mason proper

i remember when i was first told to listen to Mason Proper. normally, i like to know what kind of stuff it is i'm listening to, so when i asked, all i got was a, "some of them are from Alpena, and they're fucking awesome." so i listened, with no other information other than the fact that they were 'fucking awesome' and i was quite impressed.

made up of Jon Visger (vocals/guitar), Matt Thomson (keyboards/noise), Brian Konicek (guitar), Zac Fineberg (bass), and Garrett Jones (drums), Mason Proper is able to produce a sound that any other band i've listened to as failed to produce. rolling bass, good beats, and of course, the nifty suitcase that provides the different noises helps Mason Proper stand out from the crowd and makes it just about impossible to listen to their debut album There's A Moth In Your Chest without dancing. Visger's vocals go from practically whispering to shouting out clever and catchy lyrics, which are perfectly backed up by Thomson.

the first time i saw Mason Proper, it was on a tiny stage in Granum Theater at the community college in Alpena, and after that, an art gallery which is also here in Alpena. obviously, they don't just stick to the northeastern michigan area, and have been playing places in the mid-west. though in september, they played the Monolith Festival in Colorado, where the likes of the Flaming Lips and Kings of Leon were also playing at.

also, since the last time i've seen Mason Proper, they've put out a music video for the song My My (Bad Fruit), gained a new drummer (Jones), put out some covers, and have been working on an EP which will be out at the beginning of 2008, and have started writing for a sophomore album. honestly, i could see this band going quite far. unqiue sounds. erratic stage antics (missing shoes, lots of movement, socks on microphones, etc.) and awesome collage work, done by one of their very own (thomson).

seriously, i can't even stress it enough. just listen to them. they're 'fucking awesome.'

read below for a bit of an interview i did via-hotmail with Jon Visger:

who is mason proper made up of, and how did you all get together?

Mason Proper consists of:
Me: Vocals/unimportant guitar
Brian Konicek: Important guitar
Matt Thomson: Keyboards/Noise suitcase
Zac Fineberg: Bass guitar
Garrett Jones: Drums

Most of us have known each other since high school... I've played
with Brian in different bands since I was in the 10th grade. Matt and
I graduated from acquaintances to full-fledged friends shortly after
high school. We met Zac after we moved down to Ypsilanti to put the
band together... And we had known Garrett (who is a few years younger
and just joined recently) from when we used to be in other bands in
Alpena and he would come to the shows.

how did the name 'mason proper' come about?

We keep that information pretty secret, but I will at least address
the misconception that the "mason" part is referencing either a
person's name, or the city of Mason. It's referencing Freemasonry.

you've recently played the Monolith Festival in Colorodo, that's pretty
huge. how was that for all of you?

That place is unreal. I don't know how else to describe it. To be
fair, we played inside in the visitor center, not on the main stage
embedded in the side of the mountain, but the entire experience was
just mind-blowing. Our show started a little, ahem, rocky
(unintentional) because Matt had been out exploring the mountains and
went too far and didn't get back in time, so we had to rearrange our
set and play the first three songs without him, but after that it was
smooth sailing.

where did the idea come from for the My My (Bad Fruit) video?

The director, Don Tyler, took the lyrics (which are basically a
series of vignettes from the apocalypse) and interpreted them,
creating the concept of a kind of Hunter S. Thompson version of the
garden of eden, with a giant evil maestro forcing us to be a wedding
band and controlling everyone's minds.

you've recently gotten a new drummer, how's he been doing with the band?

He's great. We get along really well, and he brings a lot of energy
and excitement to it. He ALSO is a great drummer. And he ALSO is fun
to watch when he plays. I don't get to see it much, but I saw a video
of us playing the other day and was very entertained. We're pretty
lucky to have had him fall into our laps right at the moment we needed
him.

whenever i go to your myspace page or see your merch at a show, one of the
first things i notice is the sweet looking collage work. who's responsible
for that?

That's all Matt's doing. He's probably off somewhere right now doing
some more collage art. He's actually just about to have a few pieces
in an art show in Lansing, for the first time ever (to my knowledge).
We played a show at this gallery and he found out that the next show
they were doing was going to be all collage art. He was pretty lucky
to have had that fall into his lap right at the moment he needed it
to. (I am going to see how many times I can naturally say that
sentence in context of this interview)

a lot of touring has been going on for mason proper, what's something that
you all miss about home while you're gone?

It's a blast when we're out on the road, exploring new places and
meeting new people all the time, but it also can quickly destroy your
health when you do it like we do: sleeping on random floors and
quickly starting a downward spiral towards malnutrition starting on
the first day of touring. It's definitely nice to come home and be
able to plan a meal based on actual nutrients, as opposed to say, "I
only have a dollar and we only have 10 minutes and I'm REALLY hungry
and just want to fill up my stomach. What can I get?"

The answer to that question, of course, is "window caulk."

We all tend to miss our family and other friends when we're out too,
but luckily we're all great friends and have a good time, and so at
least we don't get lonely!

what kind of activities take place on the road while you are traveling for
long periods of time?

Mystifying other drivers as we pass. Reading books.

favorite band that you've played with?

We've played with this band from Boston called Faces on Film a few
times, and have loved it every single time. They're not well-known
yet, but they're great. Our friends Ra Ra Riot never ever let me down
either. Of course, the Flaming Lips and Spoon were at the Monolith
festival, but you can't really count festivals with huge headliners,
can you? Is that against the rules?

what kind of music is played in the van while traveling? any artists you've
been listening to that you think everyone should know about?

Matt goes for the Caribou/Boards of Canada kind of thing, Brian goes
for the Beatles or Spoon, Garrett's all over the place, and I'm an Air
man for driving. Enon gets a lot of time in the CD player too.

and because i have to...
coming back to alpena any time soon?

There's nothing in the works at the moment, but most of our touring is
postponed until after the new year, unless we hop on a support slot
for another band. We'll be back next year I'm sure...


photo credit : Mike Berlucchi
myspace: listen here.