[PHOTOS] Northside Tavern’s Annual Halloween Show Brought Out Cincinnati’s Wildest Costumes and Cover Bands

Local musicians and partygoers showed up in the spirit of a good time, dressed in their Halloween best over the weekend for the annual Halloween extravaganza thrown by Adam Stone at the Northside Tavern. Attendees packed the venue, spilling out into the front room bar and patio for two nights in a row. They dressed in costumes of every type, showing their unique style and creativity along with some pop culture favorites, to catch one-time-only cover sets put together for the occasion by some of the city’s top musicians. 

Musicians came together to perform the music of classic acts like The Ramones, Fleetwood Mac and Jim Croce for the Northside Tavern Halloween Show, along with favorites like Blonde Redhead and The Jesus Lizard.

This year’s theme was Virtual Insanity, after the hit by funk pop star Jamiroquai, who was covered by night two closer Coochie Fade. The event makes for fun possibilities and rare musical moments like a weekend highlight when local rapper Jay Hill, backed by members of Obsidian Mind, Lo and the Loyal Conscripts, played an explosive set of Rage Against the Machine covers to one of the biggest Northside Tavern crowds in recent memory. 

Northside Tavern once again went all in on the décor, bathing the main room in black light that made colorful yarn installations pop and fluorescent slinkies sway from the ceiling. A mixed-media sculpture wall pulsed with projected images and glowing screens, rounding out a scene that felt more like an art installation than a Halloween party. 

Stone started the tradition of the Northside Tavern Halloween Show over a decade ago, but didn’t throw the next level soiree alone. Kristen and Jeff Iker, Luke Stone, Brooklyn Huerkamp, Matt Lundberg, Terri Hughes and Jacob Tippey all helped create the space and setting for what turned out to be one of the most unique and epic Halloween parties in Cincinnati this year.

Full list of performers:

Friday: 

Blood Redhead [Blonde Redhead], featuring Strobobean, Pop Empire, Rae Fisher and Pomme Pom

Frank Potion [Frank Ocean], featuring Tiffee, Jess Lamb and The Factory, Annie D, Rae Fisher, Naked Karate Girls and pity xerox

In/Tavern/Out [At the Drive-In], featuring Soften, Hummingbird, Heist, Frontier Folk Nebraska, Dustbin, Secondhand Smoke and up+dn

Fleetblood Mac [Fleetwood Mac], featuring Anna & the Alibi, Young Heirlooms, Annie D, MADQUEEN and Jess Lamb & the Factory

Bullshit on Parade [Rage Against the Machine], featuring Jay Hill, Patterns of Chaos, Heist, Obsidian Mind, Lo and The Loyal Conscripts

Saturday:  

RAH-RAH-RAH-Ramones! [The Ramones], featuring Sharp Toys, The Dolly Daredevils and Pretty Mean

Local Lebowski [Local H], featuring Modern Paine

Teenjus Lizard [The Jesus Lizard], featuring Disaster Class, Siren Suit, The Strongest Proof and Old City

Jim Roachy [Jim Croce], featuring Hello Sapien, The Harmed Brothers, The David Faul Band, Joe’s Truck Stop, Honey & Houston, Krystal Peterson and Terror at Midnight

Coochie Fade [Jamiroquai], featuring Ernie Johnson From Detroit, Freekbass, Leroi Conroy, Marsha, All The Things and Captain of Industry

Keep scrolling for everything we saw at this year’s annual Halloween Show at Northside Tavern.

Photos by Brent Stroud

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