The Pilot Light Halloween Show!

Since the first installment in 2002, our annual fundraiser/benefit show is one of the biggest, best times of the year! Over time it has moved around as it outgrew our humble walls, moving to larger spaces (big thanks to our friends Mill & Mine, Ironwood Studios, the Bijou Theatre, Fireproof, and others!)

It’s a rock-n-roll masquerade show with some of your favorite Pilot Light regulars putting together bands and dressing up to perform as your favorite stars on an impossible bill. It’s also the only time each year we book cover bands (well, sometimes we do it on April Fools’ Day too), so the emphasis is on bringing the best and most accurate presentation possible.

Want to perform? Get in touch with your idea at booking@thepilotlight.com . The slots are usually 20min / 5-song sets, with the headliner playing a little longer. One catch: once a band has been done for Halloween, it can never be repeated! Below is a list of artists who have already been done (if you notice anything missing, please get in touch.)

The show is always on Halloween Night, October 31st. This benefit show is a huge help to keep Pilot Light going, so please come out and support!

Previously on Halloween:
ABBA
AC/DC
Add N to (X) (2024)
Alabama (2022)
Asia
B-52s (2005)
Bauhaus (2022)
Beach Boys (2011)
Beastie Boys
The Beatles
Beck (2024)
Big Star (2023)
Billy Idol
Black Flag
Blondie
Blue Oyster Cult (2019)
Bob Dylan (2024)
Broadcast (2024)
Butthole Surfers 
Buzzcocks (2019)
The Cars (2013)
Cheap Trick (2009)
The Circle Jerks
The Clash
Concrete Blonde
Crazy Horse
Cream (2017)
Creation
Creedence Clearwater Revival
The Cure
Daft Punk (2022)
The Damned
Daniel Johnston
Dead Kennedys
Depeche Mode (2024)
Descendents
Devo (2004)
Dolly Parton
Dr. T and Electric Mayhem (2005)
Duran Duran (2008)
Echo and the Bunnymen
Elvis Costello (2017)
Eyehategod
The Fall (2021)
Flipper
The Frogs
Fugazi (2023)
Gary Numan
The Germs
The Go-Go’s
Green Day (2024)
The Gun Club
Hall and Oates
Hole (2023)
Huey Lewis and the News
Iggy & The Stooges
The Jazz Butcher (2017)
Jesus and Mary Chain
The Jesus Lizard
Jimmy Buffet (2023)
Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers
Joy Division
Judas Priest
The Kinks (2017)
Kraftwerk (2002)
Marilyn Manson (2017)
MC5 (2021)
Melvins
Michael Jackson
Milli Vanilli
Minor Threat
The Minutemen
Misfits (2007)
The Monks (2022)
Motorhead
The Nerves (2019)
New Order
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Nirvana (2008)
Notorious B.I.G. (2023)
OMD
Patsy Cline
Pavement
Peaches (2023)
Pink Floyd
Pixies
Plasmatics
Poison Idea (2008)
The Police (2023)
Queen
The Ramones
The Replacements (2022)
Roky Erickson (2016)
Roxy Music
Sam Cooke (2012)
Siouxsie and the Banshees (2009)
Sleep
The Smiths
Soft Cell
Sparks
Spinal Tap (2006)
Subhumans
Suicide (2021)
T-Rex
Television
Thin Lizzy
Tiny Tim (2021)
Velvet Underground
The Ventures (2015)
Weezer
The White Stripes (2024)
Willie Nelson (2022)
Wipers
Wire
X
X-Ray Spex
The Zombies (2014)
ZZ Top

(updated Nov 10, 2024)

Coming up next

WHAT FOR? 2025
GEOLOGIST (animal collective)
SLEEPY DOUG SHAW (highlife, gang gang dance)
HIDE

ACQUIRED TASTE • ANDREW SWAFFORD • ANTADIE • BASES2003 • CALLA BURKE • CAVE DECO • COUNTERFEIT TWENTIES • CROWMEAT BOB/ALIYAH ULTAN • DAY & AGE • DIRTY KNEES • EvE • GLAD I DIDN’T GET MY STUPID WISH • HELL BOP • J.BU$H • KNOX HONKERS & BANGERS • NEW ROMANTICS • NIGHTJAR • NUISCIENTIA • PAPERWORK • SERIAL BABY • SUPER BACHELOR • TELEFRONETIC • TELLIOS • THE GOOD COUNTRY DARK • TYRONE COTTON • UaD5 • VERY VERY HOT EVIL • VIBRATOR • VIP DITCHFORK • WEIRD IAN & THE RESTLESS LEGS • WILL HICKS • WILLIAM COVERT

March 27 / 28 / 29 – All shows $FREE
Click for the full schedule

Friday Mar 14th – 8pm $10
STUPID FUTURE with BANQUET and WORM

Saturday Mar 15th – 8pm $15
J.BU$H EP Release: TANASI CHAPTER 2: EARTH featuring JORDEN ALBRIGHT, BARABBAS, GRAY JACKSON, and MICHAEL DEON. Hosted by COURAGEOUS with DJ KGH

Sunday March 16th – 8pm $15
BASIC (new project from Chris Forsyth) with BARK CULTURE and FOREST FLOOR
Get your Advance Tickets now!

