This slide lecture presentation explores the mysteries of the vampire in legend, fantasy, and fact. Many aspects of the undead are covered, including the origin and history of vampire beliefs, ancient lore of blood and the restless dead, and the attraction of the vampire in literature, movies, and popular culture. The tremendous impact of the novel Dracula is examined, along with the historical figure of Dracula in Romania. Various explanations of the vampire legend are considered. The presentation also examines the real vampire bites of Latin America, and strange reports of unearthly figures, such as the vampire of Highgate Cemetery in England, and Dracula’s ghost in Romania.

Martin V. Riccardo has been lecturing on the subject of vampires for numerous libraries, bookstores, and organizations since 1977. In the late 1970s he published the Journal of Vampirism for two years. In the 1980s, he had two books published, The Lure of the Vampire (a collection of essays) and Vampires Unearthed (a bibliography and filmography). His latest book is Liquid Dreams of Vampires (published by Llewellyn), a study of the vampire image in dreams and fantasies. Mr. Riccardo is director of Vampire Studies, an information clearinghouse, and he has hosted several Vampire Fan Forums in the Chicagoland area.

Lemont Public Library
October 18, 2012
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
50 E Wend Street
Lemont, IL

Hillside Public Library
October 23, 2012
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
405 N Hillside Ave
Lemont, IL 

Attention all vampires come on down to the Open Range Grill to drink a True Blood or Zombie Dust Beer, and enjoy a great show.

REGISTER FOR THE EVENT HERE
https://www.facebook.com/events/425045957551815/#!/events/425045957551815/

9 PM – 2 AM | Open Range Grill | 1 Golfview Lane, Sugar Grove, IL
21+ / Only 6$ with costume / $8 without

FEATURING:
SS-TRIPLE-X: CANDYXXX, AMMUNITION, SOPHIA ASPHYXIA
Burlesque | Fire Acts | Angle Grinder Acts | Play Piercing | Special Silent Hill Performance

HIGHWIRE
Flesh Hook Suspension | Burlesque

HAPPY THE HUMAN PINCUSHION
Live Piercing

BASEMENT OF THE DEAD
http://42fear.com/
Costume Contest

PSYCHIC CORINNA
Tarot Cards | Runes

DJ ALVATRAZ, DJ DHEMENTIA
Providing Sounds

Across the nation Zombies are attacking. The Vampire council won’t stand for it. Vampires will fight back. The stage is set and Chicago will showcase the first Zombies vs. Vampires Pub Crawl.

The time has come to unleash the Vampires and bring forth the first pub crawl competition. Zombies vs Vampires Pub Crawl will be the event of the summer.

This event it going to top the charts with blood sucking drink specials in Chicago’s own Wicker Park neighborhood.This opportunity will give people the chance to see which dark side will claim the death trophy. Who represents Chicago best…The Zombies or the Vampires???

Be a part of the World’s first Zombies vs. Vampires Pub Crawl.

Win great prizes like Bears Tickets, Hawks Tickets, Halloween Hallway gift cards and more. We will have competitions based on best costumes, most creative, funniest, best couple…etc.

Admission includes a wristband to receive amazing drink specials in each bar and a survival pack with a map, T-shirt and other fun stuff to remember this bloody day!

For full details, information and to get tickets, visit http://www.zombiesvsvampirespubcrawl.com/

At Cutting Hall in Palatine, 2 blocks from the Palatine Metra station.

Saturday, October 15, 2011
2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Horrorbles (downstairs), 6729 W. Roosevelt Road, Berwyn, IL

This program explores the seductive power of the vampire image and the attraction so many people have to it. The slide presentation reveals the allure of the vampire in folklore and popular culture, and its unearthly aspects of mystery, danger, surrender, and dark romance. The vampire is the demon lover, the dark archetype, the shadow self that lures us into the night. Supernatural beliefs about blood are also covered, along with occult topics of astral vampirism, psychic vampires, and human vampires. The class will conclude with a guided fantasy visualization for those who wish to experience the nocturnal realms of these otherworldly creatures.

This is a completely different program from the one Mr. Riccardo gives at libraries.

