Pale Waves, which plays Crowbar in Ybor City, Florida on October 31, 2018. Credit: Brian Griffin

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Ah, Halloween. A holiday where you get to dress up and pretend to be anyone you want to be. Some of you will dress up as pop and rock stars, but remember: Just because you dress the part doesn't mean you can bum rush an actual concert stage.

There are plenty of shows and music happenings going on in Tampa Bay this Halloween, so we've ranked them using a completely un-scientific method that measures Halloween-ability (acceptability of showing up in costume) and how fun or debauched the event might be.

Take your pick below.

01. CupcakKe Elizabeth Eden Harris got her start as a teenager writing poetry about God, but somewhere along the way she stumbled upon one of Tampa’s greatest hip-hop exports, Khia, and changed course completely. “One day, I was listening to ‘My Neck, My Back’ and just in the mood and horny,” CupcakKe told Rolling Stone of the early influence on her lyrical expressions of pleasure. Now, Harris/CupcakKe is infamous for lines like “Coochie guaranteed to put you to sleep so damn soon/Ridin’ on that dick, I’m readin’ Goodnight Moon” — as well as her body, and a sex-positive message that preaches confidence above everything else. The 21-year-old has used a well of fan support for good, too, by helping fans who need money for school, housing and other day-to-day needs. “When an artist puts out music, the fans are providing. That’s how I look at it,” she said. “That could be the last 99 cents in their pocket to pay for your single. If they are able to give you that and tweet you to say ‘I’m homeless’ or ‘I need money for school,’ you should be able to give it back.” No telling how wild hip-hop’s “Marilyn Monhoe” will get at this Halloween show. (Orpheum, Ybor City) INFO

02. Pale Waves w/Miya Folick/The Candescents Pale Waves spent its summer hitting the festival circuit (Lollapalooza, Outside Lands) and will spend November playing some of the country’s best mid-sized clubs (Mercy Lounge, Union Transfer, The Sinclair and Brooklyn Steel, to name a few), but Ybor City scored the best show on the English indie-pop band’s fall tour. The group is supporting a new album, My Mind Makes Noises, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart and landed at No. 8 on its home country’s official Albums chart. The attention comes care of an impeccable pop sound (think Taylor Swift, seriously) and a look that’s more inspired by The Cure’s Robert Smith (or My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way if you’re under 35). If '80s melodies, sunny, cinematic riffs, reverb-drenched synth and the kind of eyeliner your goth dad would be proud of sound like a good time, then you’ll want to score an advance ticket to this show, which may very well sell out. (Crowbar, Ybor City) INFO

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03. Halloweirdo Party 2018 w/Mountain Holler/Sonic Graffiti/Pleasures This Halloween, there is not one better psych-rock band to see than Pleasures. The Katherine Kelly-Larson-fronted trio will stage its trippy 3D show at Cage Brewing along with raucous St. Petersburg rock and roll outfit Sonic Graffiti and otherworldly folk singer Mountain Holler. No cover, all ages and weird as all get-out. (Cage Brewing, St. Petersburg) INFO

04. Moshers Mash w/Stoney Hoop/Control System/Serosa/Head High Sometimes you want both hugs and drugs. Celebrate the idea of that impulse at The Bricks, where Tampa rapper Stoney Hoop (“Shroom Tea”) headlines a show that’s mostly about headbanging along with Bay area hardcore acts (Control System), and hard-rockers (Serosa and Head High). It’s 21 & up at this one, but there’s no cover to get in. (The Bricks, Ybor City) INFO

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05. San Holo w/Baynk/Taska Black/Nicholas Dutch guitarist, DJ and producer San Holo brings his debut album (cleverly titled album1) to Jannus for this Halloween show alongside New Zealand chemical engineer-turned-producer Baynk and Belgian producer Taska Black. Not sure if the foreigners get the concept of Halloween the way we do here in the States, but we’ll find out at this one. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg) INFO

06. Adventure Club If you’d rather have bowel-shaking bass instead of candy this Halloween, then head to The Ritz, where Canadian electronic duo Adventure Club will untz, untz, untz all night. Formerly a pop-punk band, Christian Srigley and Leighton James now spend their days remixing artists like Kehlani, Flight Facilities and Yuna. (The Ritz, Ybor City) INFO

07. SNBRN If Adventure Club’s show at The Ritz seems just a little too big and overwhelming, then head down to “The Haunted Attic” where Los Angeles producer SNBRN will stage an intimate gig while he’s hot off the release of a soulful, '90s-house devotion, “Move All Night,” which he composed with artful Chicago EDM trio Autograf and City of Angels singer KOLE, who was influenced by Badu, Frank Ocean and Grimes. (The Attic at Rock Brothers Brewing, Ybor City) INFO

ALSO PLAYING

Marilyn Manson (Hard Rock Live, Orlando) INFO

Tropico Blvd. (Ringside Café, St. Petersburg) INFO

DJ Sugarbear (Fubar, St. Petersburg) INFO

Halloween bash and Costume Contest w/DJ Tollbeart (Independent Bar and Café, Tampa) INFO

Betty Fox w/TC Carr (Hideaway Café, St. Petersburg) INFO

Sirsy (Ka’Tiki, Treasure Island) INFO

This article appears in Oct 25 – Nov 1, 2018.

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief...