The Wake

I recently got a chance to talk with Bill Lindsey about the upcoming greatest holiday of the year. (That’s Halloween for our readers who are a little slow.) Bill is the vocalist for the greatest band ever to come out of Minnesota, Impaler, a 365-day embodiment of Halloween, heavy metal, and punk rock.

The Wake: Bill can you give us a run down on the best haunted house in town?
Bill: Well, in my opinion the Fright Farm is by far the best haunted attraction in the Twin Cities. They have the best sets and characters! Great atmosphere in the fright farm. No kids in a sheet and tennis shoes jumping out at you, that is the worst and it’s happened may times when I’ve paid like $5 or $7 to go in a haunted house and they are just lame! So go to the Fright Farm and tell them Impaler sent you!

The Wake: Could you tell us a bit about your upcoming Halloween shows?
Bill: We have a busy Halloween season this year. We are performing on Kare 11 today show on Friday the 29th of October at 10 a.m. and then we play the Mad Monster party at the Turf Club that same night. On Halloween proper Impaler will do an all-ages event at Star Central in Northeast Minneapolis on 40th and Central.

The Wake: What are your favorite films for Halloween viewing?
Bill: Well, I watch horror flicks all year around but I like to watch the old Universal films to get me feeling spooky! Frankenstein, Dracula. Then I might see the first Halloween too. Nightmare Before Christmas always comes out this time of year too. I like to see that at the uptown theatre on the big screen!

The Wake: Now let’s talk a bit of Halloween past… What are some of your best Halloween costumes?
Bill: Well, I was a witch one year long ago. My grandma made it for me! Also, Batman was my hero back in the 60s so I was Batman even when it wasn’t Halloween! I had a cape and a Batman utility belt. I was stylin’!

The Wake: What’s your favorite Halloween candy?
Bill: Snickers or Nut Goodie

The Wake: How about your favorite Halloween prank?
Bill: Playing loud, obnoxious music to people!

The Wake: What’s your best story from a past Halloween show?
Bill: Well, one Halloween our old drummer Meaty Bob had real pig heads spiked on his drum kit and it was a frosty October night and after the show people were playing soccer in the alley with a pig’s head…that was surreal!

The Wake: Tell us a little about the upcoming album…
Bill: Habeas Corpus is the new disc we are working on as we speak. We’ve been working at Triple 4 Studios in St. Paul. Some of the newer stuff we’ve played at shows recently like “Black River Falls” and “Supernatural Superstar” are going to be on it.

The Wake: Tell us why Impaler is the ultimate Halloween band.
Bill: We have kind of become the musical ambassadors for trick-or-treaters, but we are really Halloween all year around!

The Wake: Why is Halloween your favorite holiday?
Bill: Because it’s the time of year when the spirit realm and the mortal realm are closest together and you can see spirits and goblins running around!

The Wake: Best albums to listen to on Halloween?
Bill: Son of Sam

The Wake: Munsters or Addams Family?
Bill: Munster’s had the coolest gadgets but the Addams Family have the biggest laughs. So it’s a tie!

The Wake: Better Halloween special — Charlie Brown or Garfield?
Bill: The Great Pumpkin without a doubt.

The Wake: Did your kids get to do the ordinary trick or treat thing with you doing the Impaler thing?
Bill: Oh yeah, I always took them trick-or-treating first. That’s important childhood development.

The Wake: Best Halloween story from when you were a kid?
Bill: Every Halloween was a fantastic adventure and I loved them all. We would travel for miles and have like, two pillow cases of candy and there were literally hundreds and hundreds of kids out back in those days. It was quite spectacular.

Readers, should — nay, must — check out Impaler at www.impalershockrock.com. And if you need more incentive to attend one of their Halloween shows, your very favorite metal head (me!) will be at both. Oh, and don’t forget, Bill Lindsey says go and vote. (And he won’t say for whom because you can think for yourself, consarn it!)