Upon arriving, VERY well costumed guests' eyes beheld an eerie sight: the sideshow stylings of Sideshow Bennie and Anna Fiametta, who breathed fire and swallowed everything the could get their hands on... Guests were terrified by masked freaks on stilts and knocked down and peg or two by the rudest clown we've ever met. Before entering our "haunted hallway," guests were "framed" for a crime they may or may not have committed involving an unfortunate broad in a bloody bathtub. We snapped potential criminals' portraits, rushed the negatives back to the Third Man photo studio and dark room, and developed the photos during the show, presenting suspicious guests with their one-of-a-kind prints as they left later in the evening.

Unknown Hinson, our majestic and maniacal Master of Ceremonies for the evening, started the night off in high style, introducing a gas mask-clad Miss Rose Hips, who shook and shook from high above the bar in the blue room to the mesmerized menagerie, followed by young rockers Weekend Babes, who clearly gained the respect of the crowd.

The night proceeded with a magical set by Jason Michaels, the Cardshark, who left many an audience member slack jawed and awed. JP5, who we have been dying to get in for a show for many months were well worth the wait and were followed by a special cameo performance by a squeaky, well-armored mystery man who sang his heart out in between sets. The party had just begun.

Onto the main event. Folks, Olivia Jean has arrived. Though perhaps looking a little less-than-lively, Olivia Jean's appearance deceived as she and her toothy (and toothsome!) band put on their best performance to date, covering songs from her new album Bathtub Love Killings as well as a few Black Belles favorites and The Special's "Ghost Town." They SLAYED. They KILLED. They DESTROYED the audience, and we the audience were just pleased as spiked punch. Many guests had literally paid with their blood to be at this performance, and Olivia Jean was more than ready to make good on every last drop.

Closing out the night, Miss Rose Hips once again graced our stage-in-the-sky, while Breast Massage prepared to shake the very foundation of 623 7th Avenue South. Full of familiar characters, Breast Massage eased us out of Devil's Night and into Halloween with the growlin'est, bone-shakin'est, bad vibrations'est, hide-under-the-bed-and-call-your-mama'est set we've seen in a long time.

It was a graveyard smash. Happy Halloween!

love, Third Man Records

All photos by Angelina Castillo and Bradley Marshall.