The Wake

The activist group Substance celebrated Halloween on Saturday with a haunted house in the Dinkytown Oakeshott Institute, based on the events surrounding the Republican National Convention earlier this year. After progressing past the chaotic RNC terror, patrons were greeted with live music from Kill The Vultures, Gay Witch Abortion, Slapping Purses and Tender Meat. The event helped raise money for the RNC 8 and to pay debts incurred from the Ripple Effect concert that took place during the RNC.

The haunted house portion was swarmed with screaming police officers and accosted protesters. In the dark confines of the church basement, I was ordered to get on my knees as an officer placed a bag over my head and led me to the next room. In the corner, a witness was being tortured and police officers beat civilians. I didn’t quite feel the fear I was intended to feel, the guns shoved to my face being rubber and all. As a political statement, the haunted house worked well, exaggerating actual events to emphasize the madness that took place. As a haunted house, it left something to be desired.

Once inside the main area of the church, the piercing aggressive electro sounds of Slapping Purses flooded my ears as a slew of costumed individuals danced the devil’s dance and downed snuck-in alcohol. All the acts were permanent-hearing-loss loud, with Gay Witch Abortion bringing their standard two-man sonic assault and Kill The Vultures sounding like they had blown the speakers. Crescent Moon of Kill The Vultures schooled listeners on the history of the place they were standing and the legend of Oakeshott, the deceased medieval-armor enthusiast for whom the church was named. In the middle of the KTV set, the real cops came and busted the whole thing. In an ironic image, some of the fake cops from the haunted house portion wound up in the backseat of the squad car. One audience member implored KTV to keep playing so the situation would escalate and we could all “get on the news”. He had probably gone without getting arrested at the RNC and was really bummed about it.

With American Nightmare, Substance successfully helmed yet another politically-charged musical event, bringing arts and activism together as is their M.O. They urged people to vote tomorrow, and so do I. Get your ass to the polls.