What better venue to be at on a Friday night in Boston than the legendary House of Blues on Landsdowne Street? What made this even better was there wasn’t a Red Sox home game flooding the area with tens of thousands of people. I spend a lot of time at this beautiful, historic venue taking in concerts, and on Friday we were checking out Vincent Mason’s “There I Go” tour with support from Cole Godwin. This primarily standing-room-only venue (some seats upstairs) holds about 2,500 people. This capacity allows for a more intimate experience than its neighbor, MGM Music Hall. I love coming to shows at this venue for that specific reason. You get to see rising stars before they start hitting the larger-capacity rooms. Here it feels like you are much closer to the artists. Full disclosure, I absolutely love Vincent Mason, so I was really looking forward to seeing him on his own headline tour. Right off the bat, I will tell you that this concert was everything that I hoped it would be and knew it would be.
I first caught wind of Vincent Mason in Gavin Adcock’s song “Almost Gone.” I immediately fell in love with that voice. Since first hearing that song, I have been a fan and dived right into Mason’s own catalog. This was prior to his debut album, There I Go, dropping. His debut album sure did not disappoint, nor does he disappoint live. The first time I got the opportunity to see Mason live was when he was on the ticket on Riley Green’s tour with Ella Langley. He crushed it then, and he crushed it now. Let’s dive into Mason’s life a bit more.
Mason is part of the new wave of country artists that have been emerging, offering a more intimate, emotionally reflective take on life. He started off the old grassroots way, creating a buzz for himself. He was creating stripped-down songs, and they were creating viral moments. He, to this day, is very active on social media, posting clips of songs constantly. He creates country storytelling with a modern twist, perfect for nighttime drives with the love of your life. Over the past year, his career has taken off with a lot of momentum. Mason isn’t curated and overpolished. He is raw and, in a way, rough around the edges. We are all lucky to be catching him on his upward trajectory in a venue such as the House of Blues. I also cannot recommend his debut album enough, and everyone should dive into that nearly perfect album.
Offering support to this tour is Cole Goodwin. He has the more traditional country sound compared to Vincent Mason. His performance was fun. He had the crowd dancing their butts off. He has a very twangy accent that is perfect for country music and sounds straight out of his home state of Georgia. I love the contrast between the two performers. I had only heard of Goodwin by name. I never really dove into his catalog and gave him a proper listen. Well, all that changed after this show. Goodwin has a new fan in me and probably hundreds of others.
His style of country music fits in perfectly with the style of George Strait and Waylon Jennings. For our newer generation, he reminds me of Zach Top. I feel these traditional country artists are making a comeback. People are looking for more authenticity, and Goodwin has exactly that.
The stage setup for this show was typical of this size of tour. It’s simple, and that’s what it needs to be at venues this size. This creates more of a closed-space, intimate environment. A Vincent Mason backdrop was hung behind the band, and a few light bars provided some backlight. Tour sponsor Monster had some lit-up signs behind Mason showcasing their familiar emblem. We didn’t need fireworks, smoke, and fire. That really doesn’t fit his style of music anyhow. The stage was exactly what it needed to be and didn’t take away from the performance at all. Mason was the performance, not the stage, to distract us.
The crowd was exactly like I thought it would be. Sometimes crowds at shows are predictable, and sometimes they are all over the place. I had predicted that this show was going to have a younger fanbase, just like Treaty Oak Revival and Gavin Adcock. This place was absolutely packed. A sold-out show must feel great on your own headlining tour. During the set, Mason continually stated that this was the most tickets he had sold as a headliner. He deserves it, and I am glad Boston was the location to be able to secure the top spot. Mason isn’t as rowdy as Treaty Oak Revival or Gavin Adcock, but the fans were just as loud. Everyone in that place seemed like diehard fans, belting out every heartfelt lyric he sang right back. The crowd’s energy intensified as the show went on. Everyone was feeding off each other, and that spread like an infection. Half the audience looked like they wanted to be dancing all night, and the other half looked like they got dumped in the parking lot before entering the show. There was a little bit of everything going on. That’s what Mason’s music does to you. You feel exactly what he is singing as if the lyrics were playing out in real time. When the faster songs came on, like “Wish You Well,” the packed crowd danced in unison. It was a sight to see. The choruses were screamed almost to the point that it became hard to enjoy the show and hear Mason singing. When that happens, it just shows the impact that an artist has on his fans. It’s a real sight to see and hear. I could swear to it that there were no casual fans in attendance. These were diehards. The floor looked like a sea of people. When the slow ballads came on, the crowd got very emotional, especially during “Little To Good.” I saw a girl crying to this song. Someone broke that poor girl’s heart, and she just ain’t getting over it. Overall, the crowd was spectacular. They were engaged and truly were happy to be there, and for some, it was a therapy session.
