Thursday, Feb. 23, The District (21-and-over): To say that the boys in Axson are metal influenced is like saying Scott Weiland dabbles in heroin. “I can appreciate all music,” lead singer/guitarist Sergio Gutierrez says. “But as far as what we listen to, it's a lot of '80s metal stuff. Hair metal, power ballads, thrash metal and some blues. That's basically all we listen to.” These KISS-, Mötley Crüe-, Megadeth- and AC/DC-inspired 18- to 20-year-olds from Los Lunas are on a mission to create what they call, “the metal you remember.” “That phrase has two meanings for us,” Gutierrez explains. “First, when you go to see us play a show, you're going to definitely remember us. Second, we play the '80s old-school metal that people remember.” The flashbulb recollections Axson creates on stage come by way of their technically solid play that features classic distortion-soaked guitar and the band's stage presence which is, to say the least, unflinching. “People want to go to a show and be entertained,” Gutierrez theorizes. “They want to hear good music and they want to see an actual show.” Axson's showmanship can take the form of anything from playing meandering guitar leads on top of their speakers to inviting the girls in the crowd to come up on stage and sing along. “We aren't too concerned with money or anything like that right now,” Gutierrez says. “Our interests are in playing wherever and whenever we possibly can to build up our fan base. We just want people to come to our show and have a good old time.”
