More Halloween fun, a musical legend and more this weekend

Don McLean 

Friday 11/1 | Grand Theater, Wausau 

When I was a kid, I remember singing Don McLean’s American Pie on the school bus more than once. The song was so pervasive, even so many years after it was popular, that we all knew the words collectively. So McLean coming to the Grand Theater is a pretty big deal. Amazingly, he hasn’t stopped for 50 years and is still writing, recording and performing music. This is your chance to see an American legend so you’ll want to grab your tickets right away. 7:30 pm. $40-$75. grandtheater.org

SHIM 

Friday 11/1 | Q&Z Expo Center, Ringle 

SHIM is the hard-rock band fronted by former Sick Puppies lead Shimon Moore, who started the band after he left Sick Puppies. The move worked out well for Moore, as the band has had two singles chart, “Hallelujah” and “Crucified.” It’s tempting to put SHIM into the NuMetal category but the band has a strong sense of melody that helps it stand out from the pack and appeal to more than a hardcore audience. 7 pm. $20, $25 at the door. www.qzexpocenter.com

Tommy Vext 

Wednesday 11/6 | Q&Z Expo Center, Ringle

If you’ve read through some of these previews by now, you’re starting to get a sense of the kind of music that winds up at Q&Z - this is a place for heavy metal and hard rock/numetal. Tommy Vext, formerly of Bad Wolves but now out on his own, exemplifies that perfectly. Vext’s music follows the numetal playbook perfectly - the pop-like chord structures mixed with distorted metal guitar will be familiar to those who like the genre, and Vext’s version is pretty catchy. 7 pm. $20, $25 at the door. www.qzexpocenter.com

Ski/snowboard swap 

Saturday 11/2 | East Gate Hall, Wausau 

The snow hasn’t fallen yet, of course, but it’s always around this time of year when many of us start thinking about winter sports. And part of that tradition is the annual ski/snowboard swap! Let’s be real, a lot of that equipment can be really expensive, and this is a great way to get yourself a deal on used snowboards, downhill skis and Nordic skis, or to sell your own. I still have a pair of Solomon skis I bought at the ski swap way back in my 20s, complete with some now-vintage Edsbyn poles. 11 am-3 pm, cash, check with ID and Visa/Mastercard accepted. If only they sold snow. See Rib Mountain Ski Club on Facebook. 

Halloween Bash with Joseph Huber Band 

Thursday 10/31 | Malarkey’s Pub, Wausau 

Malarkey’s Pub is one of the venues that helped put Wausau on the musical map for a lot of touring bands. This Thursday, you can see that in action as the Joseph Huber Band comes to one of Wausau’s top music venue to kick off its Halloween Bash. Huber brings a mix of folks and bluegrass but transcends the genre with solid and creative songwriting. And maybe that’s because he’s one of the original members of the .357 String Band, which was playing this kind of music in the days of the early 2000s before the style exploded as it has since. Huber is one of a kind and a great listen to help celebrate Halloween. malarkeyspub.com

Three days of Halloween at The Intermission 

Thurs.-Sat. 10/31=11/2 | Intermission Bar, Wausau 

Hey, Halloween is a special holiday - so why confine it to one day? Much like the practice of celebrating a birthday week or month, here The Intermission is just making a three-day stretch of Halloween fun, making it accessible to everyone. That includes live music, and that kicks off with Funkyard Dealers on Thursday, Slapdash Bluegrass Band on Friday and capping off the festivities on Saturday is Rugg. Not to mention costume contests, Halloween decor and more. Intermission Bar on Facebook.