ANGOLA, N.Y. (WIVB) – This Saturday, Goo Goo Dolls bassist and Music is Art founder Robby Takac will “slide” from being a musician to being a scare actor at EverHaunt Haunted attraction in Angola.
Takac will be getting a monster makeover and joining the EverHaunt cast for the day. Tickets are still on sale here.
It won’t be Takac’s first time giving people a scare.
“I actually did this stuff when I was in high school at haunted houses around town,” he said. “I guess it’s kind of in your blood to go out and shock people when you’re in my line of work, I guess when I was a kid, that was my way of doing it.”
Everhaunt loaned some creepy characters to the 2021 Music is Art festival this year.
“The folks at EverHaunt were amazing helping out Music is Art at our festival this year,” Takac said. “They really spiced up the “716 Sideshow”, so I was so excited to help Kevin and all of the folks that make this happen every year in Angola.”
Kevin Donovan, owner of EverHaunt, said Takac dropped by the attraction unexpectedly a few months ago.
“Robby is such a great guy – we had no idea he was coming,” Donovan recalled. “He walked around and loved the place, and halfway through, I realized I had The Goo Goo Dolls on over the music.”
EverHaunt is now in its second year. They opened in 2019 and were voted “Buffalo’s Best Haunted Attraction”, but didn’t open in 2020 due to COVID.
“When we first opened, we had three months to get ready,” Donovan said. “This year, we had a year and eight months.”
The attraction is decked out this year with a new lobby that looks like a haunted village complete with animatronics telling local stories, a new back attraction, a haunted game area, and more.
“I went there for the first time a few months ago, and I was unbelievably impressed by what’s going on there,” Takac said. “It really is a Level A fright attraction – they work really hard, and you can tell it comes from the heart.”
This year, EverHaunt is hosting appearances by horror icons like “Child’s Play” actor Andy Barclay with their “Horror Icon series”. There are also regular kids events called Western New York Family Fall Festival Saturdays.
As always, they prove that “scaring is caring” by raising money for local organizations including ConnectLife, Kids Escaping Drugs, and Operation Good Neighbor.
They’ll have a blood drive for ConnectLife on Oct. 21.
Other scare attractions in WNY, like the 870 Lee Home Haunt, also support good causes.
“It’s amazing how the City of Buffalo and the community of WNY have taken on zombies for a cure,” Takac said. “It’s pretty amazing – they have really embraced the non-profit community and I think the non-profit community has embraced them, in kind of a morbid way.”
Everhaunt has events through the month running through Nov. 6 for their “lights off” experience. You can find a full schedule, times, and tickets here.
Kaley Lynch is a digital reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 2016. See more of her work here.