This weekend, Halloween to November 3rd:

Thursday, Halloween:

General events up front, band shows at the rear:

• Author talk: Nobel-prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa will speak at UD, 5pm, Roselle Hall.  FREE. He'll be delivering an address on the theme of transnational encounters. http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2014/oct/nobel-laureate-100113.html
• Luminaria Labyrinth Walk at the Delaware Art Museum. 6pm, free (donations accepted). "Illuminated by tea lights, this walk in the Museum’s Labyrinth in the Anthony N. Fusco Reservoir is the perfect way to wind down at the end of a long day."
• Party (costume ball): The Fringe Wilmington Halloween Costume Ball is taking place at the Del. Center for Contemporary Arts. Costume contest, live music by The Mooveez, flashlight gallery tours, crystal ball, magic, and more. 9-midnight, only $10, cash bar. FB event page.
• Party (burlesque): The Peek-A-Booo Halloween Revue is at World Cafe Live at the Queen.  Plus costume contest. $20. More info.
• Party (college bar): "Freaks and Geeks" Halloween party at Mojo Main. DJ, drink specials, costume contest. 8pm-1am, $8-$10.
• Theatre: Part of Fringe Festival Wilmington, there will be a solo show by musician and performer Andrew Potter at 2 East 4th St., the Lincoln Square Green. This solo show will be based on the author's experiences in a traveling juggling comedy duo in the 70's and 80's. 8pm.  (Included by request - I love requests. Unfortunately I usually forget to actually check the email address associated with this blog, but keep them coming!)
• Dance: Fringe Wilmington presents dance performance "Broken", at the Music School of Delaware. "Broken is a choreographic analysis of present-day American society. Through the artistry of dance, Pieces of a Dream, Inc. invites the viewer to consider his personal relationship to our current socio-political climate." 6pm, $5.
• At Union Transfer: local-boys-made-good Man Man, King Khan & the Shrines, Melt-Banana, and Hell Shovel.  $15.
• At Underground Arts: TJ Kong & the Atomic Bomb, Cold Fronts, Johnny Showcase, Purples (ex-The Teeth), and Manterial Girl. Price TBD.
• Tribute band show and costume contest at The Fire on Girard Ave: Conversations With Enemies as Cake, The Rocket Queens as Guns N' Roses, You Do You as Michael McDonald, Mike Bell & the Movies as Daniel Johnston, The Really Cooks as Dr. Teeth & the Electric Band, and Everything Sucks as The Descendants.  Most of these line-ups are well-regarded Philly bands.  $5.
• Misfits tribute at the North Star Bar with The Asto Zombies. $10.
• Yonder Mountain String Band is at the TLA for $25.

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FRIDAY Nov. 1:

General Events:

• Wilmington Fringe Festival: list of all events here - http://fringewilmingtonde.com/
• Art Talk: "Art Is Tasty" returns to the Delaware Art Museum - a noon discussion of art, plus lunch from the museum's cafe. Walk-ups welcome. Noon-1pm, $14.
• Art Loop: Wilmington's Art on the Town is happening from 5-9pm, all over downtown.  http://www.wilmingtonde.gov/visitors/artloop . Some art loop highlights:
• Monster Mash Dancing Mob in front of the Grand Opera House at 6:30pm.
• Joshua Hendrix and Ryan Wuebbels (veterans of the Newark music scene) playing classical guitar duets at Zaikka Indian Grill on Lower Market from 6-8pm. 
• Multiple DJs at Spaceboy Clothing all night. 8pm, free, BYOB.
• Rocky Horror: (by request - thanks Beverly!) "The Barnstormers in Ridley Park offer the live stage production of The Rocky Horror Show (not the movie) 10/31 and 11/1 @8pm. 610-461-9969 / Barnstormerstheater.com "
• Comedy: Deadpan comic Steven Wright returns to the Grand Opera House. $31-$39. http://www.ticketsatthegrand.org/Performance?Perf_no=2638
• Film: At Theatre N, The Toxic Avenger, 10:30pm, free, part of Fringe Wilmington.  The theater will be used for Fringe Events all weekend - http://fringewilmingtonde.com/
• Author talk: Nobel-prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa will read from his works twice today- in Spanish at 10:30am, and in English at 2:30pm, at the Roselle Center for the Art on the UD campus. Both readings are free. More info.
• Theatre: Opening night of Steel Magnolias at the Wilmington Drama League. $12-$20. http://wilmingtondramaleague.org/
• Market: Kennett Square year-round Farmers Market, 2-6pm Fridays on State Street.

Concerts:

• Modern harp music meshed with other art forms at the Del. Center for Contemporary Art. "A Change of Harp brings together live harp performances of modern compositions by living, local composers with other elements of contemporary art (performance artists, visual effects)". 7pm, $5, tickets available at the door. Also happening on Saturday and Sunday.
• DADA and Anna Rose at The Note in West Chester. $20-$22. Ticket link.
• Badfish, The Snails, and Universal Funk Order at WCL at the Queen. $15-$45. Ticket link.
• Also at the Queen: Highway 41, an Allman Brothers tribute. $8.
• At Mojo Main: MRJR, Up Nights, The Faction, and Five O'clock Fire. 8pm, $5.
• 8 band metal show at Mojo 13. Originally booked at Mojo Main, it was moved to the Claymont venue.  All tickets bought at Mojo Main will be honored. More info.

