Hosting the House of Terror Amusement Park during George Dubya's war against terror is sure to be somewhat of a marketing challenge. In the initial days after the September 11 terrorist attacks, we were sure the producers of Miami's most commercial haunted house would change its name. But noooooo. There it was on an advertising banner draped across Biscayne Boulevard in creepy larger-than-life letters: "TERROR." Apparently it's okay to promote the concept as long as it's full of fake blood and Latex monster masks. It's that time again -- the House of Terror opens up the season tonight with its shadowy labyrinth of carnival ghouls and goblins who might have recently been working accounting jobs. But what can we say: People have to do what they must to survive the true terror that's about to strike us all -- the societal phenomenon known as THE HOLIDAYS. The park opens at 5:00 p.m. at Bicentennial Park, 1075 Biscayne Blvd. Admission is $20. Call 305-455-1463. (JCR)
FRIDAY 10/10
From ballet to modern dance, Brazil is fast becoming an epicenter for the world's boldest and most innovative dancers. It might be the rich rhythms of the samba or the sheer physical awareness and sexual openness of Brazilian society, but European and American dance directors are scouring the country for inspiration and talent. One of Brazil's boldest troupes, the ever-athletic Quasar Dance Company, performs tonight to kick off Miami's venerable Tigertail Productions' annual FLA/BRA International Festival. The troupe will perform its new work, Lend Me Your Eyes, which was commissioned specifically by Tigertail. The show starts at 8:30 at the North Miami Beach Performing Arts Theater, 17011 NE Nineteenth Ave. Tickets range from $20 to $50. Call 305-545-8546. (JCR)
SATURDAY 10/11
Sure, one of their members looks like the walking dead or a runaway member of Kraftwerk, and they sound way too much like Joy Division and the Chameleons U.K. with their gloomy tone and big song about an abundance of couches. But in their impeccably tailored suits, and with their New York self-assurance and hit album Turn on the Bright Lights, rock and roll band Interpol has got the young girls screaming themselves into hoarseness and peeing in their pants with excitement and the critics doing the same. They've also got a South Florida connection: Sam Fogarino, former drummer for the Holy Terrors, is keeping their beat. Hear their melancholy postpunk musings at 7:30 tonight at the Ice Palace (59 NW 14th St.) with the Occasion and Elefant. Tickets cost $20. Call 954-766-8477. (NK)
SUNDAY 10/12
It was in North Dade last year. It's in South Dade this year. Wherever the celebration of the culmination of carnival season called the Miami Carnival occurs, you're bound to have a ball. More than 25 masquerade bands are slated to show their colorful stuff, and top names like Byron Lee and the Dragonaires and Burning Flames are set to perform. The fun goes on from noon to 11:00 p.m. at the Homestead Miami Speedway (1 Speedway Blvd., Homestead). Don't want to schlep down to Homestead in your car? Free bus rides will be provided to and from the celebration. Admission is $20. Call 305-653-1877 for details. (NK)
MONDAY 10/13
Oh to be young, gifted, cute, and playing in a New York City rock band. It's got to be something like a must-see-TV character existence. Funky multiracial young groupies with cool hair, tattoos, and thrift-shop-chic wardrobes. The members of the Walkmen, a sort of nerdy, sort of techno, sort of thrashy quintet, are not just living the rock and roll lifestyle; they seem to be grabbing good reviews as well. Of course three members were once part of the now-defunct Jonathan Fire Eater, which was once hailed as the future of rock and roll. But then again, so was Axl Rose. Working out of their homemade Harlem studio, the Walkmen have been experimenting and honing their distinctive sound. They perform tonight at 9:00 at I/O Lounge, 30 NE Fourteenth St., with special guests Dear Starlet. Tickets cost ten dollars. Call 305-358-8007. (JCR)
TUESDAY 10/14
That's not fallen Roman emperor Julius Caesar staring at you from under his greasy bangs on that brightly colored classical-style bust in the art gallery corner. No, that glowing statue boasting wings on its shoulders and a head of hair resembling a giant meringue is one of artist Edouard Duval-Carrié's many whimsical and thought-provoking depictions of Vodou gods or goddesses. Mining his Haitian heritage is one of the artist's specialties, and migration of the embattled island's citizens and gods is a persistent theme evinced in his paintings, sculptures, works on paper, and installations. See his latest works in the show "From the Studio ... to the Museum ... to the Gallery," running through Saturday, November 15, at Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, 3550 N. Miami Ave. Admission is free. Call 305-573-2700. (NK)
WEDNESDAY 10/15
What's wrong with this picture? Two hockey teams from states known predominantly for being bastions of sunshine. Two hockey teams bearing names of wild animals likely to rip your face off if you try to capture and tame them. Two hockey teams ranking in the lower third of their respective conferences. Hey kids, it's time for a game between our illustrious Florida Panthers and the red-hot -- not! -- Phoenix Coyotes, ranked eleventh in the Western Conference (we're a big number thirteen in the Eastern group). If you're a true fan of mayhem on the ice, you'll be attending this chilly 7:30 p.m. matchup at the Office Depot Center (2555 NW 137th Way, Sunrise). If you're only mildly interested in the game but are all about the giveaway, don't bother -- there isn't one tonight. Tickets range from $14 to $250. Call 954-835-7825. (NK)
