#harpaxe

Being away from the family is always tough around Thanksgiving, but luckily for Shawn Hall of the duo the Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer, he’s been welcomed into the loving arms of Edmonton. In town for two nights playing the Up and Downtown Festival, he’s excited to be at the Artery tonight for what he expects to be a fun show.

“The Artery is always wild. You never know what kind of energy you’re going to get; it’s one of the wildest venues in Alberta,” Hall enthusiastically quipped this afternoon. 

Last night Hall and bandmate, Mathew Rogers, played a live show on CKUA to a more subdued audience, and are prepared to bring out the big guns for their last night in Edmonton for awhile. If you haven’t caught the Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer before, Hall says you can expect to be “engaged with ridiculousness in one moment and then how heartfelt and sincere they are in the next.” 

“Humility right down to the fingertips. If you keep that close at hand as a performer, it makes for an honest and engaging show. That’s what music is about. We don’t dance around with push up bras like Britney Spears.” 

Based out of Vancouver, the Harpoonist and Axe Murderer are currently touring across North America to pump up the release of their most recent album, ‘A Real Fine Mess.’ An album that challenged the duo lyrically, as they drew inspiration from 50’s slang, rock n’ roll and movies. With imagery not from this era, or their own lives, they were inspired to write songs from the third person that aren’t just about personal pain and love. 

The twosome’s music has been described as ‘greasy, gritty soul imbued with funk’ and have been celebrated in recent years with several nominations for the Maple Blues Awards, as well as a ‘Blues Act of the Year’ title from the SiriusXM Indies in 2013.

They’ll hit the stage at midnight at the Artery, and Hall promises that ‘something wild and unpredictable will happen after the show.’ He wouldn’t tell me exactly what that something will be, but even without the surprise, the Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer are a must see.

Shawn Hall and Matthew Rogers of The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer perform "Cry A Little." Coogee Beach, NSW, Australia. Friday 13th of September, 2013.