Despite their grim sounding name, Shawn “The Harpoonist” Hall and Matthew “The Axe Murderer” Rogers evoke much more than just grisly nautical imagery.
Together, The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer kick out raw and primal blues while infusing the genre with a jolt of renewed energy.
The duo is bringing its full arsenal of harmonicas, a mess of foot percussion and a road-worn Telecaster to the Vernon Performing Arts Centre’s first of two on-stage concerts, Sunday.
“With the audience seated cabaret style on the stage, The Harpoonist and The Axe Murderer will perform an intimate concert in this unique venue,” said Brian van Wensem, audience development coordinator with the Performing Arts Centre.
Influenced by everything from the iconic songwriting of Willie Dixon to the boundary pushing of Jack White and Danger Mouse, The Harpoonist and The Axe Murderer create a sound that is distinctly their own.
Hall provides the rousing, rugged vocals and blues harmonica, while Rogers rips on the guitar and pounds the skins with his feet. Their music is up front and unapologetic, smothered in greasy, gritty soul and imbued with funk. It is blues played the way it was meant to be played.
To date, The Harpoonist and The Axe Murderer have released three full-length albums. Their third album, A Real Fine Mess, was released in June, following their widely acclaimed album, Checkered Past, released in 2011. Their self-titled debut came out in 2008.
Hall and Rogers have gathered considerable recognition in the last few years, receiving multiple Maple Blues Awards and winning the title of “Blues Act of the Year” at the SiriusXM Indies in 2013. The duo has also pounded their fair share of festival stages including SXSW 2013/14, the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Ottawa Blues Fest, Calgary Folk Fest, and the Montreal Jazz Festival.
Tickets for The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer are $25 each and include a complimentary signature beverage provided by Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the concert starts at 7:30 p.m. (Limited seating, no minors.) Call the Ticket Seller at 549-SHOW (7469) or visit www.ticketseller.ca.
