On a chilly Friday night, a sizable crowd descended upon Calgary’s Grey Eagle Casino Event Centre. Two names on the bill: The Matchstick Skeletons and the Headstones – the former, a new project with some familiar faces, and the latter something of a Canadian rock institution, celebrating a milestone in their now decades-long career. Longtime fans may spot the oxymoron; after all, the Headstones were once known for their alt-punk “Live fast, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse” philosophy. The venue itself furthers this contrast, as fans often (and fondly) relate to having seen this band in small, dimly-lit basement venues sprinkled throughout the country, so to see the same band now fill a room as big as the Event Centre to near capacity is a bittersweet moment.
