MrZerr0's Halloween Music and Memories

"Halloween Music"
Dr. Rox Remember When?
Article #188: Oct 2026
By: RLSchwinden aka MrZerr0

When I was a kid growing up in Sioux City, my 2 favorite times of the year were of course Christmas and Halloween. Christmas because, for the obvious reasons, you got gifts and candy and treats, but also I liked the cold and the snow and the family get- togethers and going over to my parents' friends houses. On the other hand I loved Halloween because we got to dress up and I just loved that, as a kid (and even to this day I dress up, being the StarChild In KISSin TIme for going on 14 years, I also portrayed OzzY in "Never Say Die") I loved dressing up, as Jesse James, Davy Crocket, a Civil War Yankee, Capt. Kirk, General Ursus (Planet Of The Apes) and pretending I was in a Band like The Monkees. to me that was the fun part, getting the candy was a bonus. Although back then, the Halloween Horror Stories started, Kids getting razor blades in apples, open wrappers had been poisoned, so that put kind of a damper on things. So you had to be careful. In '69 I tried to make my bedroom like "The Munsters" house (CBS: Sep 1964 - May 1966: 70 Episodes) with the help of my Aunt Cat, the creative one and her sister Laura. Oddly enough I was at a party with Butch "Eddie" Patrick ( Patrick Alan Lilley; August 2, 1953; Inglewood, CA.) in 1990 in Chicago and many years later I rented an Apt. in St. Paul, where he was the former tenant. Now I remember Fall of '73 we (Cat, Laura and I) went and picked up a stove shipping box and tried to turn it into a haunted house. This proved to be way harder than I imagined.

My favorite TV shows as a kid were;
"The Outer Limits" (ABC: Sep 1963 -Jan 1965; 49 Episodes.
"The Twilight Zone" (CBS: Oct 1959 - June 1964; 156 Episodes.
"Star Trek" NBC: Sep 1966 - June 1969; 80 Episodes.
"UFO" BBC-PBS: Sep 1970 -Aug 1971; 26 Episodes.
"Night Gallery" NBC: Nov 1969 - Dec 1970 & May 1973: 44 Episodes.
"Ghost Story- Circle Of Fear" NBC: Sep 1972 - Mar 1973; 24 Episodes.
"Kolchak; Night Stalker" ABC: Sep 1974 -Mar 1975; 20 Episodes.

I do remember some of my Halloween Costumes as kid from the past, to the best of my knowledge:

Batman -1967 (I always loved Batman since 1966, I was probably this for a few years)
Pirate -1969 (This year I grew out of my Batman Costume, so my Mom being incredibly creative made this)
Bones Apart: Groovie Ghoolies -1972 (I loved the Cartoon, so my Dad bought me this costume at Bellas- Hess)
Green Ghost -1973 (again growing, this was a last minute idea, it was awful)
Gorilla Soldier: Planet Of The Apes -1974 (I got the set for Xmas so I used next Halloween)
US Soldier -1975 (another last minute idea, almost as bad as the Green Ghost)
Peter Criss: KISS -1977 (this year it was more for fun and a chance to wear KISS makeup, my Dad was a Drummer)

Now I don't know about you, but I like to listen to certain bands especially about this time of year, so here's some bands and my memories of them:

Alice Cooper:
I first heard of this band from "School's Out" Apr 1972 #7. And of course there was all the "Urban Legends" surrounding him. "He kills chickens on stage" "He eats his own poop on stage" etc. Oddly enough I became acquainted with his Original guitar Player Glen Buxton Glen Edward Buxton (10 November 1947 Akron, OH. – 19 October 1997) one of the last guitars he owned was mine, our Roadie Craig and I gave it to him when he was living in Clarion, IA. I could not attend his funeral as I was in AZ. (his former home) when he passed. Some of my favorites: "Go To Hell" "I'm Eighteen" "This Maniac's In Love With You" "Billion Dollar Babies" I saw Alice on 30 June 2006 in St. Paul. I aired the PsychoGello Show on Alice Cooper Nov 2019 Episode #109.

Black Sabbath:
I heard from my Uncle John and his friend Rich T. 1st the album "Paranoid" then "Master Of Reality" now at the time I was searching for something heavier than "Sgt. Pepper's" and "Crazy Horses" we this was it "Iron Man" "War Pigs" "After Forever" blew me away, I then sought out all of Sabbath's albums. I've seen Black Sabbath 3, 1997, 2001 & 2006 times and Ozzy in South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota in 1983, 1984, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and maybe a few I forgot.

