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Halloween at the Raleigh

Come dressed as your favorite bad boy/girl for this Raleigh Halloween soiree.

Velvet underground: Oct 31-Nov 6

By Lesley Abravanel

The moment we've all been waiting for is almost here. For some it will be scarier than others, but we're not talking Halloween. We're talking about the presidential election on Tuesday. But before we face that music, it's time to celebrate and mask reality with a little harmless fun on Friday.

And while we may not go door-to-door campaigning for candy anymore, we can go to, say, SushiSamba dromo on Lincoln Road for a chance to win a free trip to the restaurant's sister in Las Vegas. Check out the eatery's Spooky Kabooki all night, featuring drinks such as KaBOOki Juice, a pomegranate vodka, orange and mango juice concoction, or Dracula, a sickly sweet-sounding spirit of Coca Cola and vanilla bean ice cream. DJ Dracula will spin, and there will be free Japanese candy for the costumed. The costume contest begins at 11 p.m., and everyone is a winner, with runner up prizes in the form of $100 gift certificates to the restaurant.

Over at the Colony Theatre, it's ECOMB's Rocky Horror Picture Show fundraiser, featuring cocktails at 7:30 p.m. and a screaming screening of the interactive classic at 9. Tickets are $25 and include one free drink. Proceeds benefit the beach's esteemed environmental organization. Tickets are available at the Colony box office or at Ticketmaster; there are only 400 seats, which are expected to fill up if they haven't already.

From camp to kitsch, the creative folks at Supermarket Creative are turning the clocks to mod with Return to New Year's Eve, 1967, a tribute to Andy Warhol and his funky Factory members, taking place at CIFO in downtown Miami. Tickets are $20 and get you free cocktails all night. After party is at Grass' new King is Dead lounge. E-mail info@iheartsupermarket.com.

Over at the Gansevoort's Plunge, mistress of ceremonies Elaine Lancaster (who may be cloning herself; she's also DJing at 9 p.m. at China Grill's Halloween bash; no cover) will helm the costume contest, grand prize $1,000. Better than that, party has no cover and free caipirinhas from 10-11 p.m. More scandalous than a party with no cover is the Raleigh's theme, Scandal, which on Halloween toasts the greatest political scandals of all time from 10 p.m.-4 a.m. Prizes will be awarded to most creative, most scandalous and best couple. No cover. E-mail RSVP@Raleighhotel.com.

For those looking for more stimulation than this year's new sexy nurse costume, aka the Sarah Palin, consider The Most Interesting Show in the World, a kooky variety show featuring a menagerie of performers from Japanese robotic dancers and fire jugglers to French burlesque singers at The Vagabond. Jim Rose, of The Jim Rose Circus Sideshow, will emcee. Show starts at 8 p.m., and tickets are $15-$25 and available at the venue.

Another sideshow of sorts takes place in Coral Gables at John Martin's Halloween Street Festival Party, starting at 7 p.m. on Salzedo Street, featuring live tunes by the Hard Liquor Band, drink specials, food and costume contests.

Up at the Seminole Hard Rock, Pangaea hosts the Third Annual Penthouse Naughty Halloween party hosted by Penthouse Pets Cassia Riley and Lux Kassidy. Doors open at 10; cover is $20. Along similar lines is Karu and Y's ode to the motley with Tommy Lee and DJ Aero. Tickets are also $20 and available at www.wantickets.com. At The Florida Room at Delano, it's a 1920s Prohibition-themed party featuring live performances by Brendan O'Hara and The Big Bounce, music by Tom LaRoc and a Prohibition cocktail menu including Kubler Absinthe specials, so drink at your own risk. Costumes are encouraged but not mandatory, and for table reservations call 305-674-6152.

Even scarier than Prohibition for some is the inevitable date that couldn't come soon enough: Nov. 4, Election Day. Whoever your candidate is, consider SushiSamba's election viewing party, featuring candidate-inspired cocktails -- the Obamarama and The Maverick -- special hors d'oeuvres, and the poll results and pundits large and in charge on projection screens.

You may need to take out a second mortgage to enjoy the fruits of the very French piano bar, Cozy -- which we have nicknamed, in a good way, Sarkozy -- located in the South of Fifth space formerly known as the Mark. The uber swanky space is intimate and, yes, cozy, and pricey, too, with a small menu of pate, tartar and cheese, and a drink menu that's equally expensive. But if you feel like a splurge, it's entirely worth going. In its infancy last week, the Gypsy Kings stopped by for an impromptu jam session. On Saturday, it was a soothing piano singer doing Sinatra. An ideal pre- or post-dinner place, Cozy exudes that je ne sais quoi.

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I've been dying to check out the new King is Dead club. However, tonight is all about the NYE party at CIFO. It's going to be a great party!


Posted by: JosephQ86 on Fri, 2008-10-31 16:51
See all reviews
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