All night, we're bringing you updates from the three music stages at the Athens Halloween Block Party.
1:45 a.m. update
Closing out the music lineup at the Halloween Block Party was Boomslang, on the North Stage.
Before the funky rock band began its set, it was announced that the South Stage, which was supposed to have a performance by Jones for Revival at 12:30 a.m., had to be closed due to "technical difficulties." The generator powering the stage had blown out, causing the shutdown.
The band stopped its jam-oriented funk rock only a few times, with Michael Brokamp, the keyboardist of the band, thanking the audience and introducing the band.
"You might recognize this group from a nice little band called Hellnaw," Brokamp said. "This iteration is what we call Boomslang."
Boomslang kept the crowd energized throughout the set, most notably with a cover of "Bulls on Parade" by Rage Against the Machine. Pumped fists, bobbing heads and at times, a mosh pit were how the crowds expressed their appreciation.
"I think it was very intricate," Haden Lee, a sophomore studying natural history, said about Boomslang's performance. "They did a very good job. (We) even turned out a mosh pit with very few injuries, which was a success."
—Dylan Sams
12:40 a.m. update
After Dave Rave performed, the winners of the costume contest were announced.
Andrew Newton, a sophomore studying mechanical engineering, was the winner of the contest, hosted by Four Loko.
Leah Watkinson, a representative for Four Loko/Fusion Projects, noted that last year's costume contest was the first sponsored by Four Loko for "HallOUween," but this year it was "bigger and better" because people "knew Four Loko was going to be here."
Watkinson said this year was "the best of the best. There were amazing costumes."
She noted that people put a lot of thought into their costumes.
Newton said he spent five months on his War Machine costume, even though he didn't learn about the contest until much later.
"I heard there was a contest and I wanted to be there," Newton said.
Of the $700 rewarded to the top six winners, $150 went to Newton, who said he is spending the money to pay for his elaborate costume.
Watkinson noted that the good partnership between Four Loko and Dave Rave helped with the success of the costume contest.
—Erin Davoran
Midnight update
After a half-hour of delay, it was revealed by the city officials that the generator at the stage between Court and Union streets was busted, resulting in the canceling of concert performances from Burning River Ramblers and Jones For Revival.
"It was ultimately pretty anti-climatic," said Owen Park, the drummer of the Burning River Ramblers. "I guess kind of disappointed would be the main expression that I am feeling."
Though the show was set to start at 11, the 30 minute delay led to quite a bit of confusion from the crowd. When no official announcement was made, as the band began to pack, the crowd began to desperse.
Crowd members were excited for the show before the start, including Tyler Zwahlen, a sophomore studying preprofessional biology.
"I was hoping for just a good time," he said.
Ultimately, disappointment was the main word of the night.
"It would have been an amazing show," Park said.
—Will Ashton
11:30 p.m. update
The Athens Halloween Block Party gathered momentum as Dave Rave entertained with an array of electronic mash-ups, exciting fans to the point of crowding too close to the North Stage.
"I think it's a good performance, but they had to stop it because the stage almost broke," said Olivia Montgomery, a junior studying criminology.
The performance was forced to take a five-minute hiatus as officials attempted to corral the crowd away from the stage and toward the open street. The concert continued after the short pause, eliciting screams from the fans in front of the stage.
"I just like the atmosphere of the people," Montgomery said over the din as the concert returned to full swing.
Dave Rave's techno sound drew an array of characters; DJ Time Traveler and DJ B-Funk appeared as the main characters from the hit series Breaking Bad.
—Julia Burroughs
11 p.m. update
Uptowne Buddha kept the Athens Halloween Block Party hype up as it played to a dancing crowd of Waldos, Ninja Turtles, Snow White, Tarzan, Scooby Doo and more.
This is the second year Uptowne Buddha has played at the festivities, but band member Sam Terkel said this year was different than last.
"We were definitely comfortable up there," Terkel, the guitarist, said. "This year was a lot more about improvisation. ... We just went with the flow and felt the vibe of the moment."
Vance Coles, lead vocals for the band, said seeing the crowd's hype was one of his favorite moments of the night.
"Being in Athens, the crowd is just so friendly," he said. "It's always a good time. I just love being here."
Fans of Uptowne Buddha, such as Dan Koprowski, a senior studying engineering technology and management, were glad the band came out as well.
"I didn't expect them to be out tonight, so it's really awesome. I'm excited," he said. "They're really great."
But the band's performance doesn't end with the party. Uptowne Buddha will take its "hip hop fusion" sound to Jackie O's Pub & Brewery, 24 W. Union St., at midnight.
—Meryl Gottlieb
10:30 p.m. update
Bringing the sounds of the '80s to the South Stage of the Athens Halloween Block Party, Holy Spicoli, introduced as "Athens' finest '80s cover band," rocked the streets with classic throwbacks like "Billy Jean," "Hey Mickey," and "Come On Eileene."
For Joann Wolfe, lead singer, it was her first performance at Halloween.
"I've never performed here for Halloween," said. "It was crazy. I didn't know what to expect. (The crowd) was awesome."
Matt Swintek, lead guitarist for the band, said he was pleased with the performance, and the crowd's reaction to the band's music. Large groups of people sang along while the band danced through their performance.
"It was very exciting and while I thought I was going to be extremely nervous, the crowd just pumped me up and I was, like, in heaven," Swintek said.
As an avid follower of Holy Spicoli, spectator David Wallace was rocking out to the music, and said that the band always performances at that level.
"I grew up with the '80s music," Wallace said. "I love the '80s music and they bring it 100 percent. They're awesome."
—Rebekah Barnes
9:30 p.m. update
Dressed as Team Zissou from Wes Anderson's 2004 film The Life Acquatic With Steve Zissou, dadARM performed for a small but enthused crowd gathered around the South Stage.
Using David Bowie tunes, the band started with a calm set and built up the Court Street energy as fans danced around in costume.
As a local band, getting to play for Halloween is a treat, said John Corliss, bass player for dadARM and an Athens resident.
Playing in front of the Halloween crowd has always been a unique experience, Corliss said. The band played last year's Athens Halloween Block Party as well.
"There's nothing quite like playing in front of everyone in crazy costumes," he said. "Surreal is the only way to describe that."
The band tries to incorporate the festivities into the outfit and music choices, he added.
"We try to make the event as special as possible," he said. "We like to be wearing costumes, but I guess you can say we have a musical costume as well."
—Anjelica Oswald
9 p.m. update
The Athens Halloween Block Party kicked off at the North Stage with 60 people bobbing their heads in time to music played by Manitoa, a new band to the Athens scene.
The psychadelic rock encouraged plenty of dancing, with heavy synthesizers blending in to give the tunes a other-worldly feel.
"It was a blast," said Mark "Mavis" Meredith, guitarist for the band. "For it being our first Halloween, it went really well."
The group formed during the summer, with Meredith joining in August. Ali Bertke, a junior, was a friend of the band.
"It's totally awesome they were able to play," Bertke said. "(It's important) to pay attention to local culture."
Bertke was dressed as a lunar moth, with large wings that fanned out when she spun. Another pair in front of the stage was dancing, the man spinning balls with each of his hands.
"It's kind of flow-art," said Bryan Kekst Brown, a junior studying sculpture. "(My friend) has a balloon."
He added that the band's music lends itself to this kind of performance.
Manitoa will have an EP release party Nov. 14.
—Emily Bamforth and Sophie Mitchem
