Live music goes down better than candy corn. Trust me on this as I send you to three consecutive nights of shows that will make this a Halloween to remember.

I’ll be honest, Halloween hasn’t been the same for me since the year I was Wonder Woman and wore a plastic, store-bought costume that would probably fetch a pretty penny now at a vintage shop. I was about 8 years old and used a pillow case to collect my candy, such was the Ponti way.

Present-day Halloween does, however, offer a unique opportunity for many people to come up with a righteous, original costume and get out in the world over the days leading up to and including Oct. 31.

This week, I’m sharing some ways for you to infuse your Halloween with some live, local music. So, roll through Spirit at the mall and snag something epic or bust out the sewing machine and whip up something unique. You owe it to yourself to have a blast, and I can think of no better way than doing so with some live music.

Halloween Tribute to Radiohead and Portishead
8 p.m. Friday. Sun Tiki Studios, 375 Forest Ave., Portland, $15. suntikistudios.com
You’ll be out of your head if you’re a fan of one of these bands because musician Jeff Beam and a gaggle of his musical friends are presenting a Halloween tribute to both. Don’t be that person who refuses to dress up, put on a costume and be ready to enjoy two sets of tunes. The night kicks off with Portishead songs featuring members of Jeff Beam’s band as well as Micromasse, Builder of the House, Dead Man’s Clothes and The Milkman’s Union, along with other local luminaries. Then Beam and his buddies will slay with a bunch of Radiohead. Be a creep, be a weirdo!

Space Halloween
8:30 p.m. Saturday. Space, 538 Congress St., Portland, $15. space538.org
Classic surf tunes, paired with experimental pop, a TV show-inspired girl group and a legendary British punk band? This could only happen at the annual Space Halloween party. Halloween tributes to The Beach Boys, Animal Collective, Josie and The Pussycats, and Buzzcocks will be the evening’s entertainment. Hearing the Buzzcocks’ “Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)” live is reason enough to go to this show. The bands will comprise members of Adlt Grrrl, Gum Parker and Ossalot as Josie and the Pussycats; Lunch Cult as The Beach Boys; members of KGFreeze, Junesevere and Akela Moon as Buzzcocks; and Amiright and Red Eft as Animal Collective.

Lore of the Jack-O’-Lantern with Brian Serven and Doctor Gasp (Dan Blakeslee)
6:30 p.m. Sunday. Space, 538 Congress St., Portland, $15 in advance, $18 day of. $10 for 18 and under/students. space538.org
This event combines music with a dramatic reading to celebrate the audiobook release of “Lore of the Jack-O’-Lantern” by Brian Serven, and his reading will be bolstered by character voice actors. All the while, 14 illustrations by musician and artist Dan Blakeslee will be projected while you hear sound effects and live music. But that’s not all! The night ends with a performance by Blakeslee’s alter ago, Doctor Gasp, who will be performing a set of Halloween-themed tunes as only he can. Gasp sure does a cool cover of “Monster Mash” and his original “Teeth of Candy Corn” is a creepy hoot.

It Came From The Cellar Halloween Concert
7 p.m. Sunday. Oxbow Blending & Bottling, 49 Washington Ave., Portland, $20 in advance, $25 at the door. eventbrite.com
Here’s a chance to hear three great acts while choosing from 10 vintage Oxbow beers. It Came From The Cellar features performances from Nashville-based indie rocker Liz Cooper; Burlington, Vermont, maker of indie pop Lily Seabird; and Maine’s queer post-punk quartet Lake Over Fire. These three acts are radically different from one another, so one minute you’ll be floating on ethereal clouds, and the next you’ll be stomping your feet, then furiously bobbing your head with happy rage. Figure out a costume situation and a designated driver and grab a ticket to this surefire banger of a night.

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