Saturday night, Maddy Walsh and the Blind Spots will return to the Haunt for a Halloween Spectacular. It’s one of the band members’ favorite times of the year, one that allows them to go all-out with cool themes, props and costumes.
“The Blind Spots have a long and impassioned love affair with Halloween and theme parties,” said Maddy Walsh. “We've delved into ‘Alice in Wonderland’ / ‘the Mad Tea Party,’ ‘The Big Lebowski,’ ‘True Blood’ (HBO), zebras, a beach party, a pajama party, ‘Star Wars,’ Prom (oh wait, that was the actual prom), ‘Willy Wonka’ / ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.’ We even went as ‘Crimson Wave and The Plugs’ one year – I'll leave that picture to the imagination of those who weren't there.
“Halloween is just fun, and if musicians in bands take themselves too seriously, they might as well just throw in the towel. It's always a chance for us to get playful and theatrical and create a one-night-only kind of show for our hometown fans. You're either there or you miss it altogether, and it'll never be recreated.”
The band has enlisted two bands to join them on Saturday’s bill: Ithaca's kurt.riley+praxis and New York City's Dirty Mae.
“Kurt Riley sat in with us this summer at Ithaca Fest for David Bowie’s ‘Let's Dance’ and I'm a huge fan,” Walsh said. “I love his gigantic stage presence and the go-for-it-ness that I feel is lacking in so much newer indie music. Neither Kurt nor I could ever be considered a ‘shoe gazer’ in the music world, in that we're not afraid to (or feel ‘too cool’ to) perform. When people buy tickets to our shows, I feel it's my responsibility to give them the escape, a lifting up, and reinvigoration they've invested and committed to, and I think Kurt sees entertainment that same way."
Dirty Mae was the winner of the band contest at the 2019 GrassRoots Festival, which means they’ll get to play a full set at the 2020 GrassRoots.
“They're a newer band with such dedication -- also theatrical and so, so fun!” Walsh said. “We played a show with them down in their home region of New York City at Rockwood Music Hall, and it was clear that they're building a scene. I look forward to seeing it grow and grow.”
Walsh concluded by noting “every time The Blind Spots commit to a hometown club show, especially on Halloween, we plan to bring the party, in high ridiculousness."
“We had a big summer introducing people to our new lineup, and we hope everybody comes through this fall to see what this configuration can cook up,” she said. “We'll also be making some very special announcements from the stage.”
Kurt Riley’s ‘FTR SHK’
This week, kurt.riley+praxis entered their latest chapter with the release of the new single “FTR SHK” (pronounced “future shock”) on New Vine Records. Watch the video here.
“FTR SHK” is the first release in Riley’s new “Chrome Empire phase” – a “vision of the world to come,” according to a press release. "Addressing environmental devastation, human/machine relationships, the growth of megacities, and the birth of AI, kurt.riley+praxis’ 'Chrome Empire' phase will see the artist release 10 singles with partner label New Vine Records through 2021, in lieu of a traditional album."
To learn more, visit the New Vine Records site.
If You Go
Who: Maddy Walsh & the Blind Spots, with Dirty Mae and kurt.riley+praxis
What: Halloween Spectacular
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2
Where: The Haunt , 702 Willow Ave., Ithaca
Cost: $12 in advance, $15 at the door, available here.