Exotic Erotic Ball, Bridge School Benefit & Halloween Parties

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Sat. - Sun. Oct. 27-28 Shoreline Amphitheatre 1 Amphitheatre Pkwy., Mountain View 408.998.TIXS $39.50-$150 BUY TICKETS Bridge School Benefit WHERE'S EDDIE?: Neil and Pegi Young's annual benefit for the Bridge School is typically top-notch, and this year should be no exception. The lineup thus far includes Metallica, Jerry Lee Lewis, My Morning Jacket, John Mayer, Tegan & Sara, Regina Spektor, Neil Young and a rare appearance by Tom Waits with the Kronos Quartet.

Wed. Oct. 24, 7pm-2am Mountain Charley's Saloon 15 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos 408.395.8880

Whip 'Em Out Wednesdays PARTY LIKE IT'S MARDI GRAS: By far the hottest thing to ever happen in Los Gatos, Whip 'Em Out Wednesdays at Mountain Charley's is bringing the fire each week with DJs Rich Haun and Flavatone. Spinning everything from hip-hop to rock to Top 40 pop songs, these guys will have you sweatin' on the dance floor all night. Even if you prefer not to whip it out, there'll still be plenty of scandalous action to witness from a safe distance.

Wed. Oct. 24, 7pm The Warfield 982 Market St., San Francisco 408.998.TIXS $25 BUY TICKETS

Blonde Redhead PIZZA MY HEART: A chance meeting at an Italian restaurant in New York resulted in artsy alt-rockers Blonde Redhead, making us all wonder: what was on that pizza? Since the seemingly random collaboration took place, the band has garnered quite a following with its alluring form of experimental dream-pop. The group's style is often compared to Sonic Youth, but there's no mistaking Blonde Redhead's serene melodies and harmonic dissonance as anything but their own. Their 2007 release, 23, is a delicate waft of minor chords and electronic texturing, a perfect remedy for the pent-up frustration filling our cruel and tiresome lives. Opening is indie rock trio Autolux.

Thu. Oct. 25, 9pm Angels Ultra Lounge 400 S. First St., San Jose 408.885.9588 $15

Masquerade feat. Digital Underground DO THE HUMPTY HUMP: While early rap supergroups like Public Enemy and N.W.A. were busy pioneering edgy, politically discontented hip-hop, a little group in Oakland called Digital Underground emerged with their own take on the rap scene. Borrowing most of their samples from George Clinton and P-Funk, Digital Underground's sound was built on funky grooves, comical styles and ridiculously goofy lyrics that seemed to focus primarily on one thing: sex. After the commercial success of their unforgettable dance-party anthem "The Humpty Dance" in 1990, the group went on to produce a handful of solid material, including their 1991 album This Is an EP Release, which featured a then-little-known Tupac Shakur. The legends of hip-hop come to San Jose's Angels Ultra Lounge this Thursday.

Thu. Oct. 25, 9pm Abyss Nightclub 146 S. Murphy, Sunnyvale 408.73.ABYSS Usual Cover

Fright Night 6 DANTE'S INFERNO: It's Fright Night 6 at Sunnyvale's Abyss Nightclub, so get ready to creep your way through three levels of devilish fun. Multiple dance floors mean you and your crew will never tire of one party zone, while a host of DJs keep the grooves going till the early morn'. Fright Night 6 is a perfect way to kick off your Halloween weekend, so break out the costume and hit up the Abyss Nightclub.

Thu.-Fri. Oct. 25-26, 7:30pm Oracle Arena 7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland 408.998.TIXS $57.75-$93.50 BUY TICKETS

Bruce Springsteen THE COST TO BE THE BOSS: Sure, he may be getting a little old, and yes, his latest album, Magic, was knocked out of the No. 1 slot by none other than Kid Rock, but c'mon, it's Bruce Freakin' Springsteen. Whether you've seen him perform 15 times or you're gearing up for your virgin experience, this much is certain: the guy will rock harder than a Thanksgiving turkey stuffed with lead. And, like your first bite into that turkey, you'll be stunned by the overpowering force of Springsteen's rock anthems as you and 30,000 of your closest friends join together and proudly declare in unison: "Born in the USA!"

