Halloween brings one of Boston’s coolest local music traditions, with bands taking the stage (sometimes in costume) as a more famous/often hilarious musical act. You may be particularly intrigued this year in the week leading up to ‘ween, particularly if you have an appetite for pizza, Green Day, or EDM. If cover sets aren’t your thing, there are plenty of Halloween-themed shows, including RadioBDC’s Retro Halloween Ball at Ned Devine’s on Oct. 31. But wherever you go, make sure you dress the part. Nothing is more embarrassing than not looking like a total idiot at a Halloween show. Here are our picks for Boston’s best cover sets this October.
Friday, Oct. 25
The Pill 11th Annual Halloween Show featuring The Luxury as The Verve, The Susan Constant as Metric, The Daily Pravda as The Psychedelic Furs, DJ Ken & Michael V as Daft Punk (Great Scott, 10 p.m., $10, 21+)
The Lights Out 5th Annual Halloween Extravaganza featuring The Lights Out as Tom Petty, The Field Effect as Green Day, The Fastest Lane (feat. Will Dailey and members of Parks, Spirit Kid, Giant Kings, Bent Shapes) as The Eagles, The Life Electric as Foo Fighters, Magen Tracy and Leesa Coyne as Heart (Middle East Downstairs, 8 p.m., $10, 18+)
Night of the Imposters featuring Ad Frank and the Fast Easy Women as Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Lifestyle as Depeche Mode, Eldridge Rodriguez as The Jesus and Mary Chain, members of Letters to Cleo, Orbit, and WFNX as Pretendica (TT the Bear’s, 8:30 p.m., $12, 18+)
Saturday, Oct. 26
The Deep North as The Dead North, Await Rescue as Foo Fighters, Steve Walther Orchestra as The Muppets, The Interrobang as Radiohead, When Particles Collide as Green Day (performing “Dookie” in its entirety) (Radio, 8 p.m., $10, 21+)
Monday, Oct. 28
Tsons of Tsunami (BUFU Records tape release) as Sons of Sunami, Strict Agnostics as Ty Segall, members of Fleabite and Bad Idea as The Ramones, members of Brave Hands, Sneeze, and Ken Burns as Rainer Maria, Dylan Ewen as Daniel Johnston (Charlie’s Kitchen, 9 p.m., $5, 21+)
Wednesday, Oct. 30
Bowery Boston Presents Hell Night featuring members of The Hidden, Blackhouse, Iron Mustache, and The Dividers as Horror Business (Misfits cover), members of Cocked N’ Loaded, Razors In The Night, and Death Ray Vision as Fistful of Hemorrhoids (Turbonegro cover), members of Gozu, Mellow Bravo, and Lunglust as American Ruse (MC5 cover), members of Hey Zeus as In Rock (Deep Purple cover), members of Lunglust, Moons, Tired Old Bones, and Cropduster as Your Shitty Future (The Bronx cover) (Great Scott, 9 p.m., 18+, $10)
Ex-Magicians as The Beatles, Ali/Chelsea and friends as The Ramones, Zoe/Matt/Ian as The Nerves, Brian Jones and friends as Creedence Clearwater Revival (O’Brien’s, 8 p.m., $5, 21+)
Throwed Halloween edition with E-Marce as Zedd, Jstrjr as Diplo, Crime Pays as Justice, Colin Domigan as Dillon Francis, Bad Magician and Mobsky as Dog Blood (Middle East Downstairs, 9 p.m., $10, 18+)
Thursday, Oct. 31
Allston Pudding’s Halloween Pizza Party featuring Krill as The Pixies, Cuffs as ‘80s Sonic Youth, and Vundabar as Violent Femmes (Regina Pizzeria, 9 p.m., FREE, all ages)
Honky Tonk Halloween featuring Honky Tonk Masquerade (Martin Grosswendt, Susanne Schatz, Michael Bean, John Donahoe, and more) as Gram Parsons (Sally O’Brien’s, 7:30 p.m.)
Trick or Treat Yo Self featuring Dan Webb and The Spiders as Jay Reatard, Sneeze as Green Day, members of Flat Swamp, GRASS IS GREEN, and Vending Machetes as Weezer, members of Hex Map, The New Dumb, and Never Give A Goat The High Ground as Wire (Great Scott, 9 p.m., $8, 18+)
AjDIO’s Halloween Spooktacular with members of Titanics, Upper Crust, Bags, and Clamdiggers as The Satanics, AjDIO playing Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and Dio, members of Bang Camaro as Aquanutz (’80s hard rock cover), members of Slim Jim and the Mad Cows as Slim Lizzy (Thin Lizzy cover) (Middle East Upstairs, 8 p.m., $10, 18+)
