« ["I Put a Spell On You": My Halloween Adventures as Esteban] »

Although I went out for Halloween as infomercial musician Esteban, who hocks his "Gift of Guitar" on late night television, I might as well have been Jose Feliciano. I mean, I'm blind enough with my glasses on but to discard them for the evening for a cheap pair of sunglasses to mimic Esteban's trademark look engulfed my world into further darkness and further blindness as I walked the streets of downtown on Halloween night. I mean, I could have worn my glasses but then I'd just be a guy in a hat. However, like Daredevil I used my sense to guide me. I listened to voices I recognize, shapes that I know, height, weight, color, form and every other observation possible. Short with red hair? That must be Erin. Platinum blonde short skinny guy? Must be Holmes. Dragon Ball Z haircut and either ignoring me or just staying away? Must be James. What I found surprising was that, in the end, I got along rather well. Mind you, I did miss out on looking at all the wonderful costumes.

People were often cynical with me in the weeks prior to dressing up as Esteban. Many people would say "nobody's going to know who you are." Sure enough, many people didn't. As I walked down the street people kept shouting "there's Zorro" or "Hey Zorro - play us a song." I wanted to point out to each of them that Zorro doesn't wear sun glasses and carry a guitar. If I was wearing a cape and carrying a sword then I'd be Zorro. Anyone who called me Zorro I just pretended I didn't hear and kept walking - often snubbing many of them. One poor bastard walked right up to me, put out his hand for me to shake it and said "hello Zorro. Nice to meet you." I didn't take his hand, didn't breathe a word and kept walking. Perhaps it was cruel. Perhaps I shouldn't assume that everyone knows who Esteban was but I was in no mood to pretend, explain Esteban to people or play nice.

Irony is, when I was ten years old I dressed up as Zorro and nobody knew who I was. Mind you, my mother did make me wear a bright red wind breaker with the costume to keep me warm. Zorro never wore a bright red windbreaker.

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There seemed to be a geography to the type of costumes that women in Peterborough wore on Halloween night. If you were walking north on George Street towards Hot Belly Mamas or the Sapphire Room many of the costumes were very elaborate and well done. However, if you walked south on George Street, towards Club Vibe or Sin City many women felt that Halloween was an excuse to wear as little as possible and have their breasts hanging out. Personally I preferred the clever costumes to the excuse for women to dress up like sluts one night of the year. Its Halloween, not Whoreween!

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As I crossed the intersection of George and Simcoe on the way to Hot Belly Mama's "Jazz Funeral" two drunk girls dressed up as Catholic School girls bounced towards me arm in arm.

"Heeeeeeeee! Play us a song" one of the girls screamed.

"Yeah! Play us a song" the other said.

I couldn't say no. "What do you want to hear" I said.

"Play something fast so we can dance" one of the girls said.

"Do you know 'Dancing in the Streets' by David Bowie" the other girl said.

"Actually, 'Dancing in the Streets' was originally done by Martha and the Vandellas" I said. The girls looked lost. Why do I always have to correct people like that. "Ah forget it. Do you like KISS" I said. I began to beat on my guitar strings.

"I FEEL ALL RIGHT ON A SATURDAY NIGHT" I sang in my raspy singing voice.

"WHOOOOOOOO" the girls screamed as they began to dance around me. I suddenly wish somebody was with me to take a picture.

:"NINE O'CLOCK THE RADIO'S THE ONLY LIGHT"

Suddenly, from across the street three guys ran towards us and began to dance with the girls. This is kind of cool I thought.

"GET UP! EVERYBODY'S GONNA TO MOVE THEIR FEET!"

"Hey, what are you guys doing" the one girl yelled at the three guys. She wasn't amused that they joined in.

"GET DOWN! EVERYBODY'S GONNA LEAVE THEIR SEAT!" I kept singing.

:"Yeah. Get the fuck out of here" the other girl said to the boys.

"GONNA LOSE YOUR MIND IN DETROIT....ROCK CITY" I sang, although now it was kind of getting tense with one of the Catholic school girls pushing one of the guys away. I stopped singing. The guys took off. The girls stopped bouncing around.

:"Wow! Your so cool!" the one girl said.

"Yeah! Your awesome" said the other as they ran off down George Street waving goodbye. I turned around and started back towards Hot Belly Mamas.

I wonder if Esteban has every sat up at night jamming out KISS songs?

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When I arrived at Hot Belly Mamas the Jazz funeral had already begun and the bar was deserted. At the bar were three men in suits and Kato masks, looking kind of like Crazy 88's from "Kill Bill" but not wearing the right colors. As I walked past them one of the guys said "man, that's a great costume" with a knowing smile on his face. Yeah - he got it.

"Thanks brother" I said and walked to the other end of the bar and ordered a drink. Soon the parade returned and a hundred people marched into the restraunt. Skeletons, ghouls, zombies, angles, princesses, clowns, pirates and other oddities and freaks, blowing horns, pounding drums and chanting. Halloween at Hot Belly Mamas is a wonderful yearly tradition and I knew this year was going to be no exception. I was surprised to see the three men in the Kato masks that commented on my costume get on the stage. Perhaps if I had been wearing my glasses I may have recognized them to be James McKenty and the Spades - pretty much the best band in Peterborough. A skeletal figure with a horn joined them on stage and they began to play:

"I put a spell on spell on you" James sang. The crowd exploded with screaming and dancing. It was as if the spirit of Screaming Jay Hawkin's had entered the restraunt. I stood in a corner of the bar trying to avoid the action because I was scared of getting my guitar hurt. Still, even the music was moving me. It was pure black magic. It was the right music, the right night and the right place to be.

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As I stood watching the crowd dance I watched a woman in a wonderful pirate costume weave in and out through the crowd. As I watched her I thought to myself that whatever she was doing was the worst dancing since I saw the drunk old redneck do the white trash shuffle two years ago in Beardstown Illinois.

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For some reason I don't think of Halloween without going downtown and running into Candace. Last night she was no where to be found. Subconsciously I know that I went from pub to pub and bar to bar looking for what might be her or the sound of her voice. Perhaps I encountered her or perhaps I didn't. I saw many friends and acquaintances and wonderful people but I never ran into Candace. I returned home kind of disappointed.

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I returned home at 1 am. I was tired, drained and ready for bed. Halloween was over for another year but provided me with another wonderful night. I took off my hat and my glasses and put my Esteban persona away. Thank you Esteban for lending your likeness for my Halloween night. However, I stayed up for another two hours talking to this girl on MSN. She further bewitched me with her vodoo magic, making my evening more wonderful, enchanting and more memorable. Possibly the most pleasant part of my evening. I finally went to a bed at a very stupid hour. I was very sleep deprived the next morning but I woke up still under the spell of Halloween's old black magic :D

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2005-11-03 AT 3:49 p.m.

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2006 - The Year of the Geek: Dr. Who, Buffy and Beyond - 2005-12-03

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