliveri). "Together they blazed through "Six Shooter", "Auto Pilot", "Another Love Song" and "Gonna Leave You", which all ruled, but vocals should really be left to Homme. Sorry, he's just worlds better when it comes to singing. A nice reunion, though.

Fittingly for a Halloween show, Queens ended with "A Song For The Dead". They just went completely off, none more so than Venice homie and drummer, Jon Theodore. His laser-enhanced mid-song solo actually lifted the people OFF of their feet, airborne with rock bliss. A girl in front of me was banging her head so hard, I think her scalp came off (though it may have been a wig).

As the last chord rang out, cannons spewed out black and orange confetti endlessly while the band took their bows. "We'll see you in a couple years!" and from the sound of it, that's gonna be a very long time to wait for these rabid fans. Carny music came on and the costumed masses poured out of The Forum only to find that it was FINALLY RAINING IN LOS ANGELES!!!

No spirits - good or evil - seemed to be dampened at all by this. People ran to their cars, skipping and dancing in the puddles on their way to whatever trouble they'd get into next.

Halloqueen '14 is in the books - as one of the very best times ever. Hope yours was too!