Ax and the Hatchetmen took to the Canopy Club’s Red Room for a performance on the opening night of the 2023 Pygmalion festival.
The Chicago-based rock band brought a fresh sound to Champaign-Urbana with their mix of guitarists and horn players lighting up the small Canopy Club stage.
The show began slightly before its start time of 10:45 p.m., kicking off about 10 minutes early and ending after 45 minutes of music. The floor in front of the stage was packed with a small crowd that filled the club with energy.
This was the band’s first time coming to Champaign-Urbana, they said during the performance and in their interview with the DI, before launching into “Sleeping In My Jeans.”
The group consists of four guitarists: Axel Ellis and Kenny Olzewski, who also serve as vocalists for the group, and Sal Defilippis and Hunter Olshefke on bass. Drummer Nick Deputy rounds out the band along with Phil Pistone on trumpet and Quinn Dolan playing the saxophone.
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The band’s unique instrumentation brought an alternative-indie vibe to the stage, which seemed to be greatly enjoyed by the crowd, with its constant shouts and cheers.
Ax and the Hatchetmen fed off the energy of the room as they kept up a constant stream of music, mostly including originals blended with a couple covers.
“This song’s about parking your car, and not knowing where,” Ellis said comedically as he introduced the band’s latest single “Where TF Did I Park My Car.”
The Hatchetmen played two songs named after western states “Colorado” and “Utah.” The high energy of the night was brought down significantly for “Utah,” a slower and more intimate track, which Ellis and Olshefke said, during their interview with the DI, was one of their favorites to perform.
The complete change in energy level brought a cozier vibe to the performance, with the emotional melody reaching the crowd especially through a powerful trumpet solo by Pistone over the bridge.
The band showed their evident passion for performing through their constant lively energy and movement to the music. They jammed out to original songs “Silhouette” and “Peach Trees,” which is currently their most popular hit at over 12 million streams on Spotify.
“You guys are better than playing to an empty room, that’s for sure,” Ellis said between songs to whoops and cheers from the crowd.
Both songs come from the group’s 2020 EP “Bear on the Roof.” Since then, Ax and the Hatchetmen have released multiple singles, as well as a live album from their recording session with Audiotree Live.
The band closed out the night with an encore consisting of The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout.” The crowd literally twisted and shouted along as the band jammed out one last time before exiting the stage.
Ax and the Hatchetmen’s performance closed out the first night of shows at this year’s Pygmalion festival. A complete schedule of Pygmalion events can be found here.
