Austin's most outrageous variety show is turning its spotlight on the master of horror this Halloween season. Boner Bizarre presents Bonerween: A Halloween Tribute to John Carpenter, a self-described extreme erotic variety show, is set to take the stage at Come and Take It Live, with tickets listed at $30.
The listing, posted by CultureMap Austin, places the show at the East Riverside Drive venue, with the address given as 2015 E. Riverside Dr., Building 4, Austin, Texas 78741. Boner Bizarre itself is billed as an erotic variety show built around what organizers call filthy performance art, mixing neo-burlesque, pole dancing, aerials, contortion, sideshow acts, fire breathing, comedy and drama into a single bill. Per the same listing, the show also leans into performances organizers themselves describe as perverse, grotesque and socially unacceptable.
This isn't the production's first brush with horror royalty. Boner Bizarre has built a reputation for wrapping its raunchy variety format around cult film icons, and the Austin Chronicle reported that past events have honored David Lynch, David Cronenberg, and Stanley Kubrick. The outlet reported that the show's February 14, 2025, Valentine's Day edition at Come and Take It Live turned its tribute toward Italian horror auteur Dario Argento.
From Riverside House Parties to a Recurring Halloween Fixture
The production's roots are decidedly scrappier than its current staging suggests. According to the Chronicle, Boner Bizarre began as a series of house parties that quickly outgrew their Riverside duplex before evolving into the full-scale show it is today. Co-producer Zoja Exotica has described the result in blunt terms, telling the outlet it's simply the filthiest show on Earth.
Halloween has proven to be fertile ground for the production before. A 2019 listing from Do512 shows Boner Bizarre staged a medical fetish-themed Halloween show called Down With the Sickness at Come and Take It that year, suggesting the venue and the season have a long history together. The Chronicle's own arts coverage has separately described the show's acts as featuring pole-dancing, aerials, contortion, fire-breathing and rope bondage, underscoring how consistent the format has remained even as the thematic wrapper changes year to year.
Scheduling Details Remain Unsettled
Boner Bizarre Presents Bonerween is listed for Saturday, October 24, 2026, with doors at 8 p.m. and the performance beginning at 9 p.m.
The CultureMap listing carries its own standard caveat, noting the event is subject to change due to weather or other concerns, and organizers advise attendees to check with the venue or organization to ensure the event is taking place as scheduled. With ticket price, venue and calendar details listed, that advice seems especially relevant for anyone planning a night out at Come and Take It Live this Halloween season.
