ver the course of Halloween week, Bendites have many options for dancing, live music and general mischief and frights. (See our Picks page for proof...) On Halloween night, the Shook Twins, who currently call Portland home, hit the stage at the Volcanic Theatre Pub to perform a tribute to the cult classic—arguably one of Quentin Tarantino's finest: "Pulp Fiction." (Get your tickets in advance at $14/adv. at Bendticket.com, $17/door.)
"The guys in the band came up with it," Katelyn Shook, the band's primary string player, says of the idea to play a tribute to "Pulp Fiction." "Maybe one of the songs came on Spotify, then we started rolling with it and listening to the soundtrack more. It has some awesome hits. We'll play seven of the main ones that everyone knows well. It's been really fun to learn them, too!"
We started rolling with it and listening to the soundtrack more. It has some awesome hits. We'll play seven of the main ones that everyone knows well.
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"Pulp Fiction" landed in theaters in 1994, telling the story of two mob hit men, a gangster's wife, a boxer and a pair of diner bandits. The characters intertwine, telling four stories of violence and redemption in the way only Tarantino can. "Pulp Fiction" is the inspiration for some iconic Halloween costumes and one of the greatest soundtracks of the past 20+ years. Uma Thurman as Mia, the gangster's wife, danced her way into a permanent place in pop culture history.
"It's a cult classic," Shook says of the film. "I like that it's so gnarly and so violent, but I can handle it. I like his (Tarantino's) style even though it's really gory. I still don't really know why, some of his later movies are over the top. 'Pulp Fiction' has all the best quotable lines and the characters are amazing."
Come Halloween night, the twins, who hail from Sandpoint, Idaho, take the stage with their band to perform those movie hits, along with some of their original folk-pop jams. The special Halloween show will also include local guest horn players, a saxophone and trumpet. The band will be dressed as characters from the movie, and they encourage the audience to dress up too. The Bend performance isn't the only place they're performing the schtick; they're doing it as part of a five-show run before Bend as well.
While playing a themed show offers the band an exciting change of pace, the Shook Twins also have more than a handful of covers in store. In November, they plan to release their latest EP, "The Duo EP." According to Katelyn Shook, the EP features four older songs that have been re-recorded in a simple, stripped down style, as well as one new song and a cover. Even though the EP doesn't come out until next month, Shook said they will have copies available at the Bend show.
Up next for the Shook Twins: finishing their next full-length album, after a successful Kickstarter campaign. Shook says they found out on the first day of the most recent tour that the album had been funded—a great way to kick off their tour.
"I like Kickstarter, it's the second one we've done," Shook says. "Although it does add stress because you have to make the goal to get the money, it kicks people in the ass a bit more to get on it and donate. A lot of people waited to the last minute, but when it happens it's really rewarding. I think it's a really important avenue right now for indie bands."
Shook says the next album will feature a lot more soundscaping, which evokes a lot of feelings for listeners. Shook says she loves having sounds on the album that make people think, "What is that sound?"
Halloween with Shook Twins — A Tribute to "Pulp Fiction"
Tue., Oct. 31. 9pm.
Volcanic Theatre Pub
70 SW Century Dr., Bend.
$14/adv. at Bendticket.com, $17/door.
