by SCOTT C

It’s once again that time of year when I walk around trying to think of the most amazing Halloween costume ever, with absolutely no intention of dressing up in the first place. If, like me, you copped out and dressed up as a “bum” or a “lady” when you were younger, just so you wouldn’t get left out of the candy game, you probably used to think like me.

Every year on the day after Halloween, I would try to come up with the most creative and brilliant costume, for next year. I would entertain the genius of the coming year’s Halloween costume for weeks, imagining how impressed everyone would be with the time and effort I’d put into the grand masquerade. Unfortunately, these overblown ideas would only last until I’d devoured every single one of the candies collected on Halloween night, including the Tootsie Rolls. None of the extravagant costume ideas I came up with over the years ever really saw the light of day. I couldn’t get anyone to help me with my Chinese Dragon idea, and my visions of Dino from the Flintstones and Aslan the talking lion were truly short-lived.

I am, however, still filled with pride when I see pics of my Personal Trainer disguise from a few years back. God just gave me the gift of Halloween, I guess. Are you listening, American Apparel?

If I can direct your attention to some people who take this Halloween shit very seriously, this Saturday, Oct. 28, at 10 p.m., marks the return of Island City Monsters’ annual Shiver Show at the Studio Juste pour Rire. This multimedia costume event is now in its sixth year and boasts short films, musical guests, theatrical rap performances and the Studio A dancers, all rolled into a huge, dramatic hip hop production complete with sets, dialogue and storyline. With a $10 ticket, the Shiver Show helps to raise money for Leukemia research at the Royal Vic Hospital, as well as offering over $2,000 in prizes for best overall costume, best group, sexiest and funniest. Check out www.islandcitymonsters.com for more info.

There’s also some Halloween bizness going on down at Pub St. James in Old Montreal on Friday, Oct. 27, when DJs J-Love, Simon B, Bopp, PatStyles and Joey Paradise hold down a Western-themed party at the Pub. (Coming up on Nov. 11, the Pub will also host Jojo Flores’s birthday, with very special guest Kerry Chandler, so mark it down.)

Also on Oct. 27, Soulmeka at Academy welcomes NYC-based DJ Manny Ward for a special guest set that will delve into house classics, and hopefully some darker 4/4 vibes, in keeping with the Halloween weekend feel.

Please don’t forget your U.K. soul fix with Omar at Jello, backed by Fredy V and Black Soil, also on Friday. Tix are $15, but get them soon, because it’s gonna be packed for sure!

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