A messy beginning to October

I love October. It seems like it's the month with the most crazy activities going down in the bay area, and most of them are full of people dressed in outrageous costumes. This weekend I got to see that and more -- as well as get drenched in buckets of slime. Good times! (Okay, boss, can I get hazard pay now?)

I started out Friday (10/3) at First Friday to check out some of the people going to both Against Me! and Apocalyptica, along with some sports fans who came downtown after the Rays game. Here's what struck me as I ambled down Central Avenue with my camera.

I saw uncountable mohawks in St. Pete on Friday, including one on Dan Eckrote. Given the popularity of the newly christened official Rays hairstyle, it won't be long before you see Tampa Bay lawyers and doctors sporting it. As it is, it's gotten popular enough that my 70-plus-year-old grandpa is talking about getting one -- even though he's got the horseshoe pattern baldness. Imagine a mohawk, but just in the back.

Probably the strangest thing I saw on Friday was Sparkle Genera and her roller skates. It's not often you get to to see a woman holding a beer with roller skates draped over her shoulder (careful with that glass, sister!). Take that back: It's not often to see outside of a Derby Darlin's match or Czar's Crisco Roller Disco. Love the pink wheels, though!

After the game, the streets were full of people celebrating after the Rays victory. I caught Kristy Westphal and Brett Hughes making that long trek from the Trop over to the Central Avenue drinking area to continue their throwdown.

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I won't lie. I was nervous about going to see Gwar at Jannus Landing on Saturday (10/4) with a camera around my neck. If you don't know, they're known for hosing the audience down with slime, so I devised a way to protect my camera with lots of Saran wrap and electrical tape. Thankfully, it worked. So, while I came out dripping with ooze, my camera remained safe and secure so I could show you these pictures.

Andrew Smokler came prepared. He wanted to get slimed but didn't want it in his eyes. He was a very smart man, and Gator Guard security guy Kevin Moore gave him a thumbs up for it. Meanwhile, I cursed him because I hadn't thought of that.

Claire Sayetta, Rachel Koch and Tim Adger proudly show off their clothing that looks like it got doused in Kool-Aid. It's part of a tradition to wear white clothing to a Gwar show to mark how many times you get hit. Doesn't work so well on a black T-shirt, but I can still see some color stains on it from the night's festivities.

This is just one of the many ways the band soaked the audience with goo. There were also decapitations of political figures with enough arterial spray to give Japanese horror movies a run for their money. This cannon is the prime reason I got messed up; I got hit, not once, but twice in face with it. All in all, though, it was a messy good time. I can see why people like to get hit with the slime. Considering the heat and sweaty masses of people, the cool goo was refreshing.

Yes, even Batman was there (albeit sans Robin). If you see him at any more events around the bay, make sure to let us here at So Tampa Bay know. We're trying to keep a watch on his activities, and his presence at Gwar made things all the more curious. His suit must have some sort of slime repellent as he was the cleanest person who exited the concert that night.

Make sure to check out the rest of the photos from the First Friday madness and the wet and sticky Gwar show!