Nosferatu
Vampires are a cottage industry, but F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu, the first film adaptation of Dracula, is the greatest vampire movie of all time, and it’s not even a talkie! Let’s all scream in unison as Max Schreck wiggles his long, elegant vampire fingernails and moves his eyes before the rest of his head over a live score by Mood Area 52. YIKES!
8 pm, Hollywood Theatre

The Lost Boys Ball
In what is becoming a cant-miss Halloween tradition, Cooky Parker rounds up his boys (Lamar Leroy, Jimbo, and Bobby D) and hits the decks for one of Portland’s guaranteed best dance parties. This year, his boys are lost ones, and the night pays homage to those sweaty, denim, shirtless sax-lovin’ vibes from the 1987 Joel Schumacher classic.
9 pm, Eagles Lodge (F.O.E.#3256), $10

EMA, The Blow, Decorum
I was lucky enough to move to Olympia in 2002, at the very moment Khaela Maricich was doing her first performances as the Blow. Existing somewhere between show and conceptual art, early Blow performances were perfectly odd events that everyone could see was the beginning of something remarkable. Soon after, the Blow became a Portland band and created the electropop masterpiece Paper Television, before moving to Brooklyn and solidifying the project as Maricich and Melissa Dyne. Last month they put out their first album in four years, Brand New Abyss, a largely successful plunge into modular synths that contains my pick for single of the year, “Get Up.” A raw, playful, much-needed battle cry against apathy, the song features Maricich playing the role of the badass aunt who’s been there, seen the limitations of cool, and is now filled with a boundless enthusiasm for life that she can pass along to you, if only you’ll listen. JOSHUA JAMES AMBERSON
9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $15-18

Lyrics Born
Japanese-American rapper and producer Tsutomu Shimura–AKA Lyrics Born–brings his “Still The Funkiest” tour to the Star Theater stage with a full band in tow.
9 pm, Star Theater, $17

Poltergeist
It may seem like the Academy is running two Tobe Hooper horror classics in honor of Halloween, but of all the worst kept secrets in Hollywood, maybe its most obvious is Poltergeist wasn’t really Hooper’s movie. Even if you could write off the presence of Spielberg’s name in the credits and all his favorite storytelling fetishes in the story, it’s pretty hard to ignore the film itself, a careful, candy-coated snowglobe full of monsters and meat that is utterly unlike anything else in Hooper’s filmography—but fits perfectly between, say… Close Encounters and E.T.. Regardless who shot the thing, what was shot is still a beautiful blend of frights and dark suburban satire that works just as well now as it did 35 years ago. BOBBY ROBERTS
7 pm, Academy Theater, $3-4

Blowpony’s Homoween
Queer Halloweens are the best Halloweens, so get yourself to the always INSANE Blowpony’s Homoween with an appearance from Shea Coulee (RuPaul’s Drag Race)!
9 pm, Bossanova Ballroom, $19

My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult
The long-running electronic industrial rock band out of Chicago swing through Dante’s for the Portland stop on a tour celebrating their 30th anniversary.
9 pm, Dante’s, $20

Shape/Shift/Temple/Space
Billed as a sequel to last year’s Invisibility ritual, this multi-act concert has lofty aims: “to transform physical space and consciousness as we know it,” according to the Facebook event page. Knowing the artists on this lineup, there’s a good chance they will achieve that spiritual goal. Key to the cause is Dolphin Midwives, the ever-evolving project of Sage Fisher. Her sets of late have been foggy and staggering mixes of harp melodies distended by effects pedals and her own impassioned vocals. Fisher will be joined by collaborators like the Institute for Creative Dying, a composer of guitar-based agitations, and Francisco Botello, an artist who uses field recordings captured in the jungles of South America. Throw in a gamelan ensemble and a gaggle of other experimentalists for good measure, and you’ve got a night of heady sounds ahead of you. ROBERT HAM
7:30 pm, Leaven Community Center, $5-15, all ages

Paul Oakenfold
The veteran DJ and producer out of London brings his pioneering blend of trance, acid house, and electronica to the 45 East dance floor for the Portland stop on his “Generations World Tour.”
10 pm, 45 East, $25-35

Halloween ComicsFest
Combining the fun of the spooky season with a celebration of local comics creators, with appearances from The Flintstones‘ Mark Russel, Rick Marcks of Outroute 12, Equinox‘s Juan Heinrich, and Aaron Humphries of Rosco: Alien Wildlife Photographer. Costumes encouraged, free comics and candy available.
11 am, Cosmic Monkey Comics, all ages

Killer Pumpkin Fest
A one-day mini-beerfest focused on the wonderfulness of taking pumpkins and turning them into beers, with Rogue providing a whole bunch of actual pumpkins to bowl, decorate, carve, and/or smash, with the kitchen providing a special pumpkin menu to pair with the over 40 pumpkin ales to sample. Also featuring costume contests for kids, grown-ups, and even your dogs. Proceeds benefit Camp Ukandu.
11 am, Rogue Eastside Pub & Pilot Brewery, $5

Billy Strings, Trout Steak Revival, Whiskey Shivers
Pickathon hasn’t forgotten its roots, even as it’s grown from a tiny folk and bluegrass fundraising party to the nationally renowned festival it is now. Though recent years have seen increasingly more diverse acts, from Afrofuturist hip-hop to stoner metal to legendary soul singers (RIP Charles Bradley), you can still count on finding plenty of old-timey guitar picking and banjo hammering. This summer saw the Pickathon debut of Billy Strings—a baby-faced singer and guitar virtuoso from Traverse City, Michigan. The aptly named Strings (born William Apostol) played in heavy metal bands before embracing bluegrass, and his flat-picking style is a sort of mix between Doc Watson and Randy Rhoads. Strings returns to Portland in support of his solo debut, Turmoil & Tinfoil, a collection of neo-traditional bluegrass songs addressing such contemporary matters as meth addiction and police shootings, while remaining rooted in dusty fields and muddy rivers. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY
9 pm, Revolution Hall, $17-22, all ages

The 18th Annual Portland Erotic Ball
Portland’s biggest adult Halloween party returns, with over 2000 revelers getting down to live bands, burlesque artists, aerial performances, stilt walkers, and fetish demonstration stages. Hosted by Sasha Scarlett.
8 pm, Crystal Ballroom, $49-110

Don’t forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!