The Ray Mason Band and The Bamboo Steamers ~ 2025 May 31 ~ The Square Root, Roslindale, MA
The Ray Mason Band: Ray Mason, vocals and Silvertone guitar; Tom Shea, lead guitar, vocals; Frank Marsh, drums, vocals; Stephen Desaulniers, bass, vocals.
The Bamboo Steamers: Don Singleman, vocals, guitar; Charlie Simonich, keyboards, vocals; Dan Richards, bass, vocals; Jerry O'Hare, guitars, vocal; Frank Marsh, drums, vocals..
Ray Mason Band Set List
Lock - Castanets - Summer Kind Of Thing - Reverb and a Zip Code - Monkey In a Convent - I'm Only Human - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere {Neil Young} - Step Back Melody - Hopeful Rain - Big Hug - Didn't Want To Have To Do It {Lovin' Spoonful} - You Always Stay - Excitement Transfusion
Scroll to below videos for a review of the show.
Videos
"Castanets" by the Ray Mason Band
"Big Hug" by the Ray Mason Band
"Spaces In Between" by the Bamboo Steamers
Review
I saw Ray Mason perform as part of the Lonesome Brothers twice in 2024, but hadn't seen the Ray Mason Band perform since before the pandemic. So it was a real treat to see Ray and his bandmates at the easily accessible Square Root Caffe in Roslindale Square (a neighborhood of Boston, fortunately at the southern end of the big city). A relatively short drive off Rte. 128 and an easy set of directions, and a free parking spot on a side street right across from the venue, and there we were. The place was already crowded when we got there about 15 minutes before the RMB was scheduled to go on, but we maneuvered our way into seats at the long table facing the open end of the room where the band was set up, and I could pull my chair out and see around the big, friendly guy in front of me (friend of Don Singleman, lead singer of the Bamboo Steamers, due to go on after the RMB). All those young people in the room, not like those folk concerts in libraries I've been frequenting of late! They included a young student with a real SLR camera, not just a cell phone -- that brought joy to my heart! -- turned out she's a photography major, doing homework at a local music gig, no less!
Ray, Frank, Tom, and Steve played for an hour, thirteen songs from Ray's time-tested catalog, eleven originals, two covers (one Neil Young, one Lovin' Spoonful). A pleasure to hear this compact set of what you could call a sampling of early career greatest hits, songs that immediately set the toe to tapping and put smiles on faces. It's too bad that these fellows don't often venture far from the Northampton area these days. Ray bantered just a little between songs, given the time constraint. He expressed what he called a "fear of medley," since they segued from one song to the next without stopping just twice during the course of the set, and this very brief demonstration of his droll wit reminded me of what made me into a Ray Mason fan all those years ago.
Ray and his three bandmates put away their instruments and made way for the second of three bands. This was a 3-headliner show, each receiving equal billing. I had seen The Bamboo Steamers, another band that has stood the test of time, once before, in a similar format, also on a bill with the RMB at Luthier's Coop out in the greater Northampton area. They're a five piece band including keyboards, playing straightahead good-time roots rock. Donald Singleman is the lead singer, and he also has a touch of the comedian in his stage act. The band members dressed up in a bit of old time finery, good for picture taking, and played a thoroughly enjoyable one hour set. Hard-working drummer Frank Marsh played with both bands. Thanks so much to both bands for making the drive to inside of Rte. 128 to entertain some of us out here in eastern Mass. Although the third band on the triple bill sounded interesting, the time was getting late and we'd gotten our money's worth ($10 cover at the door), and took off for the relatively short drive back to the Cape after the two sets.
It was a bit of a nostalgia trip seeing a show in a big city nightclub. The counter served a variety of Gen Z drinks that I had never heard of, as well as various light dinner options (none of which we ordered, so I can't comment on any of it). Actual fans of the bands mingled with neighborhood locals in enjoying the visit from good time rock from western Massachusetts. Roslindale Square on a Saturday night is indeed not dead.
More Ray
Here is a page with a handy list of links to all pages on this website with content relating to Ray Mason.