Crack Shaft and the Gear Grinders

Crankshaft has been pounding the pavement since 2008, developing his own "pork neck" style along the way.

A sound heavily rooted in rock 'n' roll, blues, country, swing, and surf that "could not have been imagined prior to the early punk scene," as described by Dig In Magazine. Rock solid original lyrics, a dedicated fan base, and his 21st century twist on the American roots is pushing him to the top of the crowded Minneapolis music scene in a hurry. It's becoming clear to many that Crankshaft is "one of the best and most interesting roots, rock and blues acts playing around town these days." - Cities 97.

Born into this world from gas station cassette tape collecting semi-truck drivers, Alex “Crankshaft” Larson was introduced to a wide variety of music as a pup. In 1996 he traded a combination oil/wood stove to his uncle for his first electric guitar and amp. Since then he's been involved in many projects, including a band he started with his brother in 2001 called The Mojo Spleens. 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, backed with the business skills he developed running a construction company and the strong DIY ethics he learned from his connection to the underground punk scene, Crankshaft decided to hang up his hammer for good so he could focus on writing and performing music. Since then he's been earning a living playing, as both a traditional one-man band and as the leader of his trio, Crankshaft and the Gear Grinders.

Give him a listen, and if you like what you hear, tell someone (or everyone) you know. Then come to a show!