SANDUSKY -- Cedar Point has dialed up the creep factor with a new live show for HalloWeekends.
Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka, the macabre musical masterminds behind Chardon-based Midnight Syndicate, are finally live on stage performing their horror hits for the first time ever.
"We have people coming from all across the country to check us out," Douglas says. "After 17 years, finally playing out live for the first time is very exciting, as it would be for anybody who has followed a band for that long. We have plenty of fans at every show that are coming from all over because, 'Oh, Midnight Syndicate is playing live. We never thought that would happen.'"
Multiple times each night during HalloWeekends, Douglas and Goszka emerge through fog to scare up screams on their spooky stage.
Heed this warning… This show isn't your toe-tapping sing-along. It's an intense horror experience with suspenseful scares and terrifying twists, which all culminates with an spooky surprise.
"I think that what we're doing here and what we've created with Cedar Point is something really different and exciting," Douglas explains. "People that enjoy the spookier side of Halloween should really come out and see this show. I think you're gonna be surprised and happy."
Accompanying the gothic tunes are freaky film scenes effectively splashed on two large screens on each side of the stage. These segments, which deliver movie-like jolt scares, were filmed throughout various local places, including Akron's Haunted Schoolhouse and Haunted Laboratory. One scene even includes WKYC's own Ryan Haidet... But we can't reveal any more details than that because his mysterious role must be kept a secret.
In fact, WKYC was the only TV station given an invitation to capture some behind-the-scenes moments from the production, which began in May.
Among the makeup artists attached to this project include Beki Ingram and David "House" Greathouse – a local couple who competed on SyFy's reality hit "Face Off."
Since Midnight Syndicate was first created in 1997, the duo has unleashed 16 studio albums, the most recent release being "Monsters of Legend" in August 2013. For nearly two decades, their creepy collaborations have echoed throughout haunted attractions, theme parks, TV shows, video games, movies and more.
INSIDE LOOK: Midnight Syndicate's studio
"Our discs generally tend to be Halloween-themed, very horror-themed, because that's what we love," Douglas explains. "It makes great atmosphere for Halloween, haunted houses and people who like to decorate for Halloween."
A few years back, AOL ranked the top 10 Halloween CDs -- and Midnight Syndicate claimed three of the those spots (third, fourth and eighth).
If you're in the Halloween spirit, HalloWeekends is open Friday-Sunday now through Nov. 2.
