Volume 4, Issue 8
April 18 - May 1, 2002
By Jack Michaelson
Photos by Sean Hartgrove
Costuming and Makeup by Heather Bruck
We love fall here at Go-Go Magazine. We love the frost nipping, the leaves turning, the drunken football yelling. The air is clearer, the light somehow more real--and of course, Halloween.
Ah, Halloween. The closest that young Denverites get to a Mardi Gras-esque celebration in their home town. When the costumes go on, inhibitions go down, drinks find temporary homes in stomachs and candy ain't the only thing that gets carried home in a sack. So in this issue we provide you, the avid readers of this stellar publication, a small, by-no-means-comprehensive guide to what's happening on this spooktacular Mile Hi-lloween.
Don't look for long lists of kid-friendly haunted houses or helpful advice on poison control here. We're about making sure you get as saucy/ed as possible. We want you out--if not on Halloween Thursday, then definitely the weekend before. So grab a mug of hot liquor and get reading.
We're gonna start with the obvious, haunted houses. One, in particular,Nosferatu, put on by local promoters Summaato . Nosferatu is a two-story haunted house created by Lafond FX, with projection special effects by Mallurd FX. Looking for DJs? Well, Nosferatu has them in spades: Mental69, The Natural, MLE and Shem will all be spinning the new-school breaks inside. There are six bars in this haunted house. Six! My god, where was this place when we were kids? And if you're a VIP (which you undoubtedly are, but they might not agree), you will enjoy your terror and glow-in-the-dark cocktails on a balcony, courtesy of hand-painted lady vampires. The VIP list is, unfortunately, limited to 150 people. This whole shebang will occur at 1770 Sherman, and of course will happen on Oct. 31. For more information, call 303-778-8828.
Now for haunts of a different sort--the kind where you caper drunkenly. And no, we're not talking about your neighbor's bathroom. We mean our fine city's clubs, nearly all of which will be doing something snazzy for our favorite pagan holiday. Let's start with Vinyl, at 1082 Broadway--come on down and check out Trick or Beats, on Oct. 25. (We told you some of this stuff was early--what can you do?) Featuring the presence of DJs Mark Grant, Heather, the near-ubiquitous M. L. E. and a special set from BT , Vinyl promises electronic Halloween fun second to none. To take part in the jollity you must be at least 21 years old. Visit them online at www.1082broadway.com or call 303-860-8469.
On down the list. Next we have an actual Halloween evening event . the second annual Dominatrix Party at the Funky Buddha , which, at 776 Lincoln, is so close to everything you hold dear you could probably spit on the awning from your porch. This fetishistic event offers the DJ abilities of Ayesha , prizes and giveaways and the opportunity to impress the hipsters with your costumed sexiness (they say dress to impress, so maybe leave the fake vampire teeth at home this time). Check out more at www.funkybuddhalounge.com or call them at 303-832-5075.
Just down the block at 1160 Lincoln, The Church offers yet more Halloweenitude. Here we find Deep Dish , the Grammy-winning superstar DJ duo, in town for a special show at one of our favorite clubs. Residents Little Mike , Wyatt Earp and Double O will be there too, so don't fret. This is one party you can be 18 to join, but if you are legal, there will still be booze. Learn more online at www.the-church.com, or call 303-832-3528.
Feel like making your way into the belly of the beast, aka LoDo? Well, stop on by Club Sanctuary Halloween night for the first annual Erotic Costume Ball. The good people at Sanctuary describe it as "an evening full of bumpin' beats, erotic entertainment and and some of the naughtiest outfits imaginable." They also recommend that you grab that "never to be worn in public" outfit out of the closet and take part in an unforgettable night of forbidden pleasures. Jinkies, Shag. We might have to show up at this. You can be 18 here as well, but the whole alcohol thing, well, you know. It will cost you $10 in advance and $15 at the door. For further instruction, call 303-296-2424.
Oh, but wait. There is more, so much more. On Oct. 25, for instance, you may attend the third annual Victorian and Fetish Ball at 1770 Sherman, courtesy of Kevin Larson, Denver's most tenacious promoter. Play on the interactive playground, learn the seductive art of Japanese bondage and generally have an enjoyably naughty time. Tickets will cost a mere $20 in advance, but $30 at the door. VIPs, many of whom are reading this magazine right now, pay $60. Trust us, it'll be worth it. Costumes are absolutely essential. Try going as yourself, you'll be sitting at Duffy's nursing a Budweiser right quick. For further information, call Kevin Larson Presents at 303-778-8828.
We would be remiss not to mention perhaps the most famous local party of them all --Oct. 25's Exotica/Erotica Ball at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. This event gets loving coverage on page 12, courtesy of our own orange peel moses, but we might as well tell y'all again: DJs M. L. E, Joulz, Johnny Cassimatis , Motion for Alliance, Ooh-La-La, the Erotic Circus of Pleasure, and Spotlight feature boy Casey Collins will conspire to bring you the best bacchanal around.
Of course, no Halloween would be complete without the efforts of your allies at Grim Productions. So, on Oct. 26, we urge you to attend Return to Night of 1000 Evils , at the Denver Studio Complex , 241 Cherokee. For a paltry $15, you will be thrilled by the likes of Mr. Pacman, the Oracle Dance Troupe, Burlesque As It Was, The Dick Jones, DJ Mike Trundle from Lipgloss and DJ Lovejesus Prime . There will also be finger food--made from real fingers--a foam room, indoor snow and a costume contest. Could evil be more enjoyable?
If you want to feel like the money you spend on Halloween partying is going to a good cause, then make sure you buy tickets to the third annual Le Masquerade Mystique, on Oct. 26 at the Parkside Mansion. Le Masquerade is a fashion show to benefit the Scott Carpenter Middle School Library and will be hosted by She She Boutique, Bella Fiore Day Spa and Gourmet Fine Catering. Beaulieu Vineyards (who, coincidentally, make one of the best pinot noirs anywhere --love those Carneros grapes) and Johnnie Walker Scotch are also supporters, and folks, you know what that means. Your $45 individual ticket ($80 for two) includes complimentary hors d'oeuvres and spirits, not to mention the warm feeling of philanthropy.
On the other hand, if you want to spend your Halloween partying money on a tasty burlesque show, on Oct. 26 go see local troupe Ooh-La-La in "The Malicious Magician in Curse of the Gruesome Ghouls Naughty Nightie Nightmare," starring the trampy vamps. These tantalizing burlesque babes will thrill, shock and titillate you for a full hour and a half, so we recommend you bring your heart medicine. It will cost you $10 --good value for tricks, treats and tease. The show will be at 1109 Lincoln , where the Buffalo Company used to be, and will start at 10 pm sharp. Doors open at 9. You will have to be 21 --like you didn't see that coming. Sorry, kids. We feel your pain. For more info visit these terrifying beauties at www.oohlalapresents.com.
And for Halloween night fun at a good ol' bar, give Lounge, at 1509 Marion, a try. The DJ skills of Flexplate and Johnny Da Cat will get you in a ghoulishly festive mood, and the $4 Ghostinis (made with ectoplasm, we assume?) are a scarily good deal. This is, by the way, an actual haunted house--ask anyone who works there. The party starts at 9 pm and will go until 1 am, there will be a costume judging contest, with a $50 Lounge gift certificate as a prize, and free champagne at midnight.
So you have no excuse. We have provided the tools, now you must use them. Enjoy the upcoming Halloween party season, because nothing nearly as fun or sassy is planned for Thanksgiving --look for our "best ways to be thankful and humble" cover story in a future issue, with advice on self-flagellation.
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