Banshee Tree takes its Halloween masquerade back up the canyon to the Caribou Room

Boulder's Banshee Tree, touring this year's album Bad Luck, headlines a masquerade ball at Nederland's Caribou Room on Saturday, Oct. 31, with Cycles.

Halloween in Nederland comes with a dress code this year, and Banshee Tree is setting it. On Saturday, Oct. 31, the Boulder band headlines a masquerade ball at The Caribou Room, with Cycles opening, and it's the second straight Halloween the band has taken the drive up the canyon to play it.

The details, per the Caribou Room's calendar: doors and dinner at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m., with tickets $25 in advance and $28 day of show. The room is at 55 Indian Peaks Drive in Nederland. Masks are the theme; last year's edition handed out prizes for the best costumes, according to the Mountain-Ear's preview, and Phoebe Nix opened that night.

If you know Banshee Tree only from their early years, the band you'll see Saturday has moved on. They started out as a swing band, and a weekly residency at a Boulder speakeasy gave them the room to reach well beyond it. These days they describe themselves as an indie psychedelic pop/rock band: sharp songs, jazz-inspired guitar solos, saxophone textures and grooves that nod to the dance floor. The lineup, as listed with the band's profile, is Thom LaFond on vocals, guitars, piano and synth; Michelle Pietrafitta on drums and vocals; Jason Bertone on upright bass; and Jesse Shantor on saxophone, synth and vocals.

The reason to go now is Bad Luck, the album the band released on April 17. The band's bio calls it restless and unapologetically diverse, a record that captures them chasing down new horizons, and that tracks with where they've been heading. Getting there wasn't simple: Westword reported that the follow-up to their debut stalled when violinist Nick Carter left for California before his parts were recorded, forcing a rethink of the band's sound. Saturday is a chance to hear those songs in a room that suits them, at the tail end of the album's first year.

They started as a swing band. Bad Luck is the sound of a group that kept going.

This is a home crowd, too. In our records Banshee Tree plays the Boulder area more than anywhere else, with 21 shows logged, and the Caribou Room is a natural fit: a mountain-town room with a dinner service, close enough to Boulder for a night trip and far enough to feel like an occasion. The band's own tour page has the rest of their dates.

A few practical notes. Nederland is a canyon drive from Boulder, and on Halloween night it's worth having a sober driver or a plan to stay over. Arrive at doors if you want dinner before the set. Advance tickets are cheaper, so buy early through the venue's calendar link. And bring a mask; it's a masquerade, and you'll stand out without one.

There are bigger Halloween parties on the Front Range, but few where a hometown band with a new record plays to a costumed crowd in a room at 8,000-some feet. If you're going to spend Halloween dancing, this is a good place to do it.

Sources: Calendar — The Caribou Room (thecaribouroom.com); Banshee Tree – Tour Dates (official site) (banshee-tree.com); Banshee Tree at the Caribou Room, Halloween 2025 (The Mountain-Ear) (themtnear.com); Boulder band Banshee Tree's new album (Westword) (westword.com); Banshee Tree 2026 concert history (Concert Archives) (concertarchives.org); Banshee Tree on Apple Music (music.apple.com); Banshee Tree official site (banshee-tree.com); Banshee Tree (Bandsintown) (bandsintown.com); Nederland, Colorado (Wikipedia) (en.wikipedia.org)