STEVE DUNKELBERGER: LAUGHS, LASTS AND LUST >>>

I began my ghostly tour of Tacoma with laughs at the Comedy Underground. It’s been a while since Susan Jones steamrolled Tacoma with her big gal humor. She not only won the Jack FM funniest person in Washington Comedy Contest but she has been casted in a reality TV show focusing on size awareness and acceptance called Larger than Life, and is currently performing in a comedy tour called "Too Fat, Too Furious."

Next, I dropped in on O’Malley’s Irish Pub to catch Paris Spleen’s last show. They rocked. No surprise. They will be missed.

I popped in on Jazzbones for a quick hit of jazz by the Billy Shew Band.

I ended the night at the Erotica Halloween show at The Robert Daniel Gallery. Slutty nurses, leather boots and busty corsets â€" all represent.

The Naked Man also made an appearance with his "costume."

The winning costume was a pony boy and rider duo that, well, let's just say the costumes were as much "costumes" as real deal gear from the sorts of catalogs that come in brown wrappers.

PAUL SCHRAG: GRAB A TASTE OF TAIST OF IRON >>>

Honestly, there’s nothing scarier than an ‘80s metal band from Tacoma. Witness this weekend the arrival of the five-headed beast known as Taist of Iron. You will know this beast by its sound, and little more. Gone are the mega-manes. Gone are the lavishly printed suits of sorrow. The band no longer inhabits an 18-foot box van.

There is only the metal now. And a female lead singer with a voice that will chip the concrete. Her name is whispered in the dark â€" Lorraine … accompanied by Mark G, Jeff, Steve, and Mark B. Taist of Iron has come a long way since headlining the Battle of the Bands at Midland Hall.

Biding its time, waiting in the dark, the beast is reborn. With shorter hair.

[The New Frontier Lounge, with Mico De Noche, Triosis, Saturday, Oct. 31, 7 p.m., cover TBA, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.651.1513]

BOBBLE TIKI: OLYMPIA'S ECCENTRICITY AND TALENT WILL BE ON FULL DISPLAY >>>

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, tonight’s Night of the Living Tribute Bands where Olympia’s regularly awesome musicians and artists get together 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 the full story in Bobble Tiki’s column.

WEEKLY VOLCANO: BE SCARY, BUT BE SAFE >>>

JAKE DE PAUL: LOUD BARKING DOG BEHIND WINDOW ADDED TO THE SCENE >>>

SUZY STUMP: BOARD WITH HALLOWEEN >>>

I don’t want to spend Ghoul’s night going to the same dumb bar I go to every other Friday night, sitting on the same squishy lounge couch, drinking eight-dollar Mexican beer, listening to Blondie for the billionth time, surrounded by drunk boneheads dressed like Sarah Palin who all think their costume is really clever.   This year, I’m headed back to the real meaning of Halloween â€" beyond  the costumes and candy and kookiness to the horror and numinous magic.

Maybe I'll call my friends and we'll load up on Ho-Ho’s and Count Chocula cereal and spend most of the late hours Halloween night with our hands hovering over the Ouija board. OK, I don’t own an Ouija board so I’m using a wine glass (classy!) and this weekend I cut out letters and numbers and the words “yes” and “no” and placed them  accordingly. That part was fun because I got drunk while creating the board. In my stupor, I put my hands on the glass and asked, “if there will be a woman in my life?”  I waited a minute and then, slowly it started to move.  It spelled “MSRSSSSRSVSQSR.” Mrs. Srvqr? I’m going to date a Russian piano teacher?

Maybe I’ll go see a film.

SUZY STUMP: DO THE HALLOWEEN >>>

The evolution of Halloween is a tragedy of modern times. No longer can parents stick their kids in black costumes and send them off into dark streets unattended, armed only with a pillowcase and a burning desire for sugar. But this does not mean our country’s future leaders have to spend their childhood earning their Smarties by trick-or-treating in the mall. Instead, send Junior to the Children’s Museum of Tacoma for its all-day Halloween Howls program loaded with Halloween activities.  Then gather up the tykes and motor over to the Proctor District businesses for the traditional, safe Proctor Treats trick or treat event, 4-6 p.m.  Next, take the wacked-out kiddies home, calm them down, tuck them in with a kiss, throw on your Zamboni driver costume and head to Hell’s Kitchen for the Church of Hate show.