$12 per person
Reservations and prepayment required (such as by credit card).
Call (708) 484-7370
or go to special events at http://www.horrorbles.com/

“The haunting twang and dark sexiness of The Spares mixed very nicely in the world of True Blood,” says Gary Calamar, the show’s Grammy-nominated music supervisor. True Blood was also nominated for four Emmy Awards earlier this month.

Calamar chose the song “Mexico” to include in an episode entitled “I Wish I Was the Moon” (Season 4, Episode 6). The track was written and recorded by The Spares in 2005 for the group’s first CD, Hand Me Down. “Mexico” was also named “Country Song of the Year” in 2006 by the Independent Artists Company.

“’Mexico’ is about someone who is frustrated with day-to-day life, and who dreams of making a dramatic change to shake up that routine,” says Steve Hendershot of The Spares, who wrote the song along with lead vocalist Jodee Lewis. “What I had in mind at the time was wanting to quit my job at Northwestern University to be a musician. But I can see how it would apply equally well to the people and vampires of Bon Temps, Louisiana.”

The Spares have released three CDs since Hand Me Down, including Beautiful and Treacherous Thing in 2007 (a finalist for “Americana Album of the Year” in the 2009 Just Plain Folks Music Awards) and 2010’s Everything Is Easy, released last August at a sold-out concert at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music.

True Blood’s Calamar was introduced to The Spares by Brooke Blocki of KMA Licensing (http://www.kmalicensing.com), a Chicago-based music licensing company that helps musicians gain television, film and advertising placements.

“We’re thrilled to be able to introduce the Spares to millions of people worldwide,” says Blocki. “This will also draw national attention to the great independent music that comes from Chicago.”

The Spares’ original acoustic music has been described as “hauntingly gorgeous” (Maverick Magazine), “simple, aching and hearty” (NewCity Chicago), and “somewhere in heaven between Gram Parsons and Alison Krauss” (Smother Magazine). “Their sound kind of tracks their personal journeys in encompassing the range of the American heartland,” says Alison Cuddy of WBEZ (Chicago’s NPR affiliate). “That may be why, in spite of the literal spareness of their music, it can be hard to categorize.” Indeed, The Spares’ songs fuse country, folk, blues and rock. The lyrics are thoughtful and honest, just as the music is raw, beautiful and compelling.

Listen: ”Mexico” is available for purchase via iTunes, Amazon MP3 and other Internet music retailers. The song is also available for streaming at http://www.thespares.com/listen/ 

Upcoming Performance by The Spares: The Spares’ next Chicago performance is Friday, Aug. 19 at the Biograph Theater (2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago). 9:30pm, all ages, $15, tickets at thespares.com. 

About the Spares: Jodee Lewis and Steve Hendershot formed The Spares in 2005. They write and sing twangy, bluesy, roots music about characters who are desperate and hopeful, buoyant and brokenhearted—sometimes all at once. The stories hint at love and truth in ways that the characters themselves don’t always recognize. For more information, visit www.thespares.com.

About Gary Calamar: Gary Calamar, True Blood’s Grammy-nominated music supervisor, runs Los Angeles, CA-based Go Music Supervision.In addition to his work on True Blood, Calamar also handles music supervision for House and Dexter, and hosts a radio show at Los Angeles NPR-affiliate KCRW. ( http://e2ma.net/go/10560456752/3791026/108010378/5445/goto:http://www.gomusicsupervision.com/ )

About True Blood: True Blood, the latest hit series from Emmy Award-winner  Alan Ball (Six Feet Under), delves into the meticulously crafted world of novelist Charlaine Harris. The show tracks the lives of vampires and humans who coexist uneasily in the small Louisiana town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. The show, which stars Anna Paquin as waitress Sookie Stackhouse, was nominated for four Emmy Awards earlier this month. (http://e2ma.net/go/10560456752/3791026/108010379/5445/goto:http://www.hbo.com/true-blood/ ) 

CONTACT:
Steve Hendershot, The Spares
773-209-7333; steve@thespares.com

Brooke Blocki, KMA Licensing
847-529-7638, brooke@kmamanagement.com