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Fri. Oct. 26, 8pm-2am The Corinthian Event Center 196 N. Third St., San Jose 408.938.2332 $45-$65 R.I.P. (Rock in Peace) DEEP POCKETS: Channel 104.9, Chris Rojas and Dustin Loose present this "premier Halloween event," featuring resident DJs Donovan, Chris Clouse, Zhaldee, Adam Cova, Eddy Santana and FM spinning dance, house, Top 40, hip-hop, rock and mash-ups. The organizers are dropping more than $30,000 for props and decoration, which will hopefully make the heavy cover more than worthwhile.

Fri. Oct. 26, 9pm-3am Vivid Nightclub 8 S. First St., San Jose 408.279.4444 Usual Cover

Monster Mania Halloween Bash THE THING FROM L.A.: Wanna see something really scary? Head down to Vivid's Monster Mania Halloween Bash for Top 40 hits, commercial house, hip-hop, reggaeton and Latin house...straight from L.A.. SoCal invades NorCal at this, "the scariest Halloween party of the year." Mwoohahahahahah!

Fri. Oct. 26, 9:30pm-2am Taste Ultra Lounge 87 N. San Pedro St., San Jose 408.885.1016 Usual Cover

Red Light District GRAND PRIX HALLOWEEN: Taste's Red Light District is a Halloween extravaganza this week, featuring video mixer Roonie G, plus DJs Don Lynch and David Q, and a special appearance by the last-ever Miss San Jose Grand Prix, Marivel Salgado. With luck, she'll come dressed for work...as a school teacher.

Fri. Oct. 26, 9pm The Blank Club 44 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose 408.292.5265 Usual Cover

Audio Fallout (Tattoo Convention After Party) POST TATTOO: The Blank Club is home to this year's official San Jose Tattoo Convention afterparty, so cruise by to continue the day's festivity into the night. Live music will come in the form of local experimental rockers Audio Fallout. The band specializes in sonic textures and abstract noise, assembling an intriguing collage of quixotic sound that has been known to raise a few eyebrows. Even if ambient music isn't your thing, you'll at least have something to talk about other than your latest ink-job. Or you could just keep the tattoo conversations going, that's cool too.

Fri-Sat. Oct. 26-27, 8pm The Fillmore 1805 Geary, San Francisco 408.998.TIXS $40 BUY TICKETS

The Jesus and Mary Chain DARING TO SUCK: Remember when it was cool for bands to be terrible live? Everybody had fun bagging on New Order for stanking up the stage time and time again in the '80s. And running a close second in the Dare to Suck Live Sweepstakes back then was the Jesus and Mary Chain, who were famous for playing short sets that were virtually unlistenable. Now they're back together, and things couldn't be more different. With high ticket prices and nasty fees, no one wants to see any band take a sonic crap onstage (except maybe fans of GWAR). Now the Reid brothers are going around playing actual shows featuring actual music.

Sat. Oct. 27, 9pm-2am Cow Palace 2600 Geneva Ave., Daly City 415.567.2255 $20

Exotic Erotic Ball FLESH FOR FANTASY: Probably the most anticipated Halloween event, now in its 28th year, were it's pretty much mandatory to let out your inner sexed up wild self is the Exotic Erotic Ball hitting the Cow Palace tonight in all its leather, lace, vinyl and rubber glory. A few years ago E! Entertainment Network dubbed the EEB as "the world's wildest, sexiest party" and if you've ever ventured into this Caligulan evening of blatant debauchery, then you know just how true that assessment is. The 2007 Exotic Erotic Ball--and all around flesh fest--features Peaches, Vau de Vire Society, Donald Glaude, Bubba Sparxxx, The Spyderz, Snoop Dogg, Tera Patrick, Danny Bonaduce and just about anyone else involved in the international house, club and adult film scenes. If you haven't gotten all of the hedonism out of your system when the Exotic Erotic Ball shuts down around 2am, head over to the Official EEB After Party at the Gold Club (1550 Howard St., San Francisco) that keeps the ball gag rolling until 7am.

