When all the world turns into hospitals and jails....

About a week ago, I got the opportunity to see Mason Jennings at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster, PA. I'd been trying to catch one of his shows for the past three years. While Mason has been playing all but nonstop for close to ten years, East Coast shows have been few and far between. Last year, Jennings signed to a major label and the fans howled in disgust, as they tend to do. But those who were paying attention noticed that the major label was actually a little imprint of Epic called Glacier Pace. Most of you will recognize that Glacier Pace was founded by Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock. What prevailed was a slightly more polished Mason Jennings who still held true to his original style. But now, with the backing of a major label, the probability of some East Coast touring became a reality. The night of the show the Chameleon club was dead. A downfall to ticket sales for sure. But the small number of "true" Mason Jennings fans turned the event into an intimate experience. A few times Jennings even mentioned that the quiet between songs was making him nervous. "Not while I'm playing the songs," he assured us. "Just in-between them."He played songs that spanned his six album career, and during one of his solo-acoustic sets even felt inclined to play a fan's request. "Summer Dress" off of the 2002 album, Simple Life.But the reason I'm sharing this isn't because I wanted to write a review of the show. I'm not a "reviewer" by any means. Anyone who has heard or seen Jennings knows he doesn't need me as a cheerleader. I'm writing to bring awareness to an artist who deserves a listen while giving myself a little introduction. Jennings is one of the very few artists who can still write a love song with the word love in it. When most of what we hear today are either studio processed robots or overly sentimental pretty boys with acoustic guitars and nothing to say, (I won't even begin to talk of emo, screamo, or any other new phenomenon that has the 13 year-old girls cheering) Mason Jennings can still tell a story. He proves that revenge, love, heartache, and drinking still make for good material. You just have to mean it. Like Mason Jennings' I strive to always write as honestly as possible...even when I'm making shit up. For now, I'm just happy to be here. And that's the truth.