News
Briefly
Calendar of Events
Commentary
Opinions
Sports
Diversions
World News
Classifieds
Login
Letter Submission
Search
Archive
Publishing Policy
Mail Subscriptions
St. Cloud State University
College Publisher
Home
>
Diversions
Jennings to play Ritsche
By Adam Hammer
Published:
Thursday, April 1, 2004
Media Credit: Lee Stanford
Minnesota singer/songwriter Mason Jennings makes a stop in St. Cloud, 7 p.m. Saturday at Ritsche Auditorium. The last time Jennings visited St. Cloud was a sold-out performance at Pioneer Place on Fifth. Jennings prefers to play smaller, more intimate venues.
Acclaimed Minnesota musician Mason Jennings will be headlining a night of independent music for a KVSC fund-raising event of sold-out proportions Saturday.
The event is a chance for independent local musicians and local indie radio to collaborate.
"It's important to know that it's really hard to get out there today, it's hard to get your music out there and I think it's really, really important to remember that's how it usually starts for people," Jennings said in a telephone interview with University Chronicle.
"Just try to pay attention to give props to people that are trying to get out there."
Duluth's Haley Bonar is on the bill as the opening act.
Since his self-titled release in 1998, Jennings has managed to create a vast following by spreading the word of his music largely via bootlegs and live performances.
With the release of his fourth album, "Use Your Voice," Jennings is taking the critics and the nation by an acoustic driven storm and St. Cloud is in its path.
The last time Jennings played in St. Cloud he sold out the Pioneer Place. He also sold out the State Theater in Minneapolis in February.
The response throughout the rest of the country is similar according to Jennings.
"I try to keep playing pretty small places," Jennings said. "In St. Cloud we tried to do the Pioneer Place and that was just really, really fun just because of that. I really like the intimate crowd, but you want people to be able to come to see the shows so you try to do both."
Out of 590 seats available for this weekend's performance at Ritsche Auditorium, more than 400 tickets were sold as of Monday. Tickets went on sale March 11.
"I think it's great to support the local scene, and why not bring it to St. Cloud. We've got a great crowd," Emily Mixdorf, program director for KVSC said. "I hope it sells out. It should."
Tickets are on sale at the Atwood information desk for $11 for students and $14 for the general public, with $1 from each ticket sold going into the KVSC fund-raiser pot.
Jennings was born in Honolulu and grew up in Pittsburgh before landing in the great white north when he was 19 years old.
Playing music became a major part of his life when he was about 12 years old.
Of all the music scenes to approach professionally, Jennings picked Minnesota as a fan of some of the well-known Minnesota musicians, he said.
"A ton of my idols come from here. I love The Replacements, Prince and I love the Jayhawks. That's why I moved here originally," Jennings said. "It's (Minnesota) got a great live music scene. There's so many places that you can play original music and that's rare in cities."
The influence of Minnesota-grown music is evident in "Use Your Voice" with the opening track "Crown" driven by a Bob Dylan-esque harmonica that sets the stage for an, "I'm right there with Jennings," feel.
From there, Jennings continues to portray the maturation of a roots musician as a father, a mourner, a working-class hero and a man on a journey.
All of the songs on the album were recorded live in the studio and produced by Jennings under his own record label, Architect Records, an affiliate of Bar None Records.
"I just wanted to keep it really, really raw," Jennings said. "I think sometimes when the crowds get bigger, sometimes artists think they have to do more produced work. I think that it's just important to remember that the songs are the most important things."
Jennings' band that he has been performing live with for the last year-and-a-half carries the rhythm on the album. Chris Mahoney is on upright and electric bass while Brian Mcleod plays the drums.
Amy Jennings is featured on backing vocals for the track "Ballad of Paul and Sheila," a tribute to the late Sen. Paul Wellstone and his wife.
For years, the music of Mason Jennings has been spread via the Internet and bootleg mp3 recordings. Jennings openly welcomes recording at his live performances with hand-held recorders and allows photos to be taken as long as no flash is used.
"It keeps me on my toes for all the shows and it makes the shows have to be really good. It's really fun," Jennings said. "I figure if people come out to the shows, that's how I make money and right now CDs are more of an underground thing; people don't buy as many CDs as they used to."
All in all, it's about performing live, he said.
"I just like getting out there in the universe and creating it every night," Jennings said. "It's always exciting to have that opportunity with people."
Jennings plans to be on tour across the country for the rest of Minnesota's warm months before considering laying down new tracks in the studio in the fall.
"I'm just going to try to keep getting better; try to get better at singing and songwriting," Jennings said. "Just follow what my gut feeling tells me to do."
Although still perfecting his voice, Jennings will continue to use it and advises the same for people of all vocal ranges.
"Everyone's voice is important, whether it be an artistic voice or getting out there and saying what you believe in," Jennings said. "Today there's so much corporate mindsets that it's good to remember that everyone's important as an individual."
Forum:
No comments have been posted for this story.
Post a comment
Privacy Policy
Network Advertising
Article Syndication
