Music Review Shaky Feelin', The Band

"An Expression Of Art And Music"

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Music Review RATING: ☆☆☆☆☆+           Check Their Shows: >>>Shaky Feelin' Performances

 MUSIC VIDEO: Check out Shaky Feelin' and Mark Masson laying down another one of their good time jams. The music video was Filmed by T.Grunsfeld and Eric Visser at The Crest Theater in Westwood, California.

REVIEW & COMMENTARY: By Chris Jay July 21, 2016 Article Feelin' the groove... Jam band breaks out

>>>See Article At VC Reporter Newspaper   Let's be honest. When it comes to jam bands, there are a lot of unfortunate and unfair stereotypes out there ranging from appearance to hygiene to the actual music. For the sake of not accidentally offending anyone, let's keep it above the belt, and just stick with the music aspect.

Jam bands have long lived with the stigma that while they often have great chops and can "jam," hence the moniker, they do that and only that. The songwriting is much more like a collection of riffs that everyone can take turns endlessly soloing on for marathon sets that only the chemically altered can survive — and enjoy, for that matter.

While there may be some truth to that, the truly great jam bands, the ones that break out of their loyal-to-a-fault cult following, are those that can find balance between the musicianship and songwriting, and work in multiple genres. Granted, those are a rare breed. Obviously the Grateful Dead and Phish are the most famous examples, but locally the band that represents all that is great about jam bands is, undoubtedly, Shaky Feelin'.

Shaky Feelin' is led by chief songwriter, lead singer and lead guitarist Mark Masson (who, interestingly enough, also works at Cordoba Guitars in Oxnard). Joined by Franklin Murphy on keys, Jeff Hiller on bass and the double drummer (yes, you read that right) combination of Cameron Probe and Paul Menchaca, Shaky Feelin' is arguably the finest pound-for-pound collection of musicians of any band in the area right now.

It's with the band's latest full-length, Insider Mind, however, that they have proven they are more than just a one-trick pony and that the songwriting is just as strong as the playing. Much of that can be traced to Masson's own diverse musical journey.

Growing up locally as an only child in a music-loving family, he first became obsessed with classic rock like Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles. After attending his first live show ever — local Nardcore legends The Missing 23rd — Masson became enthralled with punk, which led to bands like Operation Ivy and Sublime with their ska overtones. These in turn led to reggae like Bob Marley and then, ultimately, jam bands like The Dead and Phish.

It's actually a fascinating progression and it explains in many ways why Shaky Feelin's songs have so much depth and variety, because he and his cohorts are bringing a lifetime of different genres into the sound. "Jam bands implement everything that I've grown up listening to, and that's the idea, you can put it all in one jam," explains Masson. "I love rock, reggae, bluegrass, funk, and we really do use all those influences. That's what we always say; if you don't like one song, there's a good chance you'll like the next one."

It's that eclectic sound that has fans of the genre taking notice and not just locally. While the Ventura music scene right now is at best shaky (no pun intended), Shaky Feelin' has found followers in more jam-friendly states like Colorado and Oregon and beyond. There's a buzz on the band, from the Internet to jam-band-related radio, which really has them in position to be the next breakout band in their scene.

While Masson has been in this position before (his last band, The Situation, developed a small buzz in its day), he feels Shaky Feelin' is the best music he's written and has the best musicians he's worked with. And while the majority of the band is moving toward their mid-30s, the newly married Masson is clearly excited to ride the great response the new record is getting no matter where it takes them.

As Masson laughingly admits, "I always wanted to be a rock star . . . still do."

Lucky for Masson, he's seemingly just a few more jams away.

 MAGNIFICANT... JAMMING PERFORMANCES

Check Their Shows: >>>See Shaky Feelin' Upcoming Performances

"Top Best Bands List" is a selective guide toward the best performance bands in our community. Live random unscheduled auditions are the determination process for the list. Criteria includes selection of songs within their genre, audio quality, ratio of vocals & instrumentation, professionalism of musicianship, lighting, connection, communication, and engagement with the audience, originality of music content, quality of original songs, and especially taking ownership (so to speak) of any cover songs performed. Also in the determination is the quality of any CD recording offered at any show, and the PR efforts by the band on Facebook, web site, and other social media.

CONCERT ART SHOWS: We are non-profit organization 501 (c) (3). Every show is our worthy cause that benefits the artists and helps the kids! Audiences relax and enjoy our performances. Our web site raises funds for art student needy kid scholarships. The performances feature emerging artists to introduce gifted entertainment to the entire community. The demographic of fans extends to concert-goers from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara counties. Our  main base of fans, friends, and family is primarily from greater Ventura County. Come and enjoy the events. Thank you for your support.    >>>See The Kids' Fund Raising Cause

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