The Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre proudly presents The Harpoonist and The Axe Murderer on Sunday, October 5^th at 7:30pm at the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre.

The October 5^th concert is the first of two On Stage Concerts scheduled this season at the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre. With the audience seated cabaret style on the stage, The Harpoonist and The Axe Murderer perform an intimate concert in this unique venue.

Despite their grim sounding name, Shawn ‘The Harpoonist’ Hall and Matthew ‘The Axe Murderer’ Rogers evoke much more than just grisly nautical imagery. Armed with an arsenal of harmonicas, a mess of foot percussion and a road-worn Telecaster, the duo kick out raw and primal blues while infusing the genre with a jolt of renewed energy.

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 Murder create a sound that is distinctly their own. Shawn Hall provides the rousing, rugged vocals and blues harmonica, while Matthew 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 & The Axe Murderer have released three full length albums. Their third album A Real Fine Mess was recently released on June 17^th 2014, following their widely acclaimed album Checkered Past, released in 2011. Their debut self-titled album was released 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, Winnipeg Folk Fest, Ottawa Blues Fest, Calgary Folk Fest, and Montreal Jazz Fest.

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 6:30pm and the concert starts at 7:30pm. Limited seating available. No minors. Call the Ticket Seller Box Office at 549-SHOW (7469) or visit www.ticketseller.ca to purchase your tickets to this unique event.

The Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre thanks the following sponsors for their generous support: Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery, the British Columbia Arts Council and the Department of Canadian Heritage.