Bernell DorroughHalloween made a pre-emptive strike on St. Louis this past week and, deceptively, the double-barreled attack wasn’t even on a weekend. First, Satan’s little helpers the Supersuckers (“100-proof evil”) played a Monday show at Blueberry Hill’s Duck Room with New Orleans rockers Supagroup. The Supersuckers are your atypical country-rock band, rife with artful contradictions. For one thing, they’re from the Pacific Northwest and began producing their Chuck-Berry-meets-the-Dwarves style rock at the height of Seattle’s grunge implosion. Two, they claim to worship the devil, and with albums titles such as “The Smoke of Hell,” “La Mano Cornuda” (“The Horned Hand”), “The Evil Powers of Rock n’ Roll” and “The Sacreligious Sounds of the Supersuckers,” not to mention their #1 hit “Born with a Tail,” there is little question that they maintain a spot on Hades’ Top 40. Yet they have worked extensively with big God-fan Steve Earle, first on a track of Earle’s “El Coraz¢n” in 1997 and then again in 1999 with a full-on collaboration for the high-concept cover album “Steve Earle and the Supersuckers.” So their allegiance to the Devil is questionable. What is certain is that they rock and that their fans can drink more than God can on Mardi Gras. A few lushes were to be expected at a country-punk show in the diving section of Blueberry Hill, but the dozen or so of 250 lb.-plus bikers and/or hoosiers with BACs to match occupying pit-center were a sight to behold, and gave the on-stage action some close competition in the category of frightful entertainment. Eddie Spaghetti’s inter-song banter was in fine form and Beetle Bob emceed the raucous event. Monday night has never been so sinfully sweet.
But even before the eardrums could heal from the blistering cries of the damned or the lungs clear themselves of the black soot of the fourth circle, Tuesday brought with it the dark ominous clouds of Marilyn Manson and icky arena-rock atmosphere of the first possibly-annual Pointergeist (it was sponsored by 105.7 the Point, get it?), held Illinois-side in the parking-lot of Pop’s and PT’s Cabaret. But despite the sub-40 degree weather, the Ritalin kids (not the band but the actual 16-year-old hyperactives) and $5 nachos, the evil powers of rock could not be diluted. Two highlights of the pre-Manson festivities were the Heavy Petting Zoo (a free strip-club in the form of a rock festival tent, courtesy of PT’s) and Seether’s performance of “You Know You’re Right,” a rare sighting of one of rock’s most elusive creatures, the decent Nirvana cover.
Then He arrived. Manson has mellowed in his years, and refrained from any destruction of self or instrument and even told the crowd he loved them for braving the frigid weather. But a kinder, gentler Manson does not mean a less evil Manson. “If God is alive…then rock is dead!” still rang as the war cry, Manson still gives the audience live puppies to eat as sacrifices to his Lord, and I lost both my eyes in a fury of las manos cornudas. Also, the set design was fabulous. The apocalypse has never felt so nigh.
So get ready. For you about to rock this Halloween, Misfit-cover band The Skulls will be playing the Hi-Pointe Caf‚ Friday night, and for those about to rock with a 21-and-up ID, Frederick’s Music Lounge is holding its Big-Ass Halloween Party and Costume Contest with music by Frank Morey and the awesome locals The Whole Sick Crew (performing as the Carter Family Undead). This truly is Rocktober.