Scary.

[Children’s Museum of Tacoma, 936 Broadway, Tacoma, 235.627-6031]
[Proctor Business District, North 26th and Proctor streets, Tacoma, 253.370-1748]
[Hell’s Kitchen, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

STEPH DEROSA: CANDLELIGHT MYSTERY TOUR >>>

Haunted mansion enthusiasts, listen up! It’s time to sell your old collectables on eBay and pack up your ghostbusting proton packs, Thornewood Castle Inn and Gardens is holding their Candlelight Mystery Tour tonight at 7 p.m. This tour is not for the weak-minded, this tour is for those interested in a REAL ghost hunt.

For $100 and a booked room overnight at the mansion, you too can strap on the infra-red glasses and seek into the unknown. Lady of the castle, Deanna Robinson, will guide you into Thornewood’s depths including places such as the garden, hidden corridors, and basement hallways that have paranormal history. Lady Robinson encourages paranormal groups to book a special tour, and reservations are needed to attend in order to this specific Candlelight Mystery Tour. So, if you want to experience huge ghosts beyond the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man tonight, you need to call Thornewood Castle Inn.

Whoyagonna callllll?

[Thornewood Castle, 7 p.m., $100, 8601 N. Thorne Lane S.W., Lakewood, 253.584.4393]

STEPH DEROSA: BECAUSE YOUR NEIGHBOR IS A FREAK >>>

Your neighbor told me to tell you a couple of things, so I’m going to try and break it to you gently.  First of all, they asked if you could please close your blinds when you do that thing you always do to yourself on Thursday nights.  Secondly, they asked you take down your Christmas lights from last year.

They were telling me these things as they inserted razor blades into mini-Snickers.  Or at least that’s what we all assume our neighbors are doing, right?  You might be one of the fortunate who are able to go next door for your candy-fix, but just in case you don’t know your neighbors well enough to trust what’s in their candy bowl â€" I’ve come up with a few public places in which you can score some sweet trickin’ treats for free this Friday, Oct. 31.

Freighthouse Square is having a Harvest Fest from noon to 5 p.m. that includes trick-or-treats for the kids, kid’s craft zone, costume contest for different age categories, and every parent’s favorite: a beer garden. 

Both the Tacoma Mall and Auburn Supermall will host trick-or-treating throughout their stores beginning at 5 p.m.  The Auburn Supermall requests visitors bring a canned food item and that candy-hunters are younger than 12 and not wearing full masks.

Stroll through downtown Puyallup from 4-6 p.m. and fill up your bags with treats from more than 50 vendors.  A map to these sugar-laden treasures is available at the Puyallup Main Street office located at 107 N. Meridian. 

But of course there is every Tacoma resident’s favorite, the Proctor Treats safe trick-or-treating event.  The line (you know what “line” I’m talking about) will assemble itself beginning at 4 p.m. and lasting until 6 p.m. starting at North 26th and Proctor in Tacoma.

For the most part I’m pretty sure you can trust these fine organizations to give you the safest Halloween experience, but just in case you need someone to test your candy before you eat it you can feel free to pass it over my way.  I’m willing to take one for the team in order to secure the well being of my community.

LINK: ViVA South Sound arts and entertainment calendar

SUZY STUMP: I NEED IDEAS >>>

So … it’s Wednesday and Halloween is on Friday. No really, it is. That’s the timeline we’re working with here. In talking to people in the past couple days I feel as though there are many many lost souls out there and no one’s committing to any outfit in particular. I guess no one wants to do the naughty schoolgirl thing for the 10th year in a row (thank god!).

Anyone have any ideas for me?