Music Around Madison: October 26 and 27

The Halloween festivities this weekend fill a grab-bag of tricks (top 40 pop oozing all over the Freakfest mainstage; ‘92’s Guinness record holder for “fastest rapper in the world” at the Alliant Energy Center) and treats (Kiki’s house show for indie rock up-and-comers Head of Femur; a sexy romp of punk, burlesque, and keytar at the King Club). One thing can be said for certain: the offerings ensure something sweet for everyone.

On Friday night, there’s a pregame option in nearly every venue, representing nearly every genre-- even robot rock. Glass Nickel has 5 bands for 5 bucks starting at 9 pm, with Mayor Daley, Fierce Perm, and U.S. Girls supporting Zebras (formerly the Window Smashers) and TWIN (representing Northwest noise-rock). Just around the corner is another heavily laden bill at the Barrymore. A handful of thrash metal bands— Dope, Bobaflex, Autumn Offering, and Fear Nothing Band— perform under the banner “Special Freakfest Eve Performance!”

Muscle Shoals, Alabama is represented in Madison for the umpteenth time this fall, this time bringing indie rockers Western Civ to the Rathskeller along with Pavement-esque Nebraska outfit Capgun Coup (9:30). San Fran’s Captured! By Robots hit the Annex with Madison’s own aptly named Digibot. For this tour, dubbed “Dubya,” rumor has it the robots are dressed as George W. Bush and his cabinet, while attendees should come in their best Secret Service getup.

Global Drum Project, surrounding Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, is in Overture Hall at 8 pm, preceded by a bass drum workshop from 4:30 to 6 and a community drum circle from 6:30 to 7:30.

The hip-hop starts early, for the children and church-goers, tonight. Local tot-friendly group The Figureheads release their new DVD at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church West at 7 PM. This performance is a benefit for preschool scholarships. At 7:30 Twista blows into the Alliant Energy Center; the rapid-fire Chicago MC will be joined by Houston rapper Paul Wall and opener T Trell. But the motherlode of beats will be brought at the High Noon tonight, with acclaimed MC duo Little Brother headlining a jam-packed lineup that includes Evidence, The Away Team, The Crest, and Lucha Libre.

Mellower options include jam band Strange Arrangement at the Klinic or the folk/rock lineup at the Loft which features The Spill Canvas, along with Meg and Dia, PlayRadioPlay! and Treaty of Paris.

And for something completely different, check out the always-innovative annual Context fashion show at the Majestic. This year it’s aptly billed as “The Death of Fashion,” promising “grisly runway theatre” and featuring DJ Nick Nice as the purveyor of beats that will “bring you to the verge of frenzy.”

Everyone knows that the pre-Halloween Saturday is Madison’s ultimate night in entertainment. This year the options are more eclectic than ever.

Year two of State Street’s night of mayhem reincarnated as “Freakfest” brings in the big guns-- corporate sponsorship. Mountain Dew, Frank Productions, Isthmus, Milio’s, The Onion, Channel3000, and Z104 present a monster mashup of local and national acts on 3 stages. Local faves the Gomers do a special Peace Park rendition of Gomeroke, while the Midway State and Mighty Short Bus are on the Capitol Square Stage before headliners Matt Wertz, Dave Barnes and Lifehouse. The Gorham Stage gets slightly more freaky (think MTV over VH1), with Mike Droho and Rob Dz opening for formally-local-indierockers-gone-Brooklyn Locksley, and reggae royalty Ky-Mani Marley. Ra Fury won the coveted Battle of the Bands slot and will perform at Peace Park, midnight.

There are plenty of places to be beyond State Street this year. At the High Noon Saloon, Cealed Kasket, Mr. Brownstone, Turbo, and Straight to the Stone Age give you goofy glam-rock and special effects perfect for capping a night of costumed debauchery. Crazy getups are the norm at any Screamin’ Cyn Cyn and the Pons show, and Saturday’s King Club show also presents Pagee Go-Go, the Facesteak, and Foxy Veronica’s Peach Pies (who are perhaps better known for what they don’t wear). Wonders Pub ups the bar for entertainment on the east side with a reunion by crazy disco-funk band V05, joined by The Motor Primitives and Sigourney Weaver. Not to be outdone, the Crystal Corner gives us Elvis Costello and his Big City Honky Tonk, wherein the local kings of swagger will be dressed as various incarnations of The King.

The legendary band who gave us “Low Rider,” War, rolls into town to funk up the Monona Terrace for a scholarship benefit. And around the corner, the rest of the King Street area promises to be rockin’ into the wee hours to provide primo afterparties, with live music from Wonderbox at the Great Dane, DJ Vilas Park Sniper spinning at Nattspil, and HalloQueen at 9 PM at the Majestic Theatre. HalloQueen is a costume ball presented by Indie Queer Madison and includes Mad Cabaret alum Pierce Bottoms as the night’s MC, with DJ sets from Nick Nice and Real Jaguar.

The DIY spirit is in full effect as well, with downtown alternatives provided by Kiki’s House of Righteous Music presenting Head of Femur and National Beekeepers Society and an impressive bill of emo pop at Nottingham Co-op: Fall of Snow from Portland, OR, and locals Kinit Her, Gold, and Tunnels of Doom.

And if you've already got a vampire outfit at the ready, the place to be is the Inferno. Head over to the dark side, where DJs EYG and Siberia preside over a Vampire Ball.