Author: Joey Marz

There are few bands I can think of who are better fit to rip a gig on Halloween night than Masked Intruder.  Their brightly colored ski masks combined with their casual, possibly empty threats to rob the audience after the show encapsulate the concept of “trick,” but the energy which the band brought to High Noon Saloon Wednesday night was definitely a “treat.”  Opening the show with “25 to Life”, the first track off of their 2012 self-titled album which compares being in love to a prison sentence, Masked Intruder got the costumed crowd careening with an urgency matched only by the strumming of their power chords.  Not even the band's parole officer, Officer Bradford, could keep straight-laced; about half-way through the set, the mustachioed man-of-the-law was crowd-surfing while atop of a giant inflatable donut. In the spirit of a holiday centered around pretending to be someone else, the band included several covers in their set, my personal favorite being a rendition of The Outfield's “Your Love,” sung by Intruder Yellow.  

For a group that flaunts their association to the seedy underbelly of the world of crime, Masked Intruder really shines in their sweeter moments.  From Intruder Blue ending each song with a simple exclamation of “Cool,” to the costume contest which they held on stage for three people, to the night's performance of “Heart Shaped Guitar” which saw the band give several younger members of the audience a chance to sing on stage with them, the Intruders created an atmosphere where the audience members were more than innocent bystanders – we were full-blown accomplices.  By the night's final song, “I Don't Want to Say Goodbye to You Tonight,” I didn't want to either.

And then Intruder Green stole my wallet in the parking lot.