KISS:
I have covered KISS extensively over the years. My neighbor Jimmy S. played "Destroyer" for me Summer 1976 or so, his Dad had a band "Baker's Dozen" that my Dad was the Drummer of. I still remember the 1st time I heard "Sweet Pain" and "God Of Thunder" and later "Almost Human"

Misfits:
I was never into Punk Music, but The Misfits sure were, as they used the image from the film serial "The Crimson Ghost" Republic Pictures Oct 1946 for 12 Episodes. I saw and met Glenn Danzig (Glenn Allen Anzalone 23 June 1955: Lodi N.J). and Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein (Paul Caiafa: 15 September 15, 1964: Lodi, N.J.) in August 2013 in Maplewood. I guess I did like "Die, Die My Darling" and "Less Than Zero". On the 1990 Tour KISS' Gene Simmons wore a "Misfits" Tshirt every night on stage. In June 1990 I was talking with Gene and and asked him "Are you a fan of the band or do you just like the Tshirt?" Gene answered "I am a fan of the 1946 Republic Film, and the skull is similar to my 1974 suit"

Type O Negative:
Wow, one of my all time favorite bands ever .... I had heard a song or 2 from some various artists' CDs we had received at the stores I worked at (RecordShop & Best Buy). But then I saw them on 22 June 1997 in MPLS ... I Was Blown Away ! And then my then GF and I had brunch with them. I went home and dug up everything I could find on them "Love You To Death" "Haunted" "Too Late: Frozen" "Black No 1" and live they played "No Quarter" I just loved this band and everything they did. I saw and met them many times; 1997, 2000, again in 2000, 2003, again in 2000, 2007 and 2008. Later on they released " Everyone I Love Is Dead" "World Coming Down" "Everything Dies" "Creepy Green Light" Life Is Killing Me" "The Dream Is Dead" and then Peter Steele died on Mr. Zer0's Anniversary. (Peter Thomas Ratajczyk 4 January 1962: NYC – April 14, 2010).

White Zombie:
When this band arrived on the scene in 1992, my store anyway, I didn't quite get it. The name taken from the film of the same name starring Bela Lugosi (United Artists July 1932). Then I saw the artwork in the "Bevis And Buthead" film "Do America" Dec 1996 and the artwork in his CDs, and it started to make sense to me. I met Rob (Robert Bartleh Cummings: 12 January 1965 in Haverhill, MA.) and worked his autograph table on 22 Aug 2002 in Somerset, WIS. and watched his show. I later gave a guitar autographed by Rob to DJ Evangeline for Xmas 2017. I also saw the spin -off band 'Scum Of The Earth' in June 2008 at The Myth. I also feel his films are disturbingly good. Some songs I like by them: "More Human Than Human" "Great American Nightmare"

Marilyn Manson:
Oh, boy .... when the kids 1st started coming in my store looking for Marilyn Manson, I had no idea who this was then I started to investigate, wow, I did not like what I found, I later learned this was the music for the disenfranchised, those who were picked on and left out (like me growing up), My co-worker Nicole had had his (Brian Hugh Warner: 5 January 5, 1969; Canton, OH.) "Long Hard Road Out Of Hell" (Feb 1998) so out of curiosity I read it, I found I had a few things in common with Mr. Manson ironically his "Golden Age Of Grotesque" (the only album to feature this specific lineup) CD was just released (May 2003) at the time, and I thought it was really good, actually, so I delved into the back catalog and found a few gems. I met Mr. Manson in Oct 2003 and Drummer Ginger Fish (Kenneth Robert Wilson: 28 Sep 1965, in Framingham, MA.) July 2003. I saw the band in 1997, 2003, Songs that I like "Mobscene" "This Is The New Shit" "Lunchbox" "Beautiful People" "Fight Song"

Slipknot:
Where do I begin ... I wrote an article on SlipKnot #51 June 2015. I have tons of stories, as I lived up the street from 'Hairy Mary's" I knew James Root before he was in 'Atomic Opera' I knew Mick Thompson from 'Ye Olde Guitar Shoppe' I knew Coery Taylor when he was in (The Original) Stone Sour (back in 1992 -93) I had seen Joey Jordison play in a local band, and most likely I saw SlipKnot perform at Hairy Mary's at least once. I saw Corey's band 'Dum Fux ' on 1 Jan 2004 in Des Moines, IA. then Corey Taylor solo on 22 Nov 2011 at the Varsity. I saw SlipKnot on 11 Oct 2001 in St. Paul, and 9 May 2015 in Somerset. I saw and met Shawn Crahan on 27 July 2007 7th St. Entry with 'Dirty Little Rabbits'. While not a huge fan of their music I do like "Bother" and "Absolute Zero"

HIM:
I remember when the kids came into my store looking for "Wicked Game" (July 1989 #9) I knew by Chris Isaak, little did I know a Finnish band had recorded it in Nov 1997 and re-released in Jan 2000. So I picked one up and gave it a listen, I liked what I heard, it seemed very 'Type o Negative' ish. While I can not pick out any particular songs

Well there you have it, fans Halloween remembered and some music to listen to ... until the next installment.
Boo ... MrZerro

You can hear Mr. Zer0's PsychoGello Show on Radi0 WDGY 8am Sunday mornings since 2017. 740AM, Streaming, FM: 92.1, 103.7, 107.1. Go to MrZeroS.Com -Podcast to hear the last 90 Episodes of the PsychoGello Show. Also you can hear Mr. Zer0's Evolation Show for 32 Programs and Rick Burnette's Hits And History Show at MixCloud.Com.

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