By Tyler Maheu
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CLAREMONT — The skatepark at 43 Washington Street in Claremont will become the city’s newest concert venue for this Saturday, October 29, 2022’s, Monster Mash.
The event, being advertised as a free skatepark show, will run from noon to 9 PM and feature a collection of ten local bands and artists. According to event organizer and local musician Loren Howard, the concert is back after a two-year hiatus. “We’ve been doing this event since 2014, with the exception of 2020 and 2021,” said Howard during a Facebook Messenger correspondence. “This has been something we have hosted as a band for years because local music, and a space to do that music, is wicked important to us.”
Howard states that, due to the rural nature of our area, it can be very difficult to find places to play. This is where the skatepark comes in. “The skatepark felt like a natural place for us cause it’s somewhere that we often went to hang out, skate, or meet new people. Frankly, I’m not very good at skateboarding, I can’t act like I am, so maybe that’s why I’m doing music at the skatepark,” he said. He also stressed that the event, which was traditionally held in either August or September, came together due to the assistance from Justin Martin and the Claremont Parks and Recreation Department. “I’ve got to give a huge shout out to Justin Martin for being so easy to work with and seeing the vision I was expressing.”
Performing at the mini festival will be a group of bands with musical stylings reportedly ranging from folk to punk, to “Pirates playing Surf Rock.” According to Howard, getting the bands together has been a challenge. “Organizing this event is always a real toss-up. As a band we’re all very scatterbrained and had a lot going on in our own lives, but we do our best to make this event as fun as possible and invite a bunch of friends and other bands we’ve met while playing gigs all around New England,” he said. The list of bands is as follows; Lobotomobile, Billy Joy, Jonee Earthquake, Bellwire, Jake McKelvie, Phrogg, Cora James, Null, Slob Drop, and Chodus. Chodus, Howard’s band, is said to be celebrating their vinyl release at the concert.
For Howard, putting on this concert in autumn provides a fun new twist. “The special thing about this year is that it’s also a Halloween show whereas usually we would host it sometime between August and September over the summer,” said the local musician. He continued, “I really hope to see some people down there in cool costumes, maybe we’ll even have an impromptu costume contest.”
The concert is free to attend, and costumes are encouraged.
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