Located in the heart of Koreatown, Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles is a towering landmark that has watched the city grow for over a century. With its 205 foot tall corner tower and striking stained-glass windows made by the Dixon Art Glass company, it might not be the first place one expects to find a spooky Halloween concert. But then again, it might just be the perfect setting for one.
Immanuel Presbyterian Church: a historic sanctuary turned emo landmark
The Gothic Revival building has been a Hollywood favorite over the years, appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man in Captain Stacy’s funeral scene, and in TV sensation Criminal Minds. However, it’s more notably immortalized (pun intended) in My Chemical Romance’s “Helena” 2005 music video. With over 250 million views on YouTube, this emo anthem made the church popular among MCR fans across the world, leading to its given epithet: the “Helena” church.
On October 30, Immanuel Presbyterian Church will embrace its long-standing relationship with pop culture to leave room to a chilling, candlelit Halloween concert that would make MCRmies, emo nostalgics and goth romantics proud because no, it’s not just a phase. Still, it can be enjoyed by any music lover or film buff as the performance will pay tribute to some of the most terrifying classical compositions, as well as spine-tingling soundtracks from movies like The Exorcist, Psycho and Halloween.
It’s certainly bound to be one of the spookiest Halloween events in Los Angeles, blending live music, atmospheric illumination provided by the countless flickering candles and the church’s spiritual gravitas.