FRIDAY, OCT. 31 2014 >>>

1. The frights are upon us once again, and there are, as always, plenty of ways to spend the Devil's holiday. The Weekly Volcanois your source for South Sound parties, theater performances, haunted houses and live music - it's up to you to decide where you'll go, and, of course, what you'll wear. Click here for a list of adult Halloween parties. Click here for South Sound live music and parties. Click here to read about a scary haunted house in Tacoma.

2. The Magic Flute is set in an unnamed fantasyland, but this production benefits from local stylistic influences. Tacoma Opera drew inspiration from the art and culture of Pacific Northwest Salish tribes, with valuable assistance from the Puyallup tribe in particular. The event's web page notes the indigenous culture's "impish sense of humor and ... immense respect for nature, all of which blend perfectly with the transcendent music." It'll be interesting to note how these tribal elements are woven into set and costume designs, as The Magic Flute's expansive, episodic structure demands a unifying aesthetic perspective. Read Christian Carvajal's full feature on The Magic Flute in the Music & Culture section, then enjoy the opera at 7:30 p.m. in the Rialto Theater.

3. Tacoma Little Theatre's staging of the classic tale of crime and betrayal, Dial "M" for Murder, draws your eye chiefly to three things: a telephone positioned on a desk by a window, an apartment's front door looming in the background and a green handbag resting on a davenport. These three ingredients, coordinated in symphony, are the most powerful chess pieces in a play that is less a "whodunit," as the program notes, and more of an exploration of what happens after "it" has been done. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full review of Dial "M" for Murder in the Music & Culture section, then see the play at 7:30 p.m.

4. Most musicians first get their feet wet by aping their favorite bands for hours in front of their mirrors, so it makes perfect sense that bands would dress up as their favorite acts for Halloween. To wit, Night of the Living Tribute Bands features Olympia's musicians and artists forming one-off bands to pay tribute to some of the greatest acts in music history. While it may be a one night event, some of these thrown together tribute acts practice for months in advance. Read Christian Carvajal's full feature story on Night of the Living Tribute Bands in the Music & Culture section, then head to the Capitol Theater at 8 p.m.

5. Vampires, alien invasion, monsters and Frankenstein: these are the things of which Misfits songs are made. It's appropriate punkgrass band The Rusty Cleavers will perform seven Misfits songs as part of their distilled rootsy meets punchy punk set Halloween night. Also on the bill is Shotgun Kitchen, with stories about white-trash-living and country-road-dying. Remember sexy costumes are to Halloween what ketchup is to french fries. Speaking of french fries, there is nothing sexier than dressing up as an artery-clogging fast food item. Catch the bands at 9 p.m. at The Valley.

LINK: Friday, Oct. 31 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area