Rabbits Black Guide to Halloween 2013

Halloween is here! Rabbits Black has your guide to the best parties, concerts and events in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Las Vegas. We covered the whole spectrum- from $10 shows with dirty rock and roll bands to week long music festivals. We have everything you need including links to get tickets and few contests for free ones from your friends here. Happy Halloween- rage.

Los Angeles

October 26th ~ Saturday

Tiger Army @ The Groove in Anaheim – $35

Tiger Army, the rockabilly band with Bay Area roots, comes to Southern California for their yearly Octoberflame run of shows. These Halloween inspired dates are now in their sixth annual edition. If you are looking for a night on the town to dress in your favorite 50s and 60s greaser gear, this is it. Just remember most people there are not in costume. A full show preview is available here. Tiger Army also plays on Friday, the 25th.

Throwrag, The Creepy Creeps, The Black Tibetans and Plague Vendor @ Alex’s Bar in Long Beach – $10

Every time we see Throwrag, we get creeped out. There’s a washboard player, a dude with an acordion who looks like he’s always just recovered from a total-knee surgery, and a lead singer who will most likely be in a speedo by the third song while swallowing the microphone. The underground legend that is Throwrag puts on one weird show, but the punk rock outfit throws a true rock n’ roll show. It’s a mess, and it’s perfect for Halloween. If you haven’t seen Throwrag before, then you are in for it. Just brings the right friends.

Boy George @ Exchange LA in Downtown Los Angeles – $25

Dude is a DJ! Ya, I know, it’s kind of weird but it works. We are not thrilled about Escape From Wonderland and the lineup. Ya, Hardwell and Richie Hawtin would be great, but you won’t get us out to San Bernadino often for a show. So we rather stick downtown with one of our favorite dance music venues in Los Angeles. Boy George DJ set Halloween party? Sounds like fun to us.

October 31st ~ Thursday, Halloween Night

Chuckie @ Create in Hollywood – $40

The Dirty Dutch founder and DJ brings his party experience to LA’s Create. The Hollywood nightclub will be turned into Chuckie’s Haunted Hellhouse! We are not really sure what that means, but he know how Chuckie brings it! Expect a full on party mix with rock n’ roll, hip hop and we are sure some Halloween themed tunes. There might not be a more fun dance music party in all of California that night.

Weekend: Nov. 2 & Nov. 3

HARD Day of the Dead @ LA Historic Park – $160

What will most likely be the biggest, baddest, and hopefully downright terrifying Halloween-themed EDM festival perhaps ever, the mere two days of this HARD Day of the Dead are packed so full with big names that it would literally burst, if that were possible. We’re talking about people even your parents have heard of, like Deadmau5, Skrillex, Nero, Calvin Harris, Pretty Lights, Boys Noize, Eric Prydz, and Zeds Dead. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, because there are over 55 other world-class DJs and producers that will be steady bumping the beat from noon ’til midnight all weekend long, like Bloody Beatroots, Skream, Cut Copy, Paper Diamond, RL Grime, and Jack Beats. Or how about Wolf + Lamb, Gaslamp Killer, and Destructo? Seriously, there are just too many to even try to mention them all here. And in case the colossal metric weight of the lineup isn’t convincing enough, the fact that the price is a mere $160 (plus some change) should motivate you to immediately head to HARD’s website and click “buy,” which you can do here.

And if you have a couple free minutes to spare, make sure to check out the wonderfully eccentric, cameo-filled teaser trailer:

San Francisco

The Flaming Lips and Tame Impala @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco – $47.50

As if The Flaming Lips and Tame Impala aren’t enough to draw you out to a show each in their own right, they’re co-headlining San Francisco on All Hallow’s Eve. Wayne Coyne is no stranger to putting on a psychedelic show, both visually and sonically. You can expect even a performance with even more grandeur than walking over the crowd in a bubble or steadily stroking a long-forgotten child’s baby doll for an entire set. Add to that Australia’s psych-jam sweethearts Tame Impala and you have the recipe for a night that will take you out of commission from work the next day. While at the show, remember to pick up the limited release vinyl split of The Flaming Lips and Tame Impala covering one another. Additional support is provided by White Denim, whose latest single “Pretty Green” has been making its rounds online and on satellite radio and is as catchy as the video is, well, trippy. You might not remember everything that happens at the Bill Graham on Halloween, but you’ll have one hell of a time while you’re there.

San Diego

The Dada Life Compound @ Valley View Casino Center (San Diego) 10/25

We’ve known for a while now that Dada Life can throw one hell of a party. We didn’t know they could recruit this caliber of like-minded party DJs to join them in their shenanigans. The Swedish duo known for their bass driven house anthems and inflatable bananas will be joined by A-Trak, Clockwork, TJR, and more. The show ends at 4:00am so we’ll see how many people are still partying (and in costume) when the lights come on. After TJR’s high energy performance on this year’s Groove Cruise LA my money is definitely on him.

Las Vegas

Life Is Beautiful Festival @ Downtown Las Vegas 10/26-27

Who could forget the all too short-lived Vegoos Music Festival? Well, the music gods have answered our prayers and brought another Halloween-weekend music festival to Las Vegas, and made it even better than before. Now located in the old heart of Downtown Las Vegas, the Life is Beautiful Festival is headlined by The Killers, Beck, Kings of Leon, Empire of the Sun, Vampire Weekend, Imagine Dragons, Pretty Lights, Alabama Shakes, Passion Pit, Zedd, Janelle Monae, and many many more. It’s also an arts and food and lifestyle festival with art installations, culinary events, and panel discussions by leading tech, fitness, marketing, and medical innovators, and some UFC fighters…There’s something here for everyone. We’re previewing the must-see bands in our LIB Primer Series. $156 gets you in to both days of the festival.