Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Mason Porter is cursed

Philadelphia has had some epic snowfalls this winter. In December, 20+ inches closed down the city for days just before Christmas; in early February, another large snowfall saw transportation and businesses shut down again.

I'm sure many interesting stories have come from these snow dumps, but our favorite in the world of Philly acoustic music is that of Mason Porter. The West Chester-based roots/bluegrass band scheduled the CD release party for first full length album (Thunder in the Valley, Uncle Nicky Records, 2009) for December 19, 2009: Canceled due to snow. Rescheduled for February 6, 2010: Canceled due to snow.

Apparently, the band put together an impromptu party at a home in West Chester after the second show fell through. They will also be on stage in Philly on February 11 (weather permitting) at the Fire. You can also hear their music on their myspace site and their official website, or buy some of their music on through Uncle Nicky Records, a great indie label that recently released a split 7" of the band and Chris Kasper.

Note: Mason Porter features three talented instrumentalists: Tim Celfo (upright bass), Joe D’Amico (mandolin), and Paul Wilkinson (guitar). It is not, as I once thought, a guys name.

Mason Porter doing a solid Dylan cover last year at Burlap and Bean