THE CREEPYPASTA STORYTIME TOUR RINGS IN HALLOWEEN IN HOUSTON

Hey kids! Welcome to the tour you never expected. Youtube horror narrators MrCreepypasta and CreepsMcPasta were joined by pianist and composer Myuu on a cross-country tour, bringing the frights they post online to life for a live audience. And on the 30th of October, Houston got its turn. 

Youtube has taken an unexpected place in modern media, creating a space where no one even saw a void. When given the ability to ‘Broadcast Yourself,’ individual content creators make nichhe videos beyond what any large network would be willing to risk funding. Against all odds, creepypasta narrators have found a foothold within youtube, backed by a strong and growing community. And what do youtubers do once they reach a certain level of success? They go on tour, of course. 

Touring with youtubers is of new as a market as being a youtuber itself. As the demand for touring agencies catering to gamers and youtubers increases, companies like Meta Touring rise to the occasion. Even though Adam Welker and Andrew Tenenbaum (co-founders and CEO/CFO, respectively) have decades of experience under the belt within both traditional and non-traditional clients alike, it’s still awe-inspiring to see them put together a tour in a medium that has never been done before. 

The tour is executed to follow a blend of tour models that have proven successful before. Toss into a melting pot a 19th century book tour, a modern youtuber tour, and a mid 2000s pianist tour. Then add in all the bonuses that come with proper lighting at key times, a little bit of synth, and a projector, and you have the essence of the Creepypasta Storytime Tour. 

——-

The house lights went dark across the upstairs room of White Oak Music Hall. The show was running a little late, but those in attendance didn’t seem to mind. They milled about in happy clusters, some dressed in Halloween costumes, most clad in casual grey or black. But everyone raced to their seats when a spotlight opened on the darkened stage, especially when Mr. Creepypasta himself stepped into the center of it. 

He greeted those in attendance as soon as their cheers died down enough for him to be heard, welcoming them to the show and thanking them for their patience. Then, heanpounced Myuu would be taking the stage, and retreated back into the shadows. 

Born Nicholas Gasparini, Myuu is a German composer, pianist, and producer with work in films like Mr. Robot and Child’s Play under his belt. And that’s not even counting his own robust body of personal compositions. Dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans, he greets the audience enthusiastically as he makes his way behind the keyboard set up on stage left. 

After speaking to the crowd for a bit while turning on and setting his instrument, he spoke a bit about the first song he’d be playing, “The Scent of Night.” It’s an older one that has become synonymous with creepypastas all throughout the platform. The audience was enthralled, falling silent in an unexpected way as they listened to the song. It’s the one they’d all likely heard countless times, played under the stories of multiple narrators. But few had ever bothered to truly listen. It was apparent by the way the song gave them pause, captivating them with the mix of deep and light notes, creating an eerie web of  foreboding mystery. 

The end of the song was met with a shower of applause, one that You didn’t even seem to expect based off his surprised grin. bartered with the crowd for a while more, introducing the next song as the one he’d written for a character whose catchphrase was “Go to sleep.”

At the mention of Jeff the Killer’s signature phrase, shouts and claps rose from the audience, falling sharply as the song began, accompanied by visuals on a projector screen to the right. 

At its conclusion, Mr. Creepypasta returned to the stage. He began to talk about his love of horror, particularly focusing on the different types of horror stories according to Stephen King. He went over the differences between gross-out horror, horror, and terror before announcing he’d be sharing a story from each of the categories as the night progressed. The first, of course, being gross-out. 

Now I’m not going to spoil the story for you, as they all have fresh endings. All three are new story from long-time favorite, Vincent Vena Cava. They come straight from his latest book, and have yet to be narrated online. So all who came to the show are certainly in for a treat. 

Although I won’t be divulging the plots of any stories, I will say that the first story had the crowd roaring with laughter. It was descriptive, immersive, and filled with personality. Mr.Creepypasta gave a performance worthy of what I’d imaginen Charles Dickens would have given during one of his book tours. This was only enhanced by Myuu, who stayed on stage to play an accompaniment on his piano. 

It was as good as listening to a creepypasta on youtube, but so much more. Watching the way the narrator emoted, using his hands and body language to compensate for the lack of facial expressions was a part of the experience one doesn’t realize they’re missing out on until experienced. 

At this point, Mr. Creepypasta invited CreepsMcPasta on to the stage, and the crowd went wild. 

Unlike his counterpart, CreepsMcPasta did not wear his signature mask. Instead, he’d clipped it to the side of his pants. He waved enthusiastically, before gracing those in attendance with his gentle English accent. 

CreepsMcPasta eased into his time on stage with stories of homesickness for his small town, his vegetable garden, and a fewer quantity of choices at the supermarket. Then, he pulled out a ‘board game’ he’d crafted himself out of a Papa John’s pizza box, asking for a volunteer to play in exchange for prizes. 

The lucky participant was a young lady dressed as a witch. Now, the games and how it was played won’t be revealed in this post either, but I will say the young witch succeeded in winning a can of beans.

And thus, the rhythm of the show was established. They cycle continued in said fashion, with a story, some piano, and a board game segment. Mr. Creepypasta proved he is a master orator, better live than over the internet. CreepsMcPasta remained warm and personable, relieving whatever tension the stories might have left with ease. 

The evening concluded with a piano outro by Myuu, a medley of key horror movies and shows from the past 50 years with corresponding clips playing on the screen beside him.

At that conclusion, the houslights came on with the applause of the crowd. The three MCs came back onstage to take a bow and thank all those in attendance. 

The Creepypasta Storytime Tour is a pioneering project. In a world where everything Youtube in terms of careers is still in it’s testing phase, seeing a horror narration tour succeed is exciting. As of now, the tour is over. But let this be the push you needed to check out these wonderful artists on social media, conventions, or on their next tour. After this one, I’m sure there’ll be more in the future.