DEATH FROM DETROIT, THE INVASIVES, THE ESCORTS

THE PALOMINO – APRIL 19, 2013

I had high expectations for this show, especially considering that it was sold out. Legendary proto-punks, Death, were in town to help promote and introduce their new film, A Band Called Death, at the Calgary Underground Film Fest, making a couple show stops in Alberta.

Around 10:30 p.m., The Escorts took the stage. The Escorts were good. They exist. You know. [Editor's Note: The Escorts features our Music Editor, Sebastian, on guitar. For the sake of transparency and fairness, this is as much as we can really say about them without blurring boundaries.]

Next on the bill, The Invasives from Vancouver took to the stage. They were a sweet three-piece who packed the basement with abrupt, semi-technical punk rock riffs and high-pitched vocals. Their initial blast of energy got me excited about them, but I found they lost steam as the set went on. It got kind of repetitive and boring. Maybe they played too long? Maybe I was just excited for Death?

But, in no time at all, Death did grace the Palomino with their presence. It was a particularly strange crowd, because judging by those I recognized, I noticed they drew much more of a “hip” crowd, instead of the “punk” crowd I would’ve assumed for the genre. But, like a friend of mine said, “Seeing Death is a strange thing. Obviously, the music is good, but it’s more like seeing a piece in a museum.”

The music was good. Great even. For a recently-revitalized threesome out of the ’70s, they certainly demonstrated that they’re more than making up for lost time. Their old material was exactly how they must have remembered it from when they were kids: fast, ferocious and on a knife’s edge, even after all this time. They even ended up previewing a couple songs off their upcoming album, which, especially in comparison, seemed to take a more generic, soul-rock vibe. Still, it was entirely a treat to see these Detroit punk rockers for a once-in-a-lifetime performance. To see them grinning onstage in front of a salivating crowd was positively heart-warming.

Review and photo by Sara Mohan