The Ray Mason Band ~ 2018 October 20 ~ Hyland Orchard and Brewery ~ Sturbridge, MA
Band Personnel: Ray Mason, vocals and Silvertone guitar; Tom Shea, lead guitar, vocals; Frank Marsh, drums, vocals; Dave Hayes, bass
Set List
Castanets - I'm Not That Kind of Guy - Reverb & a Zip Code - Happy Birthday [to a concert goer] - I'm Only Human - Lock - Monkey In a Convent - We Don't Get Along Anymore - Water Off of a Duck - When the Clown's Work Is Over - Evil On Your Mind - Big Hug - Elaine - Between Blue and Okay ... intermission ... {Ray solo:} Who's Gonna Play Like That - Never Run Out - Passenger - {full band:} Summer Kind Of Thing - Don't Mess With My Routine - When She Walks By - That Kind of Treatment I Don't Need - Everyone Knows This Is Nowhere {Neil Young} - Step Back Melody - Missyouville - Wilson Road - Always Stay - They Don't Make Records Like That Anymore - My Lips Are Lonely - Hopeful Rain - English Leather
Videos
I'm Not That Kind of Guy
Evil On Your Mind
Review
Looking for an elemental rock 'n' roll good time? The Ray Mason Band is what you are looking for.
The band thrives on simplicity. Each musician did just fine with one instrument throughout the show. No fancy tunings or exotic instruments. Tom played a shiny, beautifully maintained electric guitar with a judicious few effects pedals and a slide on a handful of songs; Ray played a 50-year-old department store electric guitar with no effects at all, not even a capo; fill-in bass player Dave Hayes was solid as a rock on the bass; and Frank Marsh was Mr. Steady on the drums. (Dave was filling in for usual bass player Steve Desaulniers who is away on business. Yeah, day job.)
What makes them great instead of just a really tight bar band is Ray's songwriting. His lyrics are clever, interesting, compelling; his melodies are tuneful, natural, unaffected. His unbroken optimism and positivity puts joy into every one of his songs. They say nice guys and happy people can't write great songs. Wrong, wrong, wrong. He won't take you out, or treat you to dinner, always wants you to drive, even when it's winter, makes a cozy home feel like a concrete dorm, won't fix you soup when you're feverish and warm; I'm not that kind of guy. Who else writes lyrics like that? Nobody! Ray is literate, quirky, upbeat, melodic.
Concert Going Partner and I arrived at 2 pm, since that was the advertised start of the show. There was an opening band called Paxton Crossing playing listenable covers of bubbling-under-level songs from the rock 'n' roll era. The show was in a big barn where we have previously seen Ray's diesel rock band The Lonesome Brothers. The Orchard & Brewery was having a familypalooza (I think that's what it said on the signs) and there were lots of folks milling about. It made for a lot of dancing children in the barn, as well as a steady stream of randomly interested passersby getting a taste of Mr. Mason's music. The band soldiered on through a 30+ song set, even with a fill-in bass player (who, by the way, was excellent). Ray told a few funny stories, and the band kept up a steady pace for three hours (not counting an intermission). As the day went along the barn got very chilly, and I hand it to the musicians to keep on going so smoothly when their hands must have been starting to freeze.
More Ray Mason
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