By: Andrea Myers
 |
|
Mason Jennings at First Avenue - Photo by Steve Cohen of musicphotography.com
|
In a rare solo performance, Mason Jennings played an abbreviated acoustic show to a sold-out crowd of squished fans at First Avenue with opener and fellow local singer-songwriter Jeff Hanson.
Hanson set the pace for the evening with an excellent set, proving that his sound is unique and interesting despite the fact that his music follows a familiar formula. Armed only with an acoustic guitar and his angelic, lofty voice, Hanson wooed the crowd and kept the gathering masses mostly hushed, a rare feat for an opening act.
After a week of beefed up, over-the-top rock shows, it was refreshing to see the First Ave stage cleared and a single spotlight shining down over Jeff Hanson’s head as he gently strummed his guitar. Though it seems wrong to compare him to anyone, Hanson’s set brought to mind what it might have been like to see Elliot Smith perform live toward the end of his career, with a voice so soft and vulnerable that you have to look twice to make sure it is coming out of the masculine figure on stage. It is the kind of tenderness that our society trains men to bury deep inside, and it takes a certain kind of strength to comfortably exhibit a sensitive persona on stage.
Despite the tranquility of the opening act and the generally relaxed nature of the evening, the audience erupted into loud applause and shrieks of excitement when Mason Jennings took the stage. It has been a relatively quiet year for Jennings fans (almost a year has passed since his last local show) so the enthusiasm was most definitely warranted.
 |
|
Mason Jennings - Photo by Steve Cohen (click for larger version.)
|
I was elated to hear Jennings start off the set by playing old live gems like “Amphetamine Girl” and “Summer Dress,” both of which were released on his rarities disc Simple Life in 2002. Mason showed his versatility as he switched back and forth between his acoustic guitar and a concert grand piano, which he used to play an amusing rendition of “Helter Skelter,” and a great unrecorded song called “In Your City” which conjured up images of Billy Joel wandering aimlessly through the streets of New York.
Jennings also played a few new tunes, including an especially emotional piece called “Jackson Square,” that he wrote about New Orleans shortly before the hurricane hit. (As a side note, I seem to remember him saying back in 2001 that he wrote the song “New York City” shortly before 9/11. Perhaps we should be wary if he writes a song about Minneapolis.) The night reached its most intense moment during the pin-drop performance of “The Ballad of Paul and Sheila,” during which more than a few audience members became misty-eyed and somber.
The mood lifted toward the end of the set as Mason played a few more up-tempo crowd favorites, and even threw in a jolly Christmas tune, “Santa Clause is Coming to Town,” during the encore.
Perhaps because of his charming smile and mellow nature, Jennings has always been a huge hit amongst the young women of the area. At one point in between songs, there were desperate cries of “I love you Mason,” only to be topped by a screeching “I love you more!” For a local songwriter who has persistently steered clear of mainstream radio and record label offers, it has been interesting to watch his fan base blossom to include more than a few fanatics.
It seems that word of his music has only been continuing to spread over the past year as he made the decision to sign to Isaac Brock’s Glacial Pace label, the first time Jennings has accepted any backing from a major record label. As Mason told CMJ in an article in October, "Isaac was the first person associated with a major label who I felt could relate to me as an artist and continue to let me make my music.” Rumor has it that Mason’s first Glacial Pace release should come out sometime in early 2006.
Mason Jennings set list (sort of):
-Guitar-
New song
Crown
Amphetamine Girl
Summer Dress
California
New song
-Piano-
Helter Skelter
In Your City
In My Grave
-Guitar-
Jackson Square (new)
Ballad of Paul and Sheila
-Piano-
Sorry Signs on Cash Machines
-Guitar-
I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground (traditional American folk tune)
Simple Life
Bullet
Nothing
-Piano-
Forgiveness
New song
-Encore (Guitar)-
New song (Beauty in that silver singing river)
Santa Clause is Coming to Town
Adrian
-Second Encore (Piano)-
Down By the River Side
Location Info:
First Avenue
Artist Info: Jeff Hanson, Mason Jennings
Share this story:
Article comments powered by Disqus