We Went to the Total Trash Halloween Bash

The Bay Area tends to go big on Halloween, especially San Francisco, known for its legendary revelry. You could feel it in the air. It was Friday night and there had been plenty of much-deserved hype building to this very moment. The three-day weekend called the Total Trash Halloween Bash had finally arrived. It would include two sold-out Coachwhips (John Dwyer’s pre-Thee Oh Sees outfit) reunion shows, but first you’d have to survive the pre-party in Oakland.

It would be the East Bay’s turn to get drunk on disguise (plus whatever beer or liquor it could get its hands on). A line of people, several of them costumed, stretched out onto the sidewalk, past The New Parish, where the all-ages event took place. Dressed up or not, everyone seemed hell bent on having a good time. And with Halloween’s heavy dose of escapism and running from reality (the bands would also get in on this with the holiday tradition of performing covers, decked out as others) this show would provide the ultimate release.

Uzi Rash kicked things off, but pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes when their set, advertised to be covers of The Fall, quickly delved into a sinister, dark-jam take on The Doors. It was a daring move that could have easily pissed off anyone amongst the crowd, but I didn’t complain. Our first clue that we’d soon be duped should have been when their stare-worthy front man emerged clad in polyester (along with the rest of his band), feminine fashion belt (likely an attempt at Morrison’s stylish 60s looks) wrapped around his waist, wearing a bushy-brunette wig attached by scotch tape that dually held his face in disfigured position.

He thrashed around the stage while they somehow managed to successfully incorporate the more post-punk sounding “Totally Wired” alongside classic rock’s “Riders of the Storm."  Proving this was no hack job, a keyboardist took on the debatably pivotal Manzarek role. The audience was hurled one final insult when the singer bellowed into the mic, “You’re all a bunch of fuckin’ sheep!”

MC Oscar, draped in a white sheet, played ghost host and comedian in between sets. He read lame jokes he’d either made up or had just printed out from a child’s website as his shtick. The Audacity got the pit going with a charged set as Adolescents. While that was going on I ventured to the second floor’s bar to keep my steady stream of Stella flowing and looked down below as the kids went nuts. After their set, the floor was covered with crumpled ghost jokes as teens combed through scattered rubble searching for dropped cell phones and maybe their glasses.

I headed back to the floor, front and center for the highly anticipated Shannon and The Clams, or Shanzig and the Mizfits as it were. Shannon’s trademark blond hair was now black, slicked back and devil locked up front. Her band mates, with their equally devilish hair-dos, gave a performance as on point as their look. The Misfits’ “Some Kinda Hate” hit a nostalgic soft spot for me and I could have sworn everyone was singing and screaming along at this point and I loved every minute of it.

The costume contest was key to the evening, but certainly didn’t serve as filler, and had some stiff competition. In true democratic fashion MC Oscar asked only the best to come up on stage and left it up to audience approval to decide the winners. Highlights included a fittingly wasted GG Allin who got DQ’d after knocking over the band’s equipment, an elaborately cardboard constructed robot (complete with jittery-robotic moves), and me drunkenly raising the roof to the two Juggalos (or were they just ICP?) who were mindful enough to bring a couple two liters of Faygo “pop” as their prop (yep, I’m from Michigan). I do know blood-soaked prom queen Carrie was one of the winners because I asked her (or rather I slurred at her) at the end of the night about her prize.

My sociability had peaked and I snagged a side-stage view for most of Nobunny’s set. By now I was so into it, I hopped around, pumped my fist and howled myself hoarse. Dracula turned to me and said, “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for.” I snickered devilishly and thought to myself, "There’s nowhere else I’d rather be."

Billed as ‘Zombunny’ for the night, he performed spooky tunes dressed in his customary matted bunny mask and undies. Only this time his getup included a Freddy Kruger sweater and Freddy’s claws as an accessory.  I was introduced to a song I’d somehow never heard before with his demonically delivered growl on Roky Erickson’s “Two Headed Dog." It came across as vengeful, or like he’d never done it live before, but couldn’t wait to present it to his audience.

A blur of songs including Sam the Sham’s “Little Red Riding Hood” flew by. When the crowd cheered “one more song” in unison for the encore, I noticed Nobunny’s masked, shadowy figure lurching unnoticed in the background (I was on the second floor again). Complete with claws, it seemed like a very appropriate final and lasting image for the night. San Francisco would definitely need the Coachwhips and more costumes to top this.

All photos by Dallis Willard