Atlanta’s Vinyl at Center Stage Theater became a haven for all indie music lovers last Wednesday as Ax and the Hatchetmen took up residence in the iconic venue for the night. While the band is still relatively new to the scene, the show sold out: a testament to the band’s already avid fanbase.
Ax and the Hatchetmen is a six-piece band out of the Chicago indie scene where they all met while attending college. They are led by vocalist/guitarist Axel Ellis, (aka Ax), and his Hatchetmen: Sal Defilippis, Hunter Olshefke, Nick Deputy, Quinn Dolan and Phil Pistone. Rather than the typical vocals-guitar-bass-drums setup, the band has an additional horns section which makes for an unconventional approach to run-of-the-mill indie pop. Especially when performing live, the trumpet and saxophone players give the show an added grit, making the music come to life more tangibly right in front of the audience.
The last time the band was in Atlanta, it was for the city’s annual Shaky Knees Music Festival last May. The festival marked their live debut of the Tiktok-viral hit “Flagstaff” which garnered nearly 400k views on the platform. The band has come a long way since then, touring the country on their “Way Too Late” tour and dropping numerous new tracks like “Sunscreen,” “Love Songs,” “Mele Kalikimaka” and “Stay // Honestly.”
Atlanta was one of the first stops on the second leg of the “Way Too Late” tour, and fans came ready for a good time. The concert’s demographics were representative of the band’s target audience; there was a heavy concentration of “I listen to cooler music than you” boys in baggy JNCO jeans and girls with digital cameras looking for aesthetic Instagram shots.
After two fun, head-bopping opening sets from Atlanta’s own Geskle and Charleston’s Easy Honey, Ax and the Hatchetmen arrived onstage and opened with “Flagstaff,” a popular choice considering the crowd’s approving screams. The venue filled with the band’s signature uplifting sound, characterized by the telltale clear tone of their Gretsch guitars.
Despite the venue’s almost unbearable heat, the band gave the performance their full energy. Ellis could be seen countless times throughout the night doing parkour on the stage’s speakers, and their interactions with the audience were both sweet and spirited. At one point during the night, Defilippis posed a silly question to the crowd, asking if they would rather only drink warm water or work on a labor-intensive farm for the rest of their life. The answer was a resounding “Farm!” from the audience.
Although some fans might have been disappointed by the band’s failure to play some of their early songs, namely “Peach Trees” and “Mako,” the audience was just as excited their new ones. Many people in the crowd seemed to know every word to even the most recently released tracks, a surprising and impressive feat considering “Stay // Honestly” was released just two weeks ago.
After the band played fan-favorite “Goofy,” road trip anthem “Utah” and a cover of Neon Trees’ “Everybody Talks,” they left the stage, and the crowd immediately started the “One more song!” chant. Olshefke popped back on the stage to teasingly say, “We really have to go, guys. Unless…” He then led the crowd into chanting, “Ax and the Hatchet! Ax and the Hatchet!”
Finally, the rest of the band made a reappearance and leaped into the energetic “Where tf Did I Park My Car.” The final song of the night was a cover of “Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone, a surprising choice, but a good one as it allowed the venue to sing the final song all together.
Fans have lots to look forward to from this up-and-coming band. A debut album is presumably in the works for them, as well as the rest of the U.S. “Way Too Late” tour. Don’t miss this opportunity to become one of Ax and the Hatchetmen’s early listeners, and check out their music on all streaming platforms now.