~In Philly and beyond~

• Holy Ghost!, Midnight Magic, and Night Panther at the TLA. $16.
• Fun tribute night show at Milkboy Philly: Song Dogs as Talking Heads, Val De Val as Alice in Chains, and Ross Bellenoit as Elvis Costello. $8-$10.
• Passion Pit at House of Blues A.C. $35-$45.
• Weird Hot at Johnny Brenda's. $10.
• Levee Drivers headline a solid local bill at the not-often-listed-here Hard Rock Cafe. $8-$12. Ticket link.
• Ben Arnold and Katie Frank at the Tin Angel. $12.
• Fitz & the Tantrums at the Electric Factory is sold-out.

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SATURDAY Nov. 2:

General Events:

• Wilmington Fringe Festival: list of all events here - http://fringewilmingtonde.com/
• Film: Showing at Theatre N: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, 10:30pm, free. Theatre N will otherwise be used for the Fringe Festival this weekend (see above link).
• Theatre: Spank!, a parody of Fifty Shades of Gray, is at the Grand Opera House for two nights, Saturday and Sunday.
• Theatre: Penultimate showing of A Chorus Line, at New Candlelight Dinner Theatre.

Concerts:

• The Lift Up, The Cooks, Fiance, and Rob Conaty at WCL at the Queen. $8.
• Afternoon show at Mojo Main: Colors (ex-Circa Survive), Desoto Jones, Sleep In, and Tortuga (mem. Can You Canoe). Doors at 3pm, $5-$8.
• Misfits tribute band at The Note, West Chester, called "The Shitfits".  Tagline: "Evil has a new name... and it's crappy".  Hey, it made me laugh. 11:30pm, $5.
• A Change of Harp: modern, local harp music paired with performance art and visual effects, at the Del. Center for Contemporary Art. At noon and also at 3pm. $5, tix at the door.
• The early show at The Note is The Dickies, The Thirteen, The Headies, and The Droogettes. $13-$15.
• Good local-stallwarts bill at the Kennett Flash, with Mason Porter and Steve Pepper & Friends. $15-$18. http://www.kennettflash.org/tickets.html
• Hip hop festival at Mojo Main later at night: Delaware Fresh Fest 5. http://www.mojomain.com/event/383729-delaware-fresh-fest-5-newark/

~In Philly and beyond~

• Built to Spill at Union Transfer. $22.
• Sebadoh at Johnny Brenda's. $16.
• At Underground Arts: Canada's Born Ruffians and Chicago's Twin Peaks. $15-$18.
• Cuddle Magic (Bostom) and Flower Garden at the Abbey Bar. $7-$10.
• The Leg Warmers at the Trocadero. $15.
• Far-Out Fangtooth with 3 openers at The Boot & Saddle (have you been there yet?  It's a really interesting venue.  Very unique).  $10.

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SUNDAY Nov. 3:

General Events:

• International: "Sprezzatura - The Music and Culture of Italy", is happening at the Music School of Delaware, as part of their monthly Cultural Crossroads series. "Attend pre-concert workshops on Italian cuisine, language and folk dancing. Then enjoy a concert featuring Paganini's famous Caprices for solo violin, scenes from renowned Italian operas and guitar arrangements of Italian Renaissance music." 3pm at 4101 Washington St, $5-$10.
• Theatre: 2nd and final installment of Spank!: A Fifty Shades of Gray Parody, at the Grand Opera House.
• Theatre: Final showing of A Chorus Line at New Candlelight Dinner Theatre.
• Film: Showings at Theatre N. http://www.theatern.org/Films
• Me: surveys info on a watercolor / yoga class.  It's presented by a group called "Live Cheap and Make Art".  Price for this one-time class?  Ninety dollars.  I just burst out laughing.  My idea of "live cheap" and their idea is quite different. 

Concerts:

• Final show of A Change Of Harp, which is harp music by living, local composers, paired with performance art and visual effects.  At the Del. Center for Contemporary Art, 2pm, $5.
• The Dismemberment Plan and Yellow Ostrich at Union Transfer. $25-$27.
• The Big Horn Jazz Band at Johnny Brenda's. $10.
• Pelican at the First Unitarian Church. $13-$15.
• At The Note in West Chester: Orange Goblin, Holy Grail, and 3 more bands. $17.
• One-off open mic night at the Kennett Flash, hosted by musician/comedian Todd Chappelle. 7pm, $4. http://www.kennettflash.org/tickets.html

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UPCOMING:

The Fratellis at WCL Philly Mon but it's sold out.  John Vanderslice at JB's Monday. James Blake at UT Monday. Bon Jovi at WFC Tuesday. Polica at UT Tuesday. Drive-By Truckers at TLA Tuesday. Gordon Lightfoot at the Grand Wed. Deer Tick & J. Roddy Walston at UT Wed. Lauren Hart, Cliff Hillis, The Caulfields & Nik Everett at WCL Philly Wed. Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes at JB's Wed. Tennis, Low Cut Connie, Savoir Adore & more at UA Thursday. Black Lips at FU Church Thurs. Aaron Neville at the Grand next Friday. The Head & The Heart and Thao at UT Friday and Saturday but both shows are sold out. Paramore and Metric at SBC next Friday. The B-52s at the Keswick next Friday. Carbon Leaf at WCL Philly Saturday. My Bloody Valentine at EF Sat. Taj Mahal at the Grand Saturday. Toad the Wet Sprocket at the Keswick Saturday. Elvis Costello at the Merriam Theatre next Sunday.

[Abbreviation guide: JB's = Johnny Brenda's, UT = Union Transfer, UA = Underground Arts, FU Church = First Unitarian Church, B&S = the Boot & Saddle, KFN = Kung Fu Necktie. NSB = the North Star Bar. WFC = Wells Fargo Center, WCL = World Cafe Live, Troc = the Trocadero, TLA = Theatre of the Living Arts. PhilaMOCA = Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art.]