People mostly celebrate Halloween by dressing in a spooky, funny or sexy getup. But there is another way to celebrate the scariest nights of the year: with music. Whatever your music preference, there is something for any music lover on All Hallows’ Eve.

Groovestand’s Spooky Sweet Sixteen 

This year, the Syracuse University a cappella group Groovestand will host an invitational on Friday in Schine Underground. This performance celebrates their 16th year as an organization. The group will be singing seven songs total, including two brand new songs, and will be sharing the stage with special guests Otto Tunes and Main Squeeze.

“It’ll be a night of spooky musical magic with a birthday twist,” Peri Schuster, Groovestand’s music director, said.

The event will be both Halloween and birthday themed, and all the singers will be dressed in costume. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $1 with SUID, and $3 without.

Symphoria Halloween Spooktacular:

Early Saturday morning, families will come together in costume for a children’s orchestra Halloween concert at Inspiration Hall. Before the show, the Central New York Association of Music Teachers invites anyone to an instrumental “petting show,” where all ages can see demonstrations of various instruments and even try them out for themselves. Jon Garland, a member of the adult Symphoria orchestra and director of the board, said the entire program will focus on music that is inspired by Halloween stories.

“We are going to be doing things like ‘Night on Bald Mountain,’ which is a very descriptive story that talks about witches, but is illustrated by music,” Garland said.

The band will also be performing “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” where the orchestra invites the audience members to march along like the trolls described in the song. Following the show will be a costume parade to the tune of John Williams’ “Imperial March” from Star Wars.

The performance will take place at 709 James St. beginning at 10 a.m., and will last for an hour. Admission is free for children 18 and younger, and students only pay $5 with a student ID. Adult tickets are $15.

Symphoria’s Spark Concert Spine-Chilling Serenade 

Symphoria will be performing again Saturday night in the lobby of the Landmark Theater. The Symphoria Spark concerts are different from what you would envision a typical orchestra concert to be. Most audience members remain standing throughout this event, and food and a cash bar are available during the event.

The orchestra will move around the lobby throughout the performance, and at some points they will break down to brass and string quintets. Besides some Mendelssohn and Beethoven, some Halloween-themed songs you can expect to hear include “This is Halloween” and Gabrieli in a minor key.

Garland said the serenade will be more of a social event. Members of the orchestra will be in costume, and they invite guests to arrive in costume as well. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $25 but $5 for students and free for children. A ghost tour of the Landmark Theater will be an option available during the performance for an additional $10.

Orange Appeal’s Annual Spooktacular 

Orange Appeal’s annual Halloween show will be held Saturday night in Schine Underground.  The event will also feature a cappella group The Mandarins from SU and The Enchords from the University at Buffalo.

The event doubles as a fundraiser for the group for a 20th anniversary album planned for a summer release. The group will be dressed in their classic converse and ties, but with spooky face paint. Song highlights will include a Marvin Gaye medley, and Zayn Malik’s “Pillow Talk.”

“The audience should expect a night of fantastic a cappella talent and performances, and a chance to see what 20 years of being a student organization is all about,” said Steven Szachara, Orange Appeal’s president.

Dead Night and Marley Night

Both Funk ‘n Waffles locations plan to combine their regular Monday night events together on Oct. 31 to present one big Halloween celebration at the downtown location. The event is going to have two sets of music: one dedicated to the Grateful Dead and one dedicated to Bob Marley. Pearly Baker’s Best is an authentic Grateful Dead tribute band that performs at Funk ‘n Waffles downtown every Monday, and Skunk City is the reggae group that will be leaving their usual spot at the Funk ‘n Waffles location on the hill to join the tribute band.

“The two combined at Funk DT will be a fantastic night of reggae jam tunes and a lot of super talented musicians coming together under one roof,” Joelynn Frascatore, the venue supervisor, said. “The evening is going to be one big happy hippie Halloween.”

Doors open at 7 p.m., but the show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.

Published on October 25, 2016 at 10:57 pm

Contact: lmeyers@syr.edu