TCB
By Christopher Gray, Fri., Nov. 21, 2003
Scene Stealers: Masonic
The first indication that local quintet Masonic are serious about what they do is the presence of a kegerator in the foyer of their studio behind Rock n Roll Rentals off South Congress. They decided to invest in the beer-dispensing device after realizing they were in danger of being buried under a pile of empties, but it paid off in spades during the gestation of sophomore disc Too Far. Too Fast. Too Soon. "All sorts of things happened to us," says guitarist John Mason. "Putting this thing together wasn't exactly easy." First, Leah Bogan and Mike Norfleet stepped in after the band's original singer and bassist departed last fall, then there were a near-fatal hard-drive crash and various inevitable personal dramas. Having their own space allowed Masonic to work at their own speed, however, and a borrowed Fender Rhodes gives Too Far an even warmer ambience than the melancholy pop luster of 2001's Never Stood a Chance. It's also an almost documentary-style look at the goings-on that make up Austin's fertile music scene. "I like to do lyrics so whoever's listening can apply them," notes keyboardist Kevin Mason. "There's a certain intentional ambiguity." Since Saturday's CD release at Emo's with Canoe, Swiss, Schatzi, and Coco Candissi doubles as Kevin's birthday bash (brother Brian rounds out the crew on drums), that means another in a series of epic after-hours blowouts. "Last year at Kevin's birthday, the keg was floated before we even got there," laments Bogan.
