Crankshift – 10/4

A night of all one-man/woman bands! Featuring Crankshaft from Minneapolis, Miss Firecracker, Shouting Thomas Torment and Mr. California!

Forging his own brand of high-energy, low-brow Upper Mississippi blues, the one-man band powerhouse Crankshaft has been gigging around Minneapolis for nearly three years. Expanding his fanbase with every frenzied performance, Crankshaft earns his living as a musician and is taking his show on the road following the release of his new album, Junkyard Rhythm.

Born into this world from gas station cassette tape collecting semi-truck drivers, Alex “Crankshaft” Larson was introduced to blues, rock ‘n’ roll, and R&B as a pup. In 1996 he traded a combination oil/wood stove to his uncle for his first electric guitar and amp. In April 2008, while self-employed as a contractor, he started practicing as a one-man band and was playing shows two months later. Larson self-produced and released three albums during the next two years. In 2010, he decided to hang his hammer up for good and focus on his music. Larson’s newest release, Junkyard Rhythm, features a backing band, “The Gear Grinders,” which gives the album a more full sound than his previous recordings. He performs mainly as a one-man band, hiring on backing musicians whenever he can.