This Is Mason

Booking Gigs in Tucson, AZ Part One

Mason — Sun, 13 May 2012 00:57:49 +0000

I’ve been all over America in the last few years. I’ve kept up a pretty grueling tour schedule. We book shows months in advance and the proceeds from the show and the merch sales help us to pretty much break even. I’ve lived in Tucson for a little over 3 years. Up until now it has been a place where I crash, sleep for 2 weeks, do yoga and then head back out on the road. When I’m home I usually like to rest and recuperate.

But now I’ve been home for a couple months, I’m well rested and It’s time to get back to a regular live setting. I miss playing for a crowd and I have a ton of new songs. I would also like to meet other musicians and songwriters in town. Tucson has a growing and vibrant music scene and I’d like to be a part of it. So, I’ve decided to try for some Tucson shows. I’ve only played here in town a few times. Twice at the Plush Lounge, and once at the Mercado San Augustin for the Tucson Social Society .

In the past people who have helped me with booking have mentioned how difficult it is to get a show in Tucson. I don’t know why it would be harder. It seems to me that it should be easier to play my hometown. So, I’ve decided to reach out to a few local venues myself to see what happens. I’ll be posting updates on my progress.

Last week, I sent emails to Nimbus Brewery, Hotel Congress, Plush Lounge and La Cocina. So far I haven’t received a response. But,Tucson is a very laid back place, so patience is a must. I will follow up next week. In the meantime if anyone knows any other good venues where I might fit in please let me know.

To be continued.

Setting Up A Cheap Demo Studio

Mason — Sat, 12 May 2012 17:34:49 +0000

It’s time to start making demos of the new songs I’ve been writing. I went to the local music shop this week and bought some gear that will help get the job done. This is what I bought:

2 Channel USB Preamp.

Cost $149. It’s a cheap fix for now. I’ll look to upgrade to a Digi 002 as my studio grows. But for now this little Focusrite will suffice. Plus its highly portable, so it will be good for jotting down ideas on the road. Plus it comes with a copy of Ableton Live and some decent plugins (compressor, eq, etc). Up until now i was planning on using the free software Audacity but I will take Ableton for a spin to see which is more conducive to the flow.

Cheap headphones.

They weren’t the cheapest, but these will do the trick. $49

Windscreen for Mic $5 – It looks cool, and serves a purpose.

Mic Stand $20 – I needed another mic stand so I can mic both guitar and vocals at the same time. I bought the floor model and saved some cash.

So there it is, a very basic home demo studio setup for less than 500 bucks. Now it’s time to record some new songs. Please stay tuned for more updates soon. Your comments are always appreciated – MR

Legends of LaLa Episode #17 – David Neely Guitar Guru

Mason — Sat, 12 May 2012 16:54:08 +0000

It’s true David Neely was one of my best kept secrets until now.

I Joined Soundcloud.

Mason — Sat, 12 May 2012 16:02:39 +0000

So I’ve been sitting around my casita writing new songs and killing time while I wait for the new record to be finished. I figured I should start sharing more of the overall process. In addition to new stuff I’ve got a ton of older recordings that have never been heard. Please subscribe to this blog as I intend to start updating more frequently.

Here are 3 songs I recorded back in June 2010 with Josh Norton, D Henry Fenton Steve Holroyd and other special guests.Enjoy!

Streaker Fail

Mason — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:40:39 +0000

Fight The Power

Mason — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:01:01 +0000

A Song For OccupyLA

Mason — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:11:39 +0000

I am that someone

Mason — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 02:52:27 +0000

Mike Clark – Hey Daisy

Mason — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:48:51 +0000

This is my friend Mike Clark from Colorado Springs. Coolest video I’ve seen in a while:

UPDATE:
Here’s more information about Mike’s solo project

Dude.

Mason — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 23:43:04 +0000

My buddy Senor Yermo brought his new puppy over a couple nights ago. His name is Dude and he’s a maniac.