Monday Mar 17th – 7pm $FREE / 9pm $10 adv – $15 day of show
Early (7pm) : Out Series: Improvised music sets
Late (9pm) : LATHE OF HEAVEN with NEW ROMANTICS and PEACE THROUGH DECAY
Get your Advance Tickets now!

Tuesday Mar 18th – 8pm $10
SHOW POSTPONED Pink Budget presents PSYCHIC BAOS with VIP DITCHFORK

Friday Mar 21st – 8pm $10
early… (8pm) GLASS KEY TRIO with the JAKE SMITH GROUP ..followed by late (10pm) show REV JASPER GUNN’S BIG TENT SURVIVAL and MY WIFE’S AN ANGEL

Satuday Mar 22nd – 8pm $10
DOGWOOD TALES with RUN 40

Monday Mar 24 – 7pm $FREE
Out Series: Improvised music sets

Wednesday Mar 26th – 6:30pm/9:00pm
Early (6:30pm / $15) : Essential Tremors Selector Series: an album listening of Nick Drake’s Five Leaves Left, and discussion with its producer JOE BOYD.
Get your Advance Tickets now!
Late (9:00pm / $FREE) : Pre-festival gathering and t-shirt screening. Bring a shirt and have it silkscreened with the What For?

Thursday Mar 27th – $FREE
WHAT FOR? Click for the full schedule

Friday Mar 28th – $FREE
WHAT FOR? Click for the full schedule

Saturday Mar 29th – $FREE
WHAT FOR? Click for the full schedule

Tuesday Apr 1st – 8pm $10
“EVERYDAY MONSTER TOUR — ONE NIGHT ONLY.” a book release event with readings from author ALAN MAY, with other readings and performances from VIP DITCHFORK, WEIRD IAN PRESENTS WEIRD IAN, CHRIS BARTON, and emcee DAVID DALTON

Thursday Apr 3rd – 8pm $10
WATER IS THE SUN with VIBRATOR

Friday Apr 4th – 8pm $10
CDSM with SKULL CULT and PAPERWORK

Sunday Apr 6th – 8pm $15
CLOAKROOM with NULL and DAY & AGE
Get your Advance Tickets now!

Monday Apr 7th – 8pm $10
BALLISTER (Chicago trio of Dave Rempis sax, Fred Lonberg-Holm cello, PNL drums)

Wednesday Apr 9th – 8pm $10
SERIAL BABY with PENNY LOAFER and GLAVER

Thursday Apr 10th – 8pm $15
HOTEL FICTION with ANALOG KID and VIN HONEY
Get your Advance Tickets now!

Friday Apr 11th – 8pm $10
IDIOMS

Saturday Apr 12 – 8pm $15
J.BU$H EP Release: TANASI CHAPTER 3: (details coming soon.)

Sunday Apr 13th – 8pm $10
PUBLIC CIRCUIT with SHRUDD and GLAD I DIDN’T GET MY STUPID WISH

Monday Apr 14th – 7pm $FREE
Out Series: Improvised music sets. feat DANNY KAMENS

Wednesday Apr 16th – 8pm $10
SLOW SLOW LORIS with DARK MATTERS and TELEFRONETIC

Thursday Apr 17th – 8pm $10
KEN MUJO with DUCK BUTTER and PEACE PURSUERS

Friday April 18th – 8pm $10/$15
FUST with STYROFOAM WINOS and RUN 40
Get your Advance Tickets now!

Saturday Apr 19th – 8pm $10
SERIAL BABY with CUMSHOTWOUND, GLAD I DIDN’T GET MY STUPID WISH, and OMFU & THE SCRAPERS

Sunday Apr 20th – 8pm $10
BLONE NOBLE with NEW ROMANTICS and HORCERER

Monday Apr 21st – 7pm $FREE
Out Series: Improvised music sets

Tuesday Apr 22nd – 8pm $10
LYE THE IMPRISONED with STEAMING WOODLANDS, OGNA, and SPIFE

Wednesday Apr 23rd – 8pm $10
T.E.N.T. with COFFINWOMB and PLAGUE SUMMER

Thursday Apr 24th – 8pm $10
STRIPES with EASY DOES IT

Friday Apr 25th – 8pm $10
Banana slug presents BRYAN RAYMOND with CHEKOV, FUCKIN’ NUTHIN’ and TITANS OF SIREN

Saturday Apr 26th – 8pm $20
WITCHPIT with ALL HELL, WYNDRYDER, and PSYCLOPS

Sunday Apr 27th – 8pm $10
FLESH PANTHERS with LOINETTES and VIN HONEY

Monday Apr 28th – 7pm $FREE
Out Series: Improvised music sets

Friday May 2nd – 8pm $10 advance/$15 day of show
BEN MCLAUGHLIN & THE MYSTIC MAURADERS with SARRENNA and HORCERER
Get your Advance Tickets now!

Saturday May 3rd – 8pm $10
SATAN’S GOD

Sunday May 4th – 8pm $20
ETRAN DE L’AIR
Get your Advance Tickets now!

Sunday May 25 – 8pm $20
A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS with THE SERFS
Get your Advance Tickets now!

Wednesday May 28th – 8pm $15
TAKAAT (of Mdou Moctar)
Get your Advance Tickets now!