With Halloween less than a week away and Christmas / holiday decorations already on sale at most stores it is almost time to say goodbye to summer. Almost meaning after one last summer fling event (Summer Nights Finale - which Amoeba has been supporting since the series began) that takes place tomorrow (Friday, Oct 26th) at the Oakland Museum of California from 4pm until 11:45 pm.

This special multi-faceted OMCA event not only offers museum goers a nice farewell to summer but also a hello / early taste of Halloween with what the curators at OMCA promise will be an eclectic evening featuring Days of the Dead tours, monster books, home movies, and a cult horror cinema classic - and some of it interactive too.

          

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The myriad of educational fun for all ages that is Summer Nights Finale includes a tour of Forgotten Stories, Remarkable Lives: Días de los Muertos 2012 and a meet-and-greet with the artists responsible for the exhibition (5pm in The Great Hall), an almost all ages event dance class to learn the moves for Michael Jackson's "Thriller" for ages 4 and up (7:30pm to 8pm at the OMCA Gift Shop), and a sneak peek of the (currently closed to the public) Gallery of California Natural Sciences with artist Helena Keeffe on hand to give a guided tour of the fort exhibit that she co-created with Oakland YMCA families.

On Friday, November 2nd, Strangelove honors those who have passed by celebrating Dia de los Muertos - the Day of the Dead - at The Cat Club (Folsom and 8th, San Francisco).

In the back room, DJs Tomas Diablo (Villainy - R.I.P.) and Bryan Hawk (Asylum - R.I.P.) play the best of Dark Electro, Industrial, New Wave, and Goth. In the front room, enjoy spooky sounds and surprises from New York's Saint James (Limelight - R.I.P.) and local legend Andy T. (Covered Wagon - R.I.P.)

Of course, it wouldn't be a proper Day of the Dead celebration without macabre activities!

SKULL FACE PAINTING! Make-up artists will put a ghoulish grin on your face. It's FREE for everyone, though tips are always appreciated.

ALTAR TO THE DEAD! Bring a picture of a deceased loved one or celebrity to add to our altar. Please respect the altar and do not take anything from the ofrenda - items there are for the spirits.

PINATA! How often do you get to savagely swing a big stick in a nightclub (without getting arrested)? Whoever breaks it open will win a gift certificate from Amoeba Music, a Strangelove t-shirt, AND a pair of tickets to see The Birthday Massacre with Aesthetic Perfection at Slim's on Thursday, November 15th.

RSVP on Facebook HERE!

Join Amoeba Music and Strangelove for a Día De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration on November 4th at the Cat Club in San Francisco!

Enjoy the sounds of Dark Electro, Industrial, New Wave, and Goth with DJs Tomas Diablo, Joe Radio (Deathguild), Prince Charming (Pleasure Principle), and Fact 50 (Kinky Salon). There will also be skull face painters on hand to put a ghoulish grin on your face and a community altar to the dead, so bring some offerings!

And dont miss the piñata filled with goodies! Whoever cracks that open gets tickets to see VNV Nation AND and an Amoeba gift certificate!

The spooky details:
21+
9:30pm-3am
Just $3 before 10pm ($7 after)
Cat Club: 1190 Folsom St., SF

This set is a collection of 20 flower labels named after the zempoalxochitl or cempazuchil ("twenty-flower") otherwise known as the orange marigold. Traditionally on El Dia de los Muertos, wreaths made from the marigold are placed on the graves of loved ones and offered to the dead. There was no way that I was going to find a collection of labels featuring only marigolds, so a post made up of various flowers will have to do.