Turn it Down

The Lansing Unionized Vaudeville Spectacle headlines Thursday at the annual Mac’s Bar Halloween Costume Party. Also performing are The Bard Owls and The Devil & His Brandy. The show also features a “spooky raffle prize.” LUVS, a 15-piece band lead by songwriter Dylan Rogers, plays a mixture of Americana, gypsy-jazz, blues and vaudeville. The band’s bio describes its sound as “New Orleans meets Eastern Europe at a carnival sideshow.” In January the band released its latest album, “Extra! Extra!”; it followed the group’s 2012 self-titled, five-track EP. Fans of Screaming Jay Hawkins, Tom Waits or Cab Calloway might want to check out this theatrical local band.

Thursday, Oct. 31 @ Mac’s bar, 2700 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing. 18 , $10, 8 p.m.

DJ Olympics at Harem - Wed. Oct 23

The 2014 Michigan DJ Olympics trials, which brings in talent from across the state, wrap up tonight at Harem Urban Lounge. Set to spin are Lansing-based DJs Glittermagik, DJ Defiance, DJ JB and Jay Arthur. Outof-towners include: Cloud 9 (Grand Rapids), DJ Snakes (Saginaw), DJ Sleezy (Flint). A “Champ Showcase” will also happen midway through the show and a special guest DJ will close out the event. Last year organizer Patrick Duke had this to say about the series of events: “People want to see competition — it’s billed as a competition but it’s actually an awareness movement. We’re trying to resurrect the DJ.” The music will be streamed live at www.party989.com.

Harem Urban Lounge, 414 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing. $3, 8 p.m.

Joel Mabus at the Fiddle - Fri. Oct 25

Michigan folk singer Joel Mabus returns Friday to the Ten Pound Fiddle. In his long career, Mabus has focused on traditional and original tunes. Mabus is known for intricately finger-picking piedmont blues on the guitar, claw-hammering out a rustic mountain tune on the banjo and fiddling for a square dance. After spending his adolescence listening to the entire spectrum of Americana music, he recorded his debut LP in 1977 with mandolin player Frank Wakefield, and hasn’t stopped since. Mabus makes a living off music, touring widely and recording albums. His new disc, “Pepper’s Ghost & Other Banjo Visitations,” is an all-banjo record. Last October he released “A Parlor Guitar Christmas.”

Unitarian Universalist Church, 855 Grove St., East Lansing. $15, $12 members, $5 students. 8 p.m.

Lighthouse Chapel Halloween Party - Sat. Oct 26

The annual Lighthouse Chapel Halloween Costume Party happens Saturday and features live music from Mighty Medicine. Other attractions include a costume contest, silent auction, games and live psychic readings. The event is a fundraiser for the church; all proceeds go toward buying new doors and windows. Mighty Medicine is a Lansingbased duo that plays an eclectic blend of classic rock, blues, R&B, reggae, soul and originals. The songwriting pair, Larry Neuhardt and DeShaun Snead, keep busy playing shows across the state, including cafés, outdoor festivals, business events and house concerts. Fans of Tuck and Patty might want to check out this performance.

Lighthouse Chapel, 1501 Windsor St., Lansing. $10 suggested donation. 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Midnight at Mac´s Bar - Wed. Oct 30

Midnight, known for albums such as “Satanic Royalty,” headlines a night of raw thrash metal on Devil’s Night, Oct. 30, at Mac’s Bar. Also performing at the costume party-gig are local headbangers Sauron and Dark Psychosis. Midnight, a Cleveland-based outfit, plays demented, Venom-style metal that reflects the new wave of British heavy metal and the overall heyday of ‘80s thrash. The band debuted in 2003 with a selftitled CD; since then the band has toured Japan and released a string of limited vinyl releases, including “Slay the Spits,” a 2007 7-inch featuring four Spits covers. In 2011 they recorded tracks for the “Tsunami Benefit” split 7-inch on Relapse Records. Fans of Motorhead, Abigail or Superchrist might dig them.

Mac’s Bar, 2700 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing. 18 , $10, 9 p.m.