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By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune October 29. 2014 1:03PM Spookadelic Halloween Funktacular promises a lively dance party Ashland revelers are never so creative as when they celebrate Halloween. The streets teem with people of all ages costumed as all manner of spooks, ghouls, novelty characters and alter egos. Vocalist Jeffri Lynn, keyboard and synth player Peter Gross, guitarist Shawn Freedman, bass player Dominic Cammarota and drummer Tom Berich are Uphonic SoundStystem. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Ashland revelers are never so creative as when they celebrate Halloween. The streets teem with people of all ages costumed as all manner of spooks, ghouls, novelty characters and alter egos.  East Main Street closes from the Ashland library, at the corner of Gresham Street, to the Ashland Plaza. The Children’s Halloween Parade starts at 2:30 p.m. and kids can trick-or-treat at downtown businesses. Fun, activities and live entertainment abound along the way. The second annual Spookadelic Halloween Funktacular at the Historic Ashland Armory promises enough high-energy verve to match the occasion. The Halloween bash kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, with a lively themed dance set by DJ Solus of Talent. It’s followed at 8:30 p.m. by a theatrical, multimedia performance featuring vignettes by local dance troupes Levity of Le Cirque Center, Circus Tribal Belly Dance, Intention Dance Coop and Dakini Rose Devadasi, video projections by Illuminated Dimensions of Denver, and a psychedelic soundtrack by uPhonic SoundSystem that tell the story of Dr. Funkenstein, a timid professor who transforms into a mad scientist of funk and mayhem. Dr. Funkenstein is based on one of songwriter George Clinton’s (Parliament, Funkadelic) recurring fictional characters on his themed albums. “Last year was so ridiculously fun that we’ve adopted the character for our own nefarious purposes,” says Peter Gross, front man for uPhonic SoundSystem. Gross' band — vocalist Jeffri Lynn, guitarist Shawn Freedman, bassist Dominic Cammarota and drummer Tom Berich — play down-tempo electronica. "It's like a vibe," he says. "It's got a groove so that you can dance to it, or you can just lie back and space out to it. We tread into the trip-hop genre of music, U.K. bands like Portishead, Massive Attack and Morcheeba. That's the style we base our music on, along with my influences from Pink Floyd and Phish. I like the openness of Pink Floyd and guitar solos by David Gilmore. So we're like Massive Attack meets Pink Floyd. It's modern hip-hop, trip-hop rhythms with Gilmore-esque guitar solos on top of it, along with a lot of electronic sounds and loops." Gross, who has played piano since he was a kid, started integrating guitar, keys and synths to help fill the spaces in his original music. His first album, "Bella Danger," was released in 2012. "It was created by myself and a producer out of Denver," Gross says. "I played the guitars and bass, and the drums, loops and things were electronic. Then we put together a band of local musicians for a CD release party at The Playwright. It went so well I decided to keep working with a full band. I've since replaced the original lineup. Everyone in the early band moved on to other projects." Gross is originally from New York City, and he's lived in Portland and San Francisco. "I've experienced a lot of vibes," he says. "The Spooktacular is not like any other live entertainment in the Rogue Valley." At 10 p.m., San Francisco dance band Afrolicious will play a fusion of elecronica and heavy beats. At 11:30 p.m., DJ El Papachango will play a set of Latin, tropical and hip-hop fusion with a funky twist. The Historic Ashland Armory is at 208 Oak St. Tickets for the Spookadelic Halloween Funktacular cost $25 in advance, $30 the day of the show, and can be purchased online at www.liveatthearmory.com, Music Coop in Ashland or Magic Man in Medford or Grants Pass.  Look for a full bar and food from Granite Taphouse. Costumes are encouraged. The event is open to ages 21 and older. http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20141029/ENTERTAINMENT/141029638 © 2015 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->