Halloween and rock 'n' roll are natural bedfellows, so it comes as no surprise that this week brings a wide array of entertainment options for people who prefer to mix the macabre with the musical. My pick for the most perfect pairing is the Bad Things, a band of lovable, local loonies who have garnered themselves a slavish cult following, thanks to their wickedly weird, devious carnival soundtrack. Working with the intriguing, antiquated ingredients of traditional klezmer music, Appalachian balladry, and a strong streak of Gypsy-folk and Mexican influences, the Bad Things are both charming and creepy. If your idea of a good time includes ghostly accordion playin', German clowns, diminutive deviants offering disquieting spoken-word interludes, aerialists, a darkly beautiful siren leading you astray, or just a general sense of old-world rapture colliding with modern punk sensibilities, then the Bad Things will leave you delighted. You have two opportunities to catch them: Thursday, October 26, they'll be at the Funhouse with the Wages of Sin, and on Tuesday (Halloween proper) at Jules Maes Saloon in Georgetown.