Soul Asylum has played its annual holiday show at First Avenue 13 of the last 15 years and, according to Dan Murphy, the band still gets as much love out of it as does the audience.

"We all look forward to it, because people are home from college and from out of town for the holidays,” says Murphy, who will abscond to his home in Florida for the winter after tonight’s show. "It’s good to get together with the guys: Dave (Pirner) and Tommy (Stinson) are both dads of young kids, and that’s what Christmas is all about. But the show itself is always a gas -- most of the people who go to that show are friends of mine who I literally only see once or twice a year, and it’s generally at that show."

In the past, the vet rockers have attempted to learn a Christmas tune or two. But the prevailing economy this year has inspired some last-minute song-craft.

"We’re trying to write the perfect Christmas song," says Murphy. "It’s a little bleak, you know? We’ve got 'blessed' rhymed with 'repossessed.' It’s more a state-of-the-state kind of thing; it’s been a sh---y year for a lot of people, there’s no doubt about that.

"As much as we traveled around this year (40 out-of-town shows), it seems like it’s almost worse in rural areas than in the cities. Like if you go to New York City, it doesn’t seem that different than it did [before the downturn]. But you go play a show in Covington, Kentucky, or something, the main streets and all the restaurants are closed. It’s that kind of a vibe."

Ho, ho, ho.

Soul Asylum. Tonight, Dec. 19. First Avenue, Minneapolis. Tickets are $17 in advance; $20 at the door. Doors open at 7 p.m. with A Night in the Box and The Melismatics kicking things off.

Editor’s note: Can’t read enough about SA? Check out MinnPost writer Britt Robson’s take on tonight’s concert.