Happy Halloween WA, 2023!

HI WA Friends

Are you celebrating Halloween tonight? It's not just for children!

Halloween As A child

Growing up, Halloween was my third favorite holiday after Christmas and my Birthday.

I got more toys for Christmas, but my birthday was a very close second. I had sixteen aunts and uncles on both sides, plus my parents had too many friends to count, and they all gave me gifts for both holidays!

What made Halloween special was the costumes! Of course, there was the fun of trick or treating, but I had candy every day as a child, so the giant pillowcase of treats was no big deal.

My mother was a professional seamstress who made hundreds of costumes a year for a local playhouse and custom-made-to-order wedding gowns. So, she would make us a "stage quality" costume of our choice every Halloween!

So loved the monster movies, but my dad did not care for them, and my brother and sister were too scared to watch, so my mother took me to all the monster movie matinees as a child.

Each year, I got a different monster costume, which I would keep and wear throughout the year for playtime.

My favorite was the Count Dracula costume. I was identical to the original black and white movie with Bela Lugosi, complete with vest, pendant, and cape. The cape had a red velvet lining. It looked exactly like the movie photo below, and my dad made me a cardboard coffin to come out of! Lol

Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula (1931)

So, over the years, I collected costumes of Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, The Creature From The Black Lagoon, The Phantom Of The Opera, The Wolfman, Godzilla, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, and The Fly (from the first movie with Vincent Price), There were probably others, too. Haha

What To Do On Halloween

There are so many things to do on Halloween, no matter what age you are, but being around children can be the most fun of all!

Stay Home And Give Out Candy

We always give out Halloween candy. It's such a thrill to see all the costumes and excited faces on the children.

I used to play scary "Phantom Of The Opera" pipe organ music on my Roland synthesizer, but I haven't done that in a while. Definitely something to get back to. Lol

Go To A Costume Party Or Host One

We always go to a neighbor's Halloween party, but this year it didn't happen because they had to go away last weekend. There's always next year.

Watch A Scary Movie (courtesy of Bard):

Here are some that might have you sitting on the edge of your seat. We always have scary movies playing while we wait for kids to come to the door!

• The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
• Alien (1979)
• The Shining (1980)
• The Thing (1982)
• A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
• The Fly (1986)
• Hellraiser (1987)
• Candyman (1992)
• Scream (1996)
• The Ring (2002)
• The Grudge (2004)
• Dawn of the Dead (2004)
• 28 Days Later (2002)
• The Descent (2005)
• Hostel (2005)
• The House On The Haunted Hill (1959)
• Halloween (1978)
• Friday the 13th (1980)

Go To A Jack-O-Lantern Show.

Each year, we buy VIP tickets for a show at out largest park, which is set up in the zoo. The profits go to a great cause, and it's an excellent night of horror, eating, drinking, and dancing.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the show we went to this year. There were over a thousand pumpkins that were painted or carved.

Listen To Halloween Songs (courtesy of Bard):

1. Ghostbusters Theme Song - Ray Parker Jr.
2. Thriller - Michael Jackson
3. Monster Mash - Bobby "Boris" Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers
4. This Is Halloween - Danny Elfman
5. (Don't Fear) The Reaper - Blue Öyster Cult
6. I Put a Spell on You - Screamin' Jay Hawkins
7. Disturbia - Rihanna
8. Psycho Killer - Talking Heads
9. Somebody's Watching Me - Rockwell
10. Time Warp - The Rocky Horror Picture Show Cast

Play Some Scary Music

There's no better night to play some ominous music than Halloween! I'm talking songs like "The Black Widow" (Alice Cooper), "Bark At The Moon" (Ozzy Osbourne), and "The Evil That Men Do" (Iron Maiden).

So, what guitar do I play every Halloween? My vampire guitar, of course!

Front (pickguard graphic & crystal control knobs)

Rear (tremolo plate graphic & etched neck plate)

It was originally a cheap guitar I put together from parts lying around my workshop for my wife. She didn't play it, so I added the custom vampire graphics and neck plate. I also rewired it with military-grade electronics and popped in three DiMarzio Area 61 pickups., which gave it the totally evil sound it has today! Lol

Don't Skip It, Do Something!

You don't have to do anything big, but do something to mark the occasion. Whatever you decide to do, have as much fun as you can, and let me know what your plans are in the comments!😎

Happy Halloween 👻 🎃 👻

Rock On! 🤘
Frank 🎸

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