Halloween: Like the Beatles, bigger than Jesus

We sure do like to talk/argue about Halloween round these parts. I jumped into the fray a few posts ago, lamenting the use of Ticketmaster and booking of Christian-y bands for the now privately run Freak Fest event down on State Street.

Further information is slowly being leaked, though, including a slightly more promising line-up of bands that will likely include Ky-Mani Marley, Mighty Short Bus, Rob Dz and possibly even War (the latter of which might actually compel me to check the whole thing out). Plus, we are being reassured that, in deference to the already low cost of tickets, the Ticketmaster service fee will only be $1.50.

So I stand somewhat assuaged. Still, I don't doubt there will be yet more discussion and debate over the fate of the State Street shindig (rhyming unintentional, I swear). For whatever reason, it's an issue near and dear to the hearts of (mostly younger) Madison residents.

Naughty Nurses unite; Halloween needs you!

A call to arms, I suppose, courtesy of Riot In the City:

It's very simple to make this a great event, and I believe an annual Halloween bash is worth pursuing for a variety of reasons. But it can't continue with the limited amount of constructive input it's been receiving this year and in years' past, and I speak from frustrated first hand experience. This event needs you... To whatever ends, this event happens because of you. You should be the ones taking interest, taking charge of what goes on at the event, and my arguement [sic] is your number one concern should be the entertainment (nevermind the gating, never mind the tickets... you let the SoCo people scan your ID to put you on a mailing list for Christ's sake...) the end (a fucking awesome concert) will overshadow the means (a wristband or ticket for $5-7)

At any rate, here is your notice: you have 35 days until Saturday, October 27th. Make the most of it. Make this your party. Your Event. Your City's gleaming pride. While you should fight not to lose the debaucherous nature (who wants a halloween with no naughty nurses? no rhinestone encrusted push-ups?.. no track team in thongs?) , this is a most serious call to fight for your right to party. Because believe me, it will be a fight to make this a real party, the market economics are working against it.

OK then. I'll be snotty and mention that I didn't go to the SoCo Music Experience (as much of a draw as the bands were) and if I did, I certainly would have turned around the minute someone asked to scan my ID. Secondly, I apologize, but I can't get past the use of Ticketmaster for the Halloween event. Seriously, it's just a ridiculous call. And I don't remember anyone being solicited for input about that before the decision was made.

Now we're being urged to speak up for the type of entertainment we'd like to have at Freak Fest. Makes sense to me. It's hard for one production company to figure out what "the kids" are listening to these days, so making suggestions makes sense. Still, I see very little excuse for the booking of predominantly Christian rock bands at an event that celebrates a holiday with extremely non-Christian roots and, specifically to the State Street tradition, wildly non-Christian antics. Hey, at least it'll be funny.

Ultimately, however, it's true that an event like this needs a group of dedicated and knowledgeable organizers who can put together a fun, safe and still crazy night of shenanigans--people who know Madison, know music and know that Ticketmaster pretty much sucks big ones.

Since I'm not willing to be one of those people for this specific thing, I'll stop my criticisms here and content myself with thoughts of jack-o-lanterns, hot apple cider and, God willing, a Halloween entirely free of naughty nurses.

Freak Fest marries Ticketmaster; now, who wants to catch the bouquet?

Ah, Freak Fest--formerly known as the Halloween free-for-all held annually down on State Street in our fair city. A bastion of drunken, be-costumed college students and those rascally out-of-town hooligans (because it's always people from other cities--Madisonians are such angels) who show up to start fires and break windows. And flash their boobs. And climb trees.

I admit, I was fascinated and wildly entertained for most of the two years I went to the unregulated street parties of yore. The crush of the crowd usually got to be too much, but the costumes were varied and hilarious. Still, I haven't been to the event in, oh, four years now? And I don't intend to go now that it's a gated, ticketed event. Especially now that it's been announced that the organizers will be funneling all ticket sales through that bastion of fair business practices, Ticketmaster.

In theory, tickets will cost $5 per person. I'll be most curious, however, to see how much of a "convenience charge" TM adds on, along with any other little fees they feel might be necessary.

According to Isthmus Daily Page's article, the Downtown Coordinating Committee, the group that made the decision to use TM, claims that it "wasn't an easy decision for the city and Frank Productions, given the former's ongoing campaign to rebrand the event as locally-focused in an effort to discourage attendance by the proverbially raucous out-of-state student contingent. They decided to go for it, though, in order to utilize the online sales for direct marketing, emailing ticket-holders in advance of the party to communicate and reinforce event rules, details, and so on."

Did they bother to shop around at all? For instance, there's Brown Paper Tickets, a fair-trade ticketing service utilized by a number of groups around town. They offer the ticket selling feature free-of-charge and without any "convenience fees" tacked on (just a minuscule service charge of .99 cents). Why didn't the DCC go with them? I have no clue, but it seems like a bad move. Not only will the use of TM likely cost the organizers money, but it's going to add unnecessary cost to the price of tickets and probably lessen the amount of people who buy them and attend the event.

Hey, maybe that was their intent all along?

P.S. I can't say that the so-far leaked entertainment line-up is terribly thrilling, either. But that's just one woman's opinion.