Those who want to catch great Nashville-based singer and songwriter Mason Douglas can find him in a few days performing in Athens, Ga.
Douglas, who grew up in Tucson, Ariz., will perform a late afternoon concert at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 26 at The Brewery at Terrapin Beer Company, 265 Newton Bridge Road.
Just last Saturday, he was entertaining at the King & Prince Resort on St. Simon Island, Ga.
Although it's been awhile since he's been in Augusta, Douglas is no stranger to the city.
"I played at The Mission nightclub by myself a few years ago and had an opening act that went by the name 'Nice Peter,' " related Douglas.
"He was a cool guy who, I'm sure, gave the audience an education on the cruder points of life. But we had a great show and an even better time.
"I also performed on the Augusta Canal cruise boat one night. I met a lot of really good people, and the entire evening was definitely a pleasant surprise."
In early 2009, I wrote about Douglas as being a truly outstanding singer on the Adroit Records CD Words & Music Nashville, a compilation of songs by 10 fairly undiscovered Nashville singers and songwriters.
Douglas' patriotic song on the CD, Home Free , had been inspired by his late father who had served 22 years in the Air Force and flew F-4 fighters in Vietnam.
His dad survived Vietnam but later succumbed to ALS, a neurodegenerative disorder often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease.
"My mom eventually ended up a few years later marrying my dad's best friend and wingman in Vietnam after he lost his wife suddenly. It seemed a perfect fit," Douglas said.
"Just last Christmas, we watched some old home footage of their time at Da Nang with audio from a couple of their missions. It was pretty incredible, especially never having seen or heard that stuff before."
That term "pretty incredible" also aptly describes Douglas' new CD, My Wild Heart , produced by Greg Strizek for the independent Rural Rhythm label.
It is living proof that Douglas easily ranks today among the best singers and songwriters in country and Americana music. His 11 songs on this CD are about love in all of its forms, from playful and lustful sex to that of devoted, caring spouses.
He writes in Big Bad Wolf , "I can show you my den way back in the woods if you show me what you got under that little red hood."
In his upbeat recording For The Girls about young musicians starting out, he writes, "We didn't care about self expression. We weren't trying to change the world. We always thought that fame was kinda funny. We didn't give a damn about the money. We always played for the girls."
And yet he goes to the core of what a good adult relationship of supporting spouses is all about with the extremely touching That's A Life .
In this song, he tells of a husband who gets a call out of the blue from an old friend who brags about his wealthy life of yachts and expensive houses and fancy cars.
The guy feels low about himself until his wife puts it all in the proper perspective.
Douglas writes, "I guess she must have seen me lower my eyes when I said, 'What a life.' And she said, 'You're a lucky man. That's what you are. You've got more to show than fancy cars.
"Like the ring here on my finger that's stayed on through thick and thin. A daughter that thinks you hung the moon. And a son that runs straight to you every night when it's time to tuck him in tight. Now, that's life.' "
Douglas' CD is full of musical songwriting gems like that backed with his strong vocals and excellent instrumentation.
Find out more at masondouglasmusic.com/home.cfm.
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