Between Chamber Mage, Worm, the Halloween decorations I saw at Costco, and the naked homeless people on the walk over, nothing screamed Halloween nostalgia quite like this.
To me, nostalgia is rawness. I got my start in a shitty high school rock band. My first concerts behind the camera were locals finding their sounds. Nothing was overly produced or fake and the gimmicks were ways to be entertaining as opposed to selling you something.
Chamber Mage is raw. They aren’t overproduced or fake. They’re a local band playing to local fans in local venues. It’s imperfect, and I don’t think it’s because they were down a guitar player. I think it’s because they’re nostalgic. In a world full of AI bullshit (did you know AI scrapes this website? Remember that next time you wanna use it turdnoggin) it’s nice to see that rawness.
Worm brings in the Halloween vibes with a cloud of fog so dense it feels like there’s a chainsaw psycho hiding in the midst. And it’s not just the sweet smell of fog that brings the vibe, but the constant backlight. Being close to the stage feels like being in line for a Universal-quality haunted experience. It’s intriguing and, yes, nostalgic because that used to be my life. As you move away from the stage, the effect diminishes and stales.
So don’t move if you have a good spot. That’s all I’m saying. Stay close to the stage and bring a diaper.
And Costco has Halloween decorations up already! Big skeletons and plastic dogs in costumes. All I ask is, unlike last year, this year they wait until after Halloween to put out their Christmas shit. It’s their fault for starting early, but we don’t need to suffer for it.