Sat. Oct. 27, 9pm-2am Cardiff Lounge 260 E. Campbell Ave., Campbell 408.374.7477 No Cover

Rhythm Ritual Halloween Masquerade GET YOUR THRILLER ON: The Cardiff Lounge's Rhythm Ritual goes bump in the night this week, masquerade style. Brush up on your "Thriller" dance moves and come dance until the dead rise from their graves with the help of DJs Spur, Harry Who, Arturo Garces and Gabriel Black.

Sat. Oct. 27, 9pm The Blank Club 44 S. Almaden Ave., San Jose 408.292.5265 Usual Cover

The Forgotten (Tattoo Convention After Party) HOMETOWN HEROES: Well into their 10th year, the Forgotten have been forging a comeback over the last year and a half, laying waste to all the wannnabe pop-punkers they put to shame. The Forgotten's effort should get a substantial boost from their new self-titled record, which should be released sometime this year by TKO Records. In the meantime, they're making a hometown appearance to whet the fans' appetites, performing at the Blank Club along with openers Clay Wheels.

Sat. Oct. 27, 9pm-3am Vivid Nightclub 8 S. First St., San Jose 408.279.4444 Usual Cover

Halloween Hooker Ball PROUD PROSTITUTES: There's a time and a place to say it like it is, and the folks behind the Halloween Hooker Ball have apparently decided that Halloween is the time and Vivid Nightclub is the place to call out all the ladies that love to turn on the sex vibe as if they were getting paid to do it, if only for one night of the year. Oh, did we say "as if they were getting paid to do it?" We meant, "because the sexiest costume will earn one lucky hooker $1,000." Um, hook on, sistas?

Sat. Oct. 27, 9pm Fahrenheit 99 E. San Fernando St., San Jose 408.998.9998 $10 GUEST LIST

Halloween AND THE WINNER IS...: Fahrenheit kicks off its three-day Halloween party (Oct. 27, 30-31) with DJ Shey Love rocking the house with dance music, Top 40, house and mash-ups, plus over $1,000 in prizes for best costume, sexiest costume and best couple.

Sat. Oct. 27, 8pm Johnny V's 31 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose 408.947.8470 $5 BUY TICKETS

Meat Hammer PLEASE HAMMER, DON'T HURT 'EM: With a name like Meat Hammer, you've got to be good and scary, and the three dudes in Meat Hammer deliver. With album titles like Women and Children First and Less Blabbin' More Stabbin' and song titles like "Bulldoze the Orphan" and "Bandsaw Bacchanal," MH set the tone for their slaughterhouse-themed hardcore punk and metal. Witness the butchery.

Sun. Oct. 28, 9pm VooDoo Lounge 14 S. Second St., San Jose 408.286.VODO Usual Cover GUEST LIST

The Halloween Experience LIVE HIP-HOP: SouthBayHipHop.com presents a Halloween show hosted by Tavares Daize with resident Djs Audio Dru, Cypher Squad and Abraham, plus music from Conspiracy, Infinity the MC, Keldamuzik, AM1, Druhnkin Ninjah, the Beatmites Silence, Lady Ivory, JFlo and Boogieman.

Mon. Oct. 29, 7pm Saddle Rack 42011 Boscell Road, Fremont 510.979.0535 $50

Billy Ray Cyrus MR. MONTANA: Billy Ray Cyrus may have struck gold with his now-classic country favorite, "Achy Breaky Heart," back in 1992, but these days it's his daughter Miley Cyrus that's getting all the attention as the secretly famous teenage pop star Hannah Montana. The Hannah Montana TV series (on which Billy Ray plays her onscreen father) is absurdly popular, but the ticket prices for her shows (in some cases, $800 will get you a so-so seat) are even more absurd. Poppa Billy Ray is touring alongside his daughter but keeping a much lower profile, playing more intimate venues like this show at the Saddle Rack in Fremont.

