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Lonesome Brothers
at The Parlor Room
Thursday, February 29th
SHOW: 7:30pm / DOORS: 7:00pm
ADV TIX: $15 GA / $13 MEMBER
DOS TIX: $20 GA / $18 MEMBER
"The Bros combine the best elements of American music with the raw honesty of their natural and totally believable lyrics. There's real poetry here in the writing of Ray Mason and Jim Armenti that evokes the best of Hank Williams or Chuck Berry -a down-home conversational style that tells a story with vivid insight into the human condition."
-Paul Burton, Music Revue
"True grit and gristle from the factory floor of roots music, a jukebox of great songs you never heard, and will never forget."
-John Klondike Koehler, Klondike Sound Company
JIM ARMENTI: GUITAR. VOCALS. SONGS Jim's songwriting talents have earned him great respect in the music industry. He names his primary musical influences as early Elvis, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, country music of the 1960's, union music of the 1930's, Depression songs, Bob Dylan and Italian love songs. His song "Down By the Water" was recorded by Cry, Cry, Cry, Cheri Knight and Pam Tillis and recently by the band Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem. The beautiful song "All Around You" was featured on the last compilation of No Depression magazine. Mark Erelli recorded "Every Goodbye" on his "The Memorial Hall Recordings".
"Valley Rock" co-written with Ray Mason was the first cut on Signature Sounds' record label release. Jim's unique, expert guitar and multi-instrument playing have mesmerized audiences for years and kept him in demand as a guitarist for other groups. Among the many artists fortunate enough to have Jim play with them are Cry, Cry, Cry, Jimmy Ryan, Cheri Knight, Mark Erelli, Robin Lane, Andrew Jones & Spirithouse, Donna Lee Band, The Kennedys and Bill Kirchen. Bill Kirchen, renowned as one of the world's best guitar players, exclaimed after Jim joined him for a show in Northampton, MA: Wow! That guy can really play guitar!
RAY MASON: BASS. VOCALS Ray was born and raised in Holyoke, MA with his sister, the son of a secretary and a truck driver. He received his first guitar, a Sears Silvertone electric, in 1964 as a graduation gift from his grandmother. A year later he started his first band with friends in Holyoke, the Gladiators. Since then Ray has played guitar or bass in the Buck Rogers Movement, the Forgone Conclusion, Seagull, the Sailcats, Signal, the Yankee Rhythm Band, the Stringbusters, the Ware River Club and the Ray Mason Band.
Still partial to Silvertone guitars, he has since traded up and now plays a 1965 vintage edition. Known for his refreshing, accessible songwriting style, Ray's song titles and subject matter are generally retrieved from a notebook containing quotes entered upon hearing comments, news items or conversations that someday may require a song built around them. He has an array of musical influences: the Beatles, NRBQ, the Band, Neil Young, Burt Bacharach, John Coltrane, the Byrds, the Beach Boys and the Everly Brothers. He composes songs for his two bands, the Lonesome Brothers and the Ray Mason Band. Known in Western Mass as one of the area's most influential musicians, Ray has recorded with J. Mascis, Lloyd Cole, Cliff Eberhardt and Cheri Knight, among others. He has been invited to open for artists such as James McMurtry, the Band, the Flatlanders, Marshall Crenshaw, Steve Forbert, Warren Zevon, Nils Lofgren, Alejandro Escovedo, Joan Jett, Blue Mountain, The Bottle Rockets, Junior Brown and Graham Parker to name just a few! Ray claims to always have a good time playing live shows in The Lonesome Brothers and that's not an easy thing after 30 years!
KEITH LEVREAULT: DRUMS Keith was born and raised in Chicopee and South Hadley, MA. At the age of six, after being talked out of taking drum lessons, he started his musical career on the accordion. His first band, the all-accordion group Five Jacks and a Jill, packed them in at senior centers and variety shows. But Keith couldn't play rock on the accordion. Early musical influences just reinforced his desire to play the drums. Finally, at age twelve, Keith was able to start drum lessons and he hasn't stopped playing since. He has played and recorded with a variety of local and national artists such as The Ray Mason Band, Square One, Michael Gregory, the Blood Oranges (Eastside Digital), Kevin Salem (Roadrunner Records), Eric Ambel, Freedy Johnston, Klezamir, and Love Bomb featuring Robert Holmes (of 'Til Tuesday fame). Keith feels honored to play in The Lonesome Brothers with great songwriters like Jim and Ray. They keep him on his toes with their vast catalog of songs and their refusal to write set lists! What's with that?
The Parlor Room is a BYOB venue. Tickets are non-refundable.
The Parlor Room is located at 32 Masonic Street Northampton, MA 01060
Date & Time
Thu, Feb 29, 2024 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Venue Details
The Parlor Room
32 Masonic StreetNorthampton, Massachusetts 01060
