{image1}Dave Mason can do no wrong in the eyes of his fans. His densely crowded show on Saturday at the Briggs and Stratton Big Backyard was filled with countless standing ovations and wildly enthusiastic cheers and praises. Even after a 15-minute start delay, peppered with incessant booming and screeching feedback from the equipment, the clusters of people at this south end stage barely let it register. If the devotion of fans is any indicator to a musician's performance, I was expecting to be blown away.
Dave Mason and his band do not disappoint to their legion of fans, but also do not make the novice feel left out or excluded. After all, no one wants to be a poser. For those who have followed Mason's circuitous career through Fleetwood Mac, Derek and the Dominoes, and his most memorable stint in Traffic, the deftly fingered guitarist more than justified his Hall of Fame status.
When I happened to stumble upon the Dave Mason show, labeled as Classic Rock in the Summerfest guide, I expected to be amidst a "great" that was before my time, therefore irrelevant, right? In between fluid, ear-bending guitar jams, and playful banter with the audience, great music was being made ... and certainly appreciated. Mason danced his lithe fingers across the guitar like it was an extension of his body, pushing the pulsing crowd to its feet with cheers.
With the enthusiasm already at its breaking point, Mason says the magic phrase that spins the crowd into a fist-pumping frenzy. "This next song is the most requested. For those who know it, well, jam along. For the others, you'll say to yourself 'Oh, so this is the guy that sings that one song!'" He plays the opening chords to his 1977 hit "We Just Disagree" and crowd roars with cheers of recognition. Mason smiles and jams on.
My favorite concert experiences are ones where you simply cannot help but get completely swept into the moment. Eyes closed, toes tapping, head nodding, you are jamming out. A long glance among the thongs of people at the Big Backyard stage and you could see how many people are just "into it."
Whether you are the die-hard, know-every-lyric kind of fan like the gentleman to my left was, or a newbie on the Dave Mason radar, like myself, Dave Mason Band is a satisfying helping of good 'ol jammin' out. This and it's only 2:30 in the afternoon. Imagine his set later that night at 10pm!
