I remember the first time I heard Mason Jennings. When I lived in Grand Forks, we'd go see whoever came to town, because the chances were few and far between. Mason had me though, from the first time I heard "Confidant." The dipping of his voice, never quite landing where you think it will, was unique and endearing.
After a number of years though, I've seen him a number of times. He often plays the same songs, and plays them well, despite the rotating cast of musicians in his band (I still miss Robert Skoro on bass, but that's ancient history.) So, I was expecting the same type of show last night. But, this time it was different.
No band. Just Mason, his guitar, and on two songs, a reedy upright piano he found backstage. His angry "Crown" stands out as a highlight, but I lost my little scrap of paper with my notes (I know, I know, C. - you warned me, right?) so I don't really remember what else I wanted to write about. But, from the funny songs (Your New Man) to deep questioning (Jesus Are Your Real) to the swinging hammer of "Empire Builder" and the haunt of "Adrian" it was a nice departure from the live shows where it seems like half the audience is just a bunch of drunk Minnesotans hanging around waiting to hear "Better than That."
(Not that there's anything WRONG with that. At all. I like drinking, I like Minnesotans, and that's a really good song. It was just nice that he didn't play it for a change.)
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