People can trick-or-treat the night away at the Whiskey Bar on Washington Street next week.
Sponsored by the Hipnosis Arts Group, the show will feature nine performers ranging from hard rock and punk artists to poets and acoustic musicians. The group made their impact on the city's arts and entertainment scene in February by organizing the Ristra Bar and Grill's open-mic night every Tuesday. The Halloween show features some of the talent from the open mic night series.
"This show will showcase a variety of talent," said Guy Tetro, Hipnosis Arts Group president. "We're expecting a packed house for the event."
The lineup for the show includes Goth-rockers Otto's Daughter from North Bergen, Hoboken punk-rockers High Speed Chase, industrial dance sound Evil Adam, alternative rock band My Pocket Zoo, melodic rockers Years of Static, shock poetry by Alexander the Poet, bongo poetry by Hoboken Ron, an industrial mix of music and spoken word by Saggs, and a monologue presentation by actor and poet Radomir Luza, Jr.
"It's going to be a fun evening with a good group of people," Luza said.
Located at the heart of Hoboken's downtown club scene for a little more than two years, the Whiskey Bar is co-owned by Jeff Debruycker and Dave Jayce.
"We bring the best bands in the tri-state area for everyone to enjoy," Debruycker said. "We want to make it an experience to come here."
With Debruycker's hard work booking quality acts, the Whiskey Bar has become one of the top places in town for good live music. The bar has a small entrance, but looks can be deceiving. Inside, there's a large bar with three bartenders serving drinks and a smaller bar in the back next to the stage.
"Our cover bands are pretty decent," Debruycker said. "We are always packed on the weekends."
The Whiskey Bar has a large variety of whiskeys, but they are better known for their beer specials. Each day they promote a different beer. Happy hour is from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Domestic pints are $1.50 and buckets of beer, which include four beer bottles, are $8.
"We're really happy with how the buckets are going," Debruycker said.
The Hipnosis Arts Group, based in Ridgefield Park, is a non-profit organization comprised of a group of volunteers who are determined to see a unified and strong arts scene in New Jersey, according to Tetro.
"Hipnosis is committed to working with the music and arts communities to promote and develop the cultural scene in the Garden State," Tetro said. "We strive to act as a catalyst to bring new and innovative events to New Jersey and to help artists of all genres connect with one another."
The group releases a quarterly magazine, "Hipnosis," which highlights independent music, film, theater, poetry, visual arts, and human-interest features.
The Halloween show starts at 7 p.m. and there is a $7 cover at the door. There will be costume contests and giveaways. The Whiskey Bar is located on 125 Washington St. Their hours of operation are Tuesday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. For a complete concert listing and more information on the show call 963-3400 or visit them on the web at www.whiskey-bar.com or Hipnosis at www.hipnosis.com.