HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Chalk up a win for the home team ’cause Halloween is on a Saturday, Donald Trump masks are a plenty, and concerts are more plentiful than lies in a political speech. Here’s a look at some concerts and shows going down in the clubs and beyond.
A Halloween Freektacular party: Cincinnati’s Beast of the Bass, Chris “Freekbass” Sherman, is on Halloween like pumpkin spice on a latte. Freekbass will celebrate the 10th year of his Freektacular Halloween Spectacular dance parties at the V Club, 741 6th Ave., Huntington, one of H-town’s funkiest dance parties. Come out and hear new music from Freek’s upcoming Ropeadope Records release, “Cincinnati,” and come early for the tasty jazz-juiced jam grooves of Colten Settle and The Settlement. Doors open at 8 p.m., music starts at 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. Cover is $10. Go online at www.vclublive.com for more info.
The Halloween Hoedown: Two of the area’s rising local bands join forces with DJ Charlie Brown Superstar at the Halloween Hoedown on Friday, Oct. 30, at the V Club., 741 6th Ave., Huntington.
DJ CBS will be spinning “Country Funk” before, in between and after sets by Tyler Childers and the Food Stamps and Ona, the sizzling indie-rock act whose debut “American Fiction” hit the No. 1 rock album slot on Bandcamp last Friday after its digital release. Cover will be $7. Go online at https://www.facebook.com/tylerchildersmusic and https://www.facebook.com/thebandona and https://www.facebook.com/charliebrownsuperstar to hear the groups.
Some ‘Young’ country carving up a Saturday night: Guess who is “Coming Over” for Halloween? On the heels of the fastest-growing single of his career, Chris Young comes to Huntington on his “I’m Comin’ Over” fall tour, leading up to his 5th studio album due later this year. Young will be at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. Tickets are $45 for GA/floor/standing room only; $35 reserved; and $25 reserved. A limited number of exclusive VIP Packages also will be available for sale. These packages can include premium tickets, access to a Chris Young preshow acoustic event, limited-edition merchandise and more. Young has been nominated for awards by the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music and the Grammies. Opening for him on the tour is five-time, chart-topping artist Eric Paslay and country newcomer Clare Dunn. Go online at www.bigsandyarena.com for more info.
Hammertowne at The Opry House: OK, nothing Halloween about this, but Dave Carroll writes bluegrass songs so good he’s scary. Carroll, who has written tunes for a long list of national act bluegrassers from Lonesome River Band and Junior Sisk to IIIrd Tyme Out, brings his ace unit, Hammertowne, out to the Mountaineer Opry House,at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. Cost is $15 at the door, seniors $12 and kids 12 and under $5. There are full concessions. Call 304-743-5749.
Logan’s Fund: A string of concerts in Huntington are going down called Logan’s Fund to raise money for the veteran Logan-based metal act, Let the Guilty Hang, which lost more than $20,000 in band gear during a recent fire. On Friday, Oct. 30, Jeff Ellis and 40 Days, Tim Browning and Tyler Childers will perform at Black Sheep Burrito and Brews, 1555 3rd Ave., Huntington. On Sunday, Nov. 1, Kayla Massie and Jeremy Walters, The Horse Traders and El Dorado will be at the 26th Street Drinkery; and on Friday, Nov. 6, there will be a Logan Fire Benefit at the V Club, 741 6th Ave., with Zero Dark Thirty, ScroungeHound, Feverwar, MedicineMan, Shenanagram, Down In Round Three and Set To Fail.
The GoFundMe can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/ltghfire with more info.
Thursday, Oct. 29
Cruise into the heart of fall foliage season starting Thursday, Oct. 29, as the Valley Gem will begin a 10-day docking of the Valley Gem Sternwheeler in the west end of Harris Riverfront Park in Huntington.
From Thursday, Oct. 29, through Sunday, Nov. 8, enjoy daily narrated sightseeing tours will run daily from noon to 1:30 p.m. Cost is $14; $13 for seniors; and $6 for children ages 3 to 12.
Go online at http://valleygemsternwheeler.com, call 740-373-7862 or email [email protected]. You can also book a cruise through the Cabell-Huntington Convention and Visitors Bureau. Stop by Heritage Station, 210 11th St., or call 800-635-6329 or Tyson Compton at 304-525-7333.
Friday, Oct. 30
Head off to see the Wizard of Oz, or at least Dorothy and her friends, at the Fantasy Maze, a delightful, storybook character-filled straw bale maze for kids now up daily at Ritter Park behind the Fountain.
The Maze will run from 5 to 9 p.m. daily through Saturday, Oct. 31.
Housed with characters portrayed by the actors in the Huntington Area Regional Theater (HART in the Park), the maze, made up of 1,200 straw bales, lets kids collect candy as they make their way through this spook-free maze filled with their favorite storybook and cartoon characters. Games, inflatables and concessions will be available. Wear a Halloween costume and bring your candy bag. Admission is $5.
Tickets can be purchased from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. each evening. Sponsored by the Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District. Call 304-696-5954.
Saturday, Oct. 31
The 26th anniversary of “Guyandotte Civil War Days: Thunder in the Village,” celebrates the region’s rich and unique Civil War history as West Virginia was the only state forged out of America’s greatest conflict.
At 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, the historic village hosts two days of re-enactments depicting the events of Nov. 10-11, 1861. Sutlers and re-enactor camps are also open daily to tour and history-filled ghost tours are at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 30-31, at the library.
For more information and a full list of events, go online at guyandottecivilwardays.com.
Sunday, Nov. 1
“Mountain Stage,” the eclectic live music radio show heard on more than 150 stations nationwide on NPR, dials up another cool show at its homebase of the Culture Center in Charleston.
Come 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, roll down to Charleston for Minnepolis native Craig Finn (of The Hold Steady), the highly regarded roots rocker Langhorne Slim, the Turnpike Troubadours, Nashville’s Rayland Baxter and folky Boston band Tall Heights, who’ve got a new EO, “Holding On,” showcasing their harmonic cello and guitar-layered sounds.
Tickets are $20 advance or $25 at the door. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Get tickets online at www.mountainstage.org, by phone 877-987-6487 or at Taylor Books in downtown Charleston.
Monday, Nov. 2
History buffs will want to stroll down to Ashland’s riverfront park where the historically correct replicas of Columbus’ caravel sailing ships (The Pinta and The Nina) will be docked for public tours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Wednesday, Oct. 28, through Wednesday, Nov. 11.
General admission is $8; $7 for seniors (age 60+); $6 age 5-16; and age 4 and under are free. Group tours (15 or more) are $5 each.
For information and school group bookings, call 787-672-2152 or email [email protected] and for general info go online at www.ninapinta.org.
Tuesday, Nov. 3
Did you know it is NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month? You do now, and you can celebrate throughout November with fellow wordsmiths who commit to writing a 50,000-word novel in 30 days.
While you can visit the NaNoWriMo website, http://nanowrimo.org, for more details on the process, you can also stop by the Cabell Huntington Main Branch Library, 455 9th St., Huntington, for a little help from your friends at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Award-winning professor and writer Cat Pleska will be stopping by for a free writing workshop called “Novelistic Techniques in Memoir.” In this workshop, work on short memoir pieces practicing fictional elements to create standout pieces of personal story. Call 304-528-5700 for details or go online at www.cabell.lib.wv.us.
Wednesday, Nov. 4
A mother. A daughter. Three possible dads. And a trip down the aisle you’ll never forget. The global smash hit musical “Mamma Mia!” is making its way to the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, as the 79th season of the Marshall Artists Series rolls through the fall semester.
Tickets are $93.95, $77.90, $67.20 and $60.78. Contact the Marshall Artists Series Box Office at 304-696-6656 or order at www.ticketmaster.com. The Joan C. Edwards Playhouse on the Marshall University campus is open noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
