The Captain and I have been spending quite a bit of time visiting Busch Gardens lately. Of course we have taken tons of photos and I have been working on sorting out photos, creating new videos and blog posts that will focus on the different aspects of Busch Gardens in Tampa.
Since it is the season . . . the feature of this post is Howl-O-Scream 2010 . . .
This year's Howl-O-Scream Halloween event has found the theme park decked out in festive ghoulish fashion. This year has an awesome rock and roll theme featuring Sylvie and her band My X.
As night approaches, subtle changes start to happen in the park . . . red lights light up the night . . . the makeup and costumes are awesome . . . the atmosphere in general is hauntingly energetic and electrifying.
The HOS website in itself is an entertaining creation . . . here is a screen shot of one of the pages . . . on this page, you will find the story of Sylvie and Alex, her ex . . .
My tribute video to 2010 Howl-O-Scream
the sights and sounds of vampires, freaks and awesome music!
EVENT PREVIEW from TBO.com
Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream
WHEN: Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday and through October 31, as well as Halloween Night
WHERE: Busch Gardens, 3000 E. Busch Blvd., Tampa, Florida
TAMPA - The protesters outside the Livingsdoom Theater tried to warn me. They waved hand-painted signs with slogans like "This Music is Killing Our Youth" and "Morality Dies When My X Performs."
But that didn't stop me. I was there to get a sneak peek at My X and lead singer, Sylvie. So I pressed on with my tour of "My X: Revenge Rocks," the featured haunted house at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay's 11th annual Howl-O-Scream, the park's popular annual fright fest.
Finally making my way through the blockade, I was greeted by a young man in a tilted baseball cap and No. 13 sports jersey. He had dark, sunken eyes — like the drug dealer from those after-school TV specials.
Promising to get me backstage, he quickly ushered me through a side entrance.
The door slammed behind me. I took a brief second to let my eyes adjust to the darkness, my ears to the blaring music. Immediately, I was startled as a doorman pounded the walls of the ticket booth and demanded to see my credentials.
I carefully made my way down the dark, winding corridors. The walls were covered in torn, weathered concert posters.
From a dank, moldy bathroom with flickering lights, a man cried out for help as his friend hung upside-down from the ceiling tiles, head firmly submerged in a flushing toilet. He was good as dead — and his breath probably reeked of urinal cake.
Before I had time to take in the entire dilemma, a grate high upon the wall was flung open. A bloodied man with a bandaged head emerged and screamed, "Save yourself!"
Twisting farther into the winding labyrinth, I came upon a dressing room, complete with soft-lit, oversize mirrors, makeup counters and clothing racks. A sassy wardrobe artist emerged from the darkness.
"You're late for your fitting, Ryan," she scolded. "The next time you're late, I'm going to turn you into a pair of Sylvie's pants."
I hurried my pace as I tried to avoid strands of curtain weights, then the hallway opened up once more as I was greeted by my less-ghoulish media contacts.
And finally, Sylvie.
Scantily clad in skin-tight, torn, black Lycra, she subtly refused my handshake, opting instead to lean her back against me, contort her neck and gaze longingly into my eyes.
In a manic effort to keep things professional, I asked her about her upcoming shows.
"I'm playing every single night for Howl-O-Scream, so come check it out," she said. "It will be a very killer show."
Two of the haunted houses are new this year: "My X: Revenge Rocks" and "Alone ..." which features a twist: You go through it all by yourself.
Though they tout this year as having more haunted houses than ever, most of them are refreshed repeats from previous years.
Among this year's returning houses are "Nightshade Toy Factory: Son of Nightshade," where you'll be terrorized by possessed playthings; "Delta Epsilon Delta: Extreme Rush (DEDer)," where you'll endure the torture and pain of sorority life and "Deconstruction: The Doctor Is Out of Control," which puts you in the laboratory of a mad reconstructive surgeon whose hobbies include combining flesh, bone and steel in hideous ways.
By RYAN BAUER | TBO.com
Published: September 29, 2010
Updated: 10/03/2010 09:06 pm
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