Tue. Oct. 30, 8:30pm Bottom of the Hill 1233 17th St, San Francisco 415.621.4455 $10

Voodoo Glow Skulls SIN VERGUENZA: The Voodoo Glow Skulls stood out in the third wave of ska thanks to the relentless, epileptic speed of their songs. Their first full-length album, Who Is, This Is (1994), was chock-full of similar sounding, Spanglish-speaking, horn-blasting punk rock ska played at twice the speed as most of their contemporaries, all of which fueled mosh pits like napalm feeds a fire. Prepare for serious "Insubordination" played "Sin Berguensa," and of course the ever-living call-and-response chant, "Whodoo voodoo wedoo? Fuck You!" Don't ask, just scream it.

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Wed. Oct. 31 Various Locations

Halloween Events in San Jose All Hallows' Eve: Since this newsletter was founded, we at Metroactive have tried our best to keep you informed of the most important drinking holidays celebrated in the Bay Area. What makes Halloween so special is that costumed partying lets bar hoppers drink publicly until cross-eyed while remaining anonymous. Plus all the sexy costumes make this drinking festival the perfect opportunity for people watching...or ogling. Below is a sampling of San Jose's Halloween bashes. Click here for the entire list. Tres Gringos: Costumes are a must at the Tres Gringos Halloween bash, featuring local rocker band 40831. Also performing is Firme. VooDoo Lounge: Local band Rivals holds its sixth annual Halloween bash with musical acts Embrace Forever, Starving Millionaires and 12 Steps to Nothing. Wear your best costume for a chance to win awesome prizes. Hunters : Wear your most wickedly sexy costume and win up to $75 for first place. Plus DJ Sue mixing and bad boy go-go dancers. The Blank Club: Presenting the Club Satori Halloween Party. Costumes are encouraged at this night of New Wave, goth and death rock dance party. South First Billiards: Halloween hard rock. A creepy evening with metal from Silence Chair and Thunderhorse. Fahrenheit: Day three of Fahrenheit's three-day Halloween party (Oct. 27, 30-31) is a night of '80s music, featuring drink specials, an '80s rockstar and karaoke party, prizes for best singer and costume and beats from DJ Basura.

Thu. Nov. 8, 9pm Mezzanine 444 Jessie St., San Francisco 408.998.TIXS $25

M.I.A. COMBAT ROCK: Much has been written already about the staggering patchwork of global sound on Kala, M.I.A.'s sophomore album. Not since the heyday of Afropop king Fela Kuti--1977's Zombie, maybe--has a record sounded so goddamn international. Maya Arulpragasam was born in London, was in and out of her parents' homeland Sri Lanka, and lived in India, as well. None of that was all that obvious musically on her post-electroclash first album, Arular, but Kala is literally all over the map. Kuti himself would be impressed by her fusing of pan-African influences with the current British rapgirl zeitgeist. But there's something else going on here, too--Kala practically charts a history of alternative rock. Arulpragasam has ripped her pages straight from the Sex Pistols' playbook: she doesn't cover the songs of her heroes on this album so much as rip them to shreds and rebuild them into new classics that are unmistakably and completely hers.

Thu. Nov. 29, 7pm San Jose State Event Center 290 S. 7th St., San Jose 408.998.TIXS $30 BUY TICKETS

Fall Out Boy THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES: You saw them at this year's MTV Video Music Awards, now get ready to see Fall Out Boy live and in the flesh this November at the San Jose Events Center. The pop-punk sensations are currently touring in support of their latest album, Infinity on High, though the support is hardly needed--the record already climbed to numero uno on the pop charts and went platinum in less than a month. Still, Fall Out Boy is on the road, satisfying emo-kids across the nation with their best-selling brand of rock & roll.

--This week's newsletter by: RO, MC, CT, GW, SP PD & DB

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