On April 11, Willy Mason returns to HG--which served as a unique launching pad for his career.
For the full scoop on how it all began, read below...
Back in May of 2003, an up and coming artist by the name of Conor Oberst was making his debut performance at Higher Ground in Winooski, VT. Oberst, better known along with his band as
Bright Eyes had a special treat for the folks in attendance that evening.
The night before, while performing in Northampton, Conor and crew met and took a liking to a highscooler from Marthas Vineyard. The highschool student named Willy Mason happily partied the night away while playing a few songs, wound up on their bus, and woke the following day to find himself in Vermont.
"I woke up on their tour bus in Vermont, and that night Conor, without warning, called me onto the stage. That was my first gig off of the island. The whole thing was surreal."
Soon after that night, Willy and Conor struck up a friendship that would lead to Willy's signing to Team Love, Conors newly developed record label. Since then, Willy has toured with the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, Ben Kweller, Unbusted, and Radiohead. He has also played such venues as the Glastonbury Festival, South By Southwest, and the Offshore Ale House.
Willy Mason is currently on tour in support of his upcoming album "If The Ocean Gets Rough" This will mark his first performance in Vermont since that life changing evening back in 2003.
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