Mason Porter
by Becky Blumenthal
Philly roots-jammers, Mason Porter, are generating a lot of buzz lately. So it's no surprise that Pheonixville's own Sly Fox Brewery is releasing a beer in honor of the band this week. 215Music caught their set last week at Ardmore Music Hall where they opened the night for Melvin Seals & JGB. They got the crowd on their feet right from the start.
At first look you might think that you're about to see a bluegrass band, with the presence of mandolin, upright bass, and fiddle. Although an obvious bluegrass influence is there, the drumming of Evan Smoker and songwriting and vocals of mandolinist Joe D'Amico along with the overall approach of the band tell a different story once they start playing.
The set kicked off with "A2B Machine," a fast tempo D'Amico original from their 2015 release "Key to the Skyway" The fast pickin' shows the song's bluegrass roots, however it wasn't long before the band took a serious departure and found themselves in a spacey drum driven exploratory jam. D'Amico managed to get an almost keyboard-like sound from his mandolin while guitarist Paul Wilkinson and violinist Sarah Larsen layered in effects to create an impressive sonic landscape before weaving back to the original feel to close out the song.
At first look you might think that you're about to see a bluegrass band, with the presence of mandolin, upright bass, and fiddle. Although an obvious bluegrass influence is there, the drumming of Evan Smoker and songwriting and vocals of mandolinist Joe D'Amico along with the overall approach of the band tell a different story once they start playing.
The set kicked off with "A2B Machine," a fast tempo D'Amico original from their 2015 release "Key to the Skyway" The fast pickin' shows the song's bluegrass roots, however it wasn't long before the band took a serious departure and found themselves in a spacey drum driven exploratory jam. D'Amico managed to get an almost keyboard-like sound from his mandolin while guitarist Paul Wilkinson and violinist Sarah Larsen layered in effects to create an impressive sonic landscape before weaving back to the original feel to close out the song.
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A few other highlights for the set include "Story in Reverse," a dark, swampy song which allowed Wilkinson to showcase his guitar work. A lively rendition of a Garcia / Grisman classic "Stealin" and bassist Tim Celfo's song "Can't See" kept the room moving. The band played to the crowd with the beloved Dead tune "Cumberland Blues," effectively closing the set, while setting stage nicely for the headliners, Melvin Seals & JGB; although I kind of was hoping for a return to their more original sounding space-folk from earlier in the set.
It might be hard to pin down exactly what genre they fall into, their acoustic roots combined with the ability to explore and improvise might lead some to label them 'jamgrass'. But, their funky/rock elements and use of drums create a wider pallet than any "-grass" name could do justice. One thing is for sure, they have the songs, they have the chops, and they have a bright future ahead. Check out Mason Porter this Saturday afternoon, March 12th at Porter Fest at Club 212 in Phoenixville with The Wallace Brothers Bands + Tin Bird Choir. 4 PM to 8 PM. Tickets: $15-$20 http://porterfest.brownpapertickets.com/ |
Coming to Ardmore Music Hall in May: Live From The Lot
For more info: http://livefromthelot.com
