Experimental art rocks

The musicians in the experimental art rock band Mason Proper have acquired a reputation for being so exuberant on stage that they often injure themselves mid-performance. So far, there have been no injuries during their three-week tour of the Midwest and East Coast. Then again, they have yet to hit Bloomington.\nAssuming the band members get to Bloomington in one piece, Mason Proper will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at Rhino’s Youth Center. This tour could arguably be called “The Safety Tour,” and vocalist Jonathan Visger credits the fact that it’s the middle of winter for the band’s health. \n“(The cold weather) causes us to be a little more cautious, because it hurts more to get hurt when you’re cold,” he said. “It’s tough to be outside when it’s negative eight degrees, let alone to be injured.” \nThe band typically performs at venues in college towns or big cities such as Chicago or New York, and has noticed significant differences between each. Big cities do not necessarily mean big crowds, Visger said. He went on to explain other differences between college towns and big cities. \n“The venues in college towns treat bands a little bit better because they don’t host bands all the time,” he said.\nTim Pritchett, assistant director, is prepared to prove Visger’s theory right. \n“We’re always grateful to have up-and-coming bands at our venue,” he said, “and because of the University, we get the opportunity to have some great national talent come through.” \nGuitarist Brian Konicek said he prefers to play in college towns because “the atmosphere is more vibrant.” He added that people are more apt to show up to a concert in a college town than in a big city because there isn’t as much going on. “It kind of lends itself to our music,” he said. \nThe band will perform songs from their debut album “There is a Moth in Your Chest.” The meaning behind the title is being kept secret for now, and fans are instructed to stay tuned to learn how the title originated. In the meantime, fans can download songs from the album on iTunes or order it from other promotional Web sites such as fan pages or the band’s MySpace music page. \nIn an era where it is common for MySpace to play matchmaker and help people all over the world find love, it is even more common for MySpace to be the place where bands find fans and vice versa. Mason Proper has more than 25,000 “friends” on its MySpace music page and more fans on other Internet sites. \n“(MySpace) has certainly created a real tangible effect on our day-to-day lives,” Visger said. He explained that he often meets people at concerts who found the band through MySpace. It doesn’t matter how the band acquires fans, as long as they do, Konicek added. