Fourplay Concert Review -Harvey Mason

[Kurt R]

Well yesterday (11/11/04 thursday) I went with some friends to see Fourplay in Jacksonville. Now heres how it went down...

If you're not bored goto the ----

We all got in the car and headed up their for the 1 hour and 15 minute drive. One of my friends is Harvey Masons couison so he called him and he said he was chilling at the hotel. So we went and parked in the parking garage and walked past the Florida Theatre to the hotel. We hung around the loddy for a little bit. Their was a some asain convention and their was a gay convention so the wait was at least entertaining. So he got ahold of Harvey and he said sound check was at 6:30 ( it was around 6 at the tmie) so we met with him down in the lobby we all then walked over to the Theatre we go in on the side and right when you open the door you see the huge monitor console then the stage with no other then Nathan East, Larry Carlton, and Bob James warming up. Harvey's kit was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!! It was a 7pc Gretsch Harvey Mason signature black satin stain with a Brady 10" snare. The hardware on the drums was like they painted them grey then oversprayed them with black then powder coated. Toms and snare where diecast hoops. The gibraltar rack had the same finish. So right when we get up their Harvey tells my friend (his couison) to get on the set and try it out. It took him a few times to comprehend that then sat up their playing a groove and Nate, Bob, and Lee started playing with him with this real smooth groovy tune. Then Hayvey took over to get the soundcheck going. Then he got my friend to play Journey with them. He was in heaven! We where all walking around the stage watching everybody play. Wow..... Then Harvey told Nate that my friends brother plays the bass so he gave him his bass to jam a little. He's only 16 but for some reson he started playing some Jaco. It was some HARD stuff but he got some of it. Then he started to jam cameleon then Nate got the other bass playing the lead. Harvey and all of us where just standing their watchin. Good stuff. Then Harvey had to go so we chilled in his hotel room till the show. We went and got a tickets and backstage passes and went in.
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When it was time to start the show the 1,900 seat theatre was packed. This place was amazing. It had a real classic opra kinda look with a venetian vibe. So the lights dim spot lights blind the stage and here comes out fourplay. The crowd is cheering away while they get ready. Then they stary playing. The light crew did a great job! Every hit from the music was brought out with the lights. Really maked this concert amazing! Bob starts a solo tearing up the keybord then all the lights dim a little and start flashing on harvey. He goes at it. So tasteful but powerful! The band is just repeating a groove while Harvey just tears it up. At the end the solo he was doing some amazing extremly fast feet / cymbal work while playing toms and snare gosts. Just insane! They go on playing for about another 10 songs each having a solo almost in every song. Not the BA BA BOOM solo. Just smooth grovy ones that can just flow with the music. They walk off then come back for the encore and tear it up again. Just the most impressive live music I have ever seen or heard! So the show ends.
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We waited in the theatre till they came out to sing autographs. We waited out their for a while till that wa all over. It was really nice watching these kids saying how Harvey is so inspirational to them. So after that we where going to walk backstage and Harv was like "We don't have to stay here lets go back to the hotel." So we went back to the hotel room chilling, talking, listen to some music on his laptop... Just having a good time till about 11:30 so we head to the parking garge and guess what... They close at 11!!!!! So I'm their looking at my car behind this big fence. Not cool... We go back to see harvy and since they where taking the bus to ATL that night and still have the rooms we could stay in his room. So he called Nate and told him to drop his key off at his room. So he did and I slept ni Nates room then we got up at 5:30 and left back to the house.

Harvey is about one of the coolest guys I've ever met! When he played the kick just locks in so much in the groove! The snare always has the smooth free sounding ghosts and that brady 10" was just insane.

Well their was my evenig with Fourplay!

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ November 12, 2004 07:54 PM: Message edited by: Kurt R ]</font>

[PocketPlayer]

That story rocked! I dig the "behind the scene" scene

[peter c]

Kurt,

That is just awesome!

Let me tell you.. I STILL think
Harvey is one of the most unsung
heroes! This guy has it ALL! I am
serious and he keeps getting it!

He has one of the most miracle
touches on the kit and from every
angle. I can just imagine what you
saw and heard that night and how
inspiring it was! I wish I was
there with you, man!

Thanks for such a great story! It
reminds me that I have to get all
of these discs from this band!

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