PHOTOS: Ice Nine Kills Q&A, Eli Roth Q&A, Welcome to Horrorwood Q&A, Terrifier Q&A
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By Greg Maki
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Billed as a weekend of “music, horror, gore and more,” the third annual Silver Scream Con brought a horde of bloodthirsty souls together for an unforgettable weekend.
Outgrowing its previous location in the Boston suburb of Danvers, Massachusetts, the event moved this year to the spacious DCU Center in Worcester, following in the footsteps of the Rock and Shock Festival, which ran for many years at the same venue. By day, it was a full-fledged horror con, giving fans the opportunity to meet genre icons new and old, including director Eli Roth (“Cabin Fever,” “Hostel,” “Thanksgiving”), stars of the “Terrifier” franchise, “Scream” favorites David Arquette and Jamie Kennedy, and familiar faces from the “Friday the 13th” and “Halloween” franchises. By night, the event offered a VIP party (aka RIP here) that included an acoustic performance by hard rock act The Funeral Portrait, standup comedy from Jamie Kennedy and karaoke, with many of the event’s stars in attendance, and on Saturday, a concert on the outdoor stage of the nearby Palladium. The concert also served as the finale of this summer’s Kiss of Death Tour Part 2, co-headlined by In This Moment and the driving force behind Silver Scream Con, Ice Nine Kills. SiriusXM’s Jose Mangin served as host for the nighttime activities.
Aside from meeting the stars and shopping the many vendors, highlights of the con included an Ice Nine Kills museum featuring costumes and props from the band’s music videos; a horror trivia contest; professional photo ops, many of which featured stars in costume with special sets and backdrops (any self-respecting horror fan should have a photo with David Howard Thornton as Art the Clown); and Q&As with the stars.
The good vibes flowed throughout the weekend, from the fans, the stars, the vendors, even the venue staff. (“A lot of love in the room for a bunch us weirdos that like killing,” said entertainment journalist Ryan J. Downey, who served as moderator for the Q&As.) While there was plenty to enjoy even if you had never heard of Ice Nine Kills, the INK fandom was the dominant theme of the weekend, giving the event an even stronger unifying factor than the typical con. Frontman/mastermind Spencer Charnas easily had the longest lines at his signing table (with Thornton coming in second, according to my unscientific observations), and the convention and concert felt like something of a victory lap for the wildly successful “Welcome to Horrorwood” album cycle. The band’s Q&A wisely was scheduled as the con’s last event on Sunday, ensuring the majority of fans would see the weekend through to the end. Charnas and company made it worth their while, officially announcing the new Ice Nine Kills song, “A Work of Art,” which will be featured in “Terrifier 3” and come with a music video featuring actors/characters from the movie, including Art the Clown himself.
Saturday’s concert—with fireworks, props, actors portraying various horror icons, members of Reel Big Fish on a handful of songs, severed heads and limbs—might have been the single biggest production in the nearly 25 years of Ice Nine Kills (yes, Charnas started the band when he was 14), making it a truly special night. It’s amusing to think about this madness occurring outside in the middle of the city, surely audible for several blocks in any direction.
Horror and heavy music go hand in hand, a match made in hell, and Silver Scream Con brings them together like no other event running today.
“As someone who has attended a lot of cons as a fan, worked a lot of conventions as a reporter, this is the best one,” Downey said. “I’ve been going to San Diego Comic Con … for 22 years. This is better than San Diego Comic Con.”
Founded and run by people who clearly have the interests of everyone—fans, stars, staff—in mind, it was everything one could hope for and more. In more than 20 years as a con-goer, it easily was the best such event I have attended. See you next year in Worcester for Silver Scream Con IV.
LINKS:
www.silverscreamcon.com
www.iceninekills.com
