Annual costumed "Hallorager" comes to Eli's Mile High Club
OAKLAND -- Celebrating its tenth anniversary, local psychedelic glam/stoner-metal group Glitter Wizard's annual Hallorager party takes over Eli's Mile High Club Saturday night with four bands performing "in costume.
The SF-based glam/stoner/prog band has been bashing out its unique style of over-the-top hard rock for over a decade. Originally formed in Santa Cruz before relocating to San Francisco, Glitter Wizard twists together elements of Black Sabbath, Hawkwind, Blue Cheer and Black Oak Arkansas with outlandishly Spandex-clad lead singer Wendy Stonehenge working the stage in a high-energy frenzy that recalls Jim "Dandy" Mangrum. The band's enthusiastic fringe-and-leather sporting sidekick "Mercho Man" adds to the onstage entertainment at their live shows.
The group independently released several singles and full-length efforts before putting its third headbanging space-boogie opus Hollow Earth Tour out through Heavy Psych Sounds in 2016. The band released their ambitious follow-up Opera Villains for the Italian-based imprint -- appropriately enough -- on 4-20 to wide acclaim. Having made appearances at a number of festivals here and abroad including Burger Boogaloo, Roadburn, Desert Days and the label's first Bay Area edition of their Heavy Psych Sound Festival two years ago, Glitter Wizard continues to expand their fan base.
The band utilized the downtime forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, recording covers of a pair of heavy classics -- "Race with the Devil" by Gun and "Fairies Wear Boots" by Black Sabbath -- and working on new material. Heeding the call from fans to pump up the glitter quotient, the group's latest EP Kiss the Boot nods to the hook-laden, platform-shoe stomp of such '70s glam giants as Slade and Sweet. The recording released by Kitten Robot Records earlier this year features five new tracks along with a cover of David Bowie's anthem "Suffragette City."
Each year on the weekend closest to Halloween, Stonehenge and company partner with show promoter Bad Acid Presents and don a musical costume for their annual Hallorager festivities, dressing up and playing the music of a different classic prog or punk or psych band. Past tribute subjects have included early era Pink Floyd, the Seeds, the Damned, the New York Dolls, Alice Cooper and Blue Öyster Cult. For the 2022 edition, the collection of acts being celebrated took a decidedly eclectic slant with bands paying tribute to Manowar, the Cure, the Pixies before Glitter Wizard covered Boston power-pop giants the Cars to close out the evening.
For the tenth edition of the Halloween celebration presented by Bad Acid at Eli's Saturday night, Glitter Wizard will close out the proceedings playing the classic songs of '70s hard-rock juggernaut Deep Purple. The line-up also includes noted SF songwriter and musician Kelley Stoltz teaming with members of Drunk Horse and the Ugly as the Lively Budokans who will play the hits of power-pop legends Cheap Trick, San Jose death metal/grindcore outfit Deathgrave covering punk favorites the Spits and Oakland garage-punks the Atom Age delivering a set of songs from the Cramps. Drag queen Kochina Rude serves as the evening's MC while DJ Shrimp Ripper provides music between live acts
Hallorager X with Glitter Wizard
Saturday, October 28, 8 p.m. $17 in costume, $20 without
Eli's Mile High Club
