It's the last week of October and you know what that means, fellow Halloweenies. So I am going to keep this intro brief and instead stuff the page with a week of goodies for your social calendar.

Get out, have fun and be evil within reason — reason being a rare thing in the spooky age we live in.

Have a fine week.

Thursday

Teach Me Equals are a duo from Olympia, Washington, that plays beat-laden dream-pop with an electric cello handling a fair part of the melody. They rolled through town last November for a hot set with The Myrrors at The Miniplex and tonight will be gracing the stage at The Jam at 9 p.m. (price TBA). Joining in the fun is ex-Cloud Nothings guitarist Joey Sprinkles, playing what I assume will be a raucous run of indie-flavored pop songs, as well as Arcata-by-way-of-Santa Cruz power trio The Apollo Era.

Friday

Allison Miller is one of the best working drummers in the biz today. As well as being a popular hired gun for touring jazz and folk acts, she is an extremely deft composer in one of my favorite branches of the modern jazz experience: namely, accomplished musicians who are genuinely fun to listen to. Her sextet Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom heads to the Arcata Playhouse tonight at 8 p.m. in support of its latest release Glitter Wolf. The $15 door price — $10 if you are a student or senior — seems like a steal to me.

An hour later over at the Logger Bar, you can enjoy a proper bluegrass menagerie as members of the No Good Redwood Ramblers spilt up and square off into two separate acts for an evening of twangy, sharp pickin'. MicroGrass and The Kentucky Warblers each play a free one for the sheer love of the sport.

Saturday

For those of you living in the five-day matrix of the working week tonight is, for practical purposes, basically Halloween. It's the Saturday before this year's mid-week iteration of the holiday and, since nobody really wants to go to work with the scraps of last night's debauchery hanging over the next day, tonight is the night for costumed fun. So in deference to that idea and out of respect for the fidelity of everyone's pocketbooks, I will suggest some cheap, gussied-up goings on. On Eighth and N streets in Arcata, The Dead Drops will be playing free spooky tunes to the crowds headed into the Kinetic Lab of Horrors starting at 7 p.m. Meanwhile in Redway, the people at The Mateel are teaming up with KMUD to put on the annual Halloween Boogie at 9 p.m. ($30, $25 advance). Jamaican reggae artists Anthony B and Warrior King preside over a costume contest and groove-a-thon with local folk artist Lacey Redhead B and various KMUD DJs.

At the same hour at Humbrews is another edition of Soul Party. Tonight's theme is "The Freaks Come Out At Night" and, much like the gig at the Mateel, it features a costume contest amidst all the boogieing. Like its predecessors, this Soul Party is only $5 for a night of vinyl-enabled dancing.

Finally, at 11 p.m. at the Alibi is another reoccurring DJ-curated dance party, the punk, post-punk, goth and new wave-informed Radio Clash. Join tune-maestros Zero One and Vulvadon — Vulvadon? Really? OK. For the low, low cost of $1. Free tip: Get some Sacagawea or Susan B. Anthony dollars and you can pay for these events in character as a doubloon-wielding pirate or coin-flicking denizen of Westeros or Middle Earth.

Sunday

There's a neo-surf rock show going on at the Miniplex tonight at 9 p.m. La Luz is a Los Angeles band that peddles bubbly, washed-out fluorescent melodies carried aloft by an undeniable dance beat and layered vocal harmonies. Touring on its third album Floating Features for the Hardly Art label, La Luz is joined by Kansas City's similarly influenced group Shy Boys. ($15).

Monday

Blondies presents a mellow show as New York City's van-living indie-folk act Fort Vine visits the club at 7:30 p.m. Touring on the back of its second album, Stay Magical, this duo is certain to keep things chill (price TBA).

Tuesday

California Kind is a jam band comprised of various side players from the noodle-rock world and fronted by singer/songwriter Katie Skene. If you are a fan of Dark Star Orchestra and other Dead-adjacent groups then roll over to Humbrews tonight at 8 p.m. for a bit of note-saturated fun ($20).

Wednesday, Halloween!

It's the big spooky night so here's some midweek fun for all of you ghouls. RampArt skatepark has an all-ages punk rock covers show going down at 8 p.m. Members of The Buffy Swayze and The Tweeners team up to play songs of The Cramps while Side Iron magically transforms into The Misfits. The Flying Hellfish — a delightful reference from the golden age of The Simpsons — opens the evenings with various covers. Just $5 gets you in the door, there is a bar for those with a valid ID and yes, of course, there is a costume contest.

Speaking of costume contests, Absynth Quartet is presiding over one during its Halloween Bash at Humbrews. Lovebush is in on the fun and the kick-off time is 9 p.m. ($15).

Full show listings in the Journal's Music and More grid, the Calendar and online. Bands and promoters, send your gig info, preferably with a high-res photo or two, to music@northcoastjournal.com.

Collin Yeo would like to remind you that if you don't vote in the coming election then the ghosts of all of those who died securing your right to do so, as well as those who have had their vote cruelly stolen away, will haunt your remaining life. He lives in Arcata.