Sounds: Jason Masi

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6a3acO8KR4[/youtube]

BY JESSE SCOTT

FOR THE FREE LANCE–STAR

Jason Masi’s favorite note is a positive note.

From the tricky moments in life that inspired his latest album to graciously allowing a bar-goer to belt “Sweet Home Alabama” with him on stage, the Fredericksburg-bred indie rocker sees the brighter side of seemingly any situation.

“Yeah, there was this one time in Maryland where this guy really wanted to take the microphone and sing ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ in front of his friends,” said Masi. “So, that’s what he did. He came up on stage and I just started playing the guitar.”

It’s hard not to want to jump up on stage with Masi at one of his shows. The singer–songwriter has made quite a name for himself over the last five-plus years, jammin’ at small cafés and with big names such as Everclear and Blind Melon. From Purcellville to D.C. to Richmond, the long-haired, loveable guitarist has earned the respect of audiences across our region.

Masi will make a stop in Fredericksburg tomorrow night at Amy’s Café, where he also has dates scheduled in February and March.

Masi, a resident of Alexandria since 2009, is a graduate of Chancellor High School and a former local soccer star. After high school, he lived in Richmond and created the popular local rock band, Jubeus, in 2004.

“When I started playing, I did it for fun,” said Masi. “I was much more of an athlete in middle school and high school. I played soccer in college and always did this on the side. Our band became much more serious in college, so I stopped playing soccer. It’s been super-rewarding ever since.”

Last year, Masi released his second album—outside of the work he’s done with Jubeus—titled “Life Is Wonderful.” The album is Massi to a T—it’s open, honest, refreshing and features a blend of folksy rock that can bring a little sun to any cloudy day. Think modern-day Jack Johnson meets classic Bill Withers—it’s enough to give you a nice winter tan.

“My songs’ structures these days are much more focused and much more reflective,” said Masi. “Every time you do a new project, you learn to be more concrete in your ideas. I’ve become much more of a singer–songwriter as time has gone along, and incorporated a lot of love, compromise and ‘learning from experience’ into my music.”

The Masi live experience is a luminous hybrid of Masi’s original tunes and classic rock covers. He takes pride in his ability to perform more than 250 shows per year, all while making sure each and every performance is unique.

“Call it an addiction or a problem, but I just can’t get enough of it,” laughed Masi. “I make a decent living in this business and I consider myself very lucky. I get to be my own boss and make my own schedule and the creative process is incredibly rewarding.”

As for Masi’s future, you can count on seeing him in our neck of the woods for some time to come.

“I just want to continue to do the things I’m doing, whether it’s for five people or a thousand people,” said Masi. “I’d love to go on tour with some of my favorite artists, make music for big films and work toward that next step. But for now, I’m really happy just to be playing music.”

What: Jason Masi

When: Friday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m.

Where: Amy’s Café, 103 West Cambridge St., Falmouth

Cost: Free

Info: jasonmasi.com

Jesse Scott is growing his hair out in an attempt to look like Torrey Smith.

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