The biggest surprise of the night was no doubt a guest appearance by Stella Lefty. Mason and Stella have been pretty open recently about their relationship. The two just released their new song “Something To Lose,” and he brought her out for them to perform it together. If I am not mistaken, this is their first appearance together on stage. This was a special moment, and the crowd went literally insane. Just when you thought they couldn’t get louder than they had been, Stella’s song “Boston” started up with Mason and the band playing behind her. Just as expected, everyone screamed their literal hearts out. I probably felt the way everyone else in that room did. We all felt that we just witnessed a memorable moment. The way that Mason looked at Stella as she sang, you could tell the connection they had.
Mason had a way to carry that over to the way he treats his fans onstage. He makes you feel like you are a part of his life. Boston music fans mean serious business. We love our music and are very passionate about it, and Mason fed off that the whole night. I noticed him smirking multiple times during his set when the crowd became almost deafening. What a proud moment for him. No one in this industry deserves it more than him. I could see the glow-up in him from the last time I saw him. He had way more confidence on this show, and he made it seem so effortless. Song by song, the setlist got better, and the atmosphere felt like a party that we were all invited to. The intimacy of the venue made it seem like we were all friends just sitting around singing together with a buddy and a few friends playing some instruments. Boston is authentic, and Vincent Mason is authentic. The pairing was perfect, a match made in heaven. Mason’s voice was perfect the whole night; he doesn’t force moments, and his words are clear as he sings. He doesn’t sing muffled; his voice rather draws you in with the soft and soothing tone that I believe he is known for. It’s not flashy, it’s not over-the-top, but it’s real, and that’s what makes it stick with you long after the show is over. I didn’t have enough of him and wanted more. So on my way home in miserable traffic, I threw on Mason just to get more.
Mason’s backing band was perfect. I usually am pretty good at picking up on mistakes or wrong notes being hit at any given time. I didn’t recall any of that. They elevated Mason’s performance and didn’t hinder it at all. It made me feel as though I were listening to the album without backing tracks supporting the show. They did all this by making it look effortless. The vocals-to-music ratio was well-balanced, and one instrument didn’t overpower any other nor the vocals. This was as perfect as live music gets. Mason praised the band throughout the show and mentioned how close they were to him and that the band had been together awhile, and that definitely played out right before our eyes and ears.
I honestly have nothing negative to say about this show. Some shows surprise you. This wasn’t one of them, and that’s exactly what made it special and memorable. It was as great as it should be and what I expected after seeing and hearing him live before. Mason’s voice is soothing and really implants itself inside of you and makes you feel more relaxed. Mason comes off as humble and soft-spoken, and that translates through his lyrics and his voice. It’s a perfect performance if you love singer-songwriter country that isn’t about honky-tonks and neon lights. It’s an emotional show that really will touch your heart with heartfelt lyrics and beautifully written music.
I can’t recommend enough going to a Vincent Mason concert in the future. He is only going to keep rising as he is now sharing the stage with Morgan Wallen, Parker McCollum and Gavin Adcock. He is only going to get bigger and bigger. Get to a show while he is still rising. If anyone deserves the recognition and fame that has been bestowed upon him, it’s absolutely Mason that deserves it. Come to a show for the feels and see someone that has a long and bright future in country music. You also do not need to worry about a rowdy crowd throwing beer all over you, but be prepared to go through an emotional rollercoaster. If this show proved anything, it’s that the window to see him in rooms like the House of Blues Boston is closing faster than you think. Vincent Mason is the future of country music and Boston already knows this. BUY. THE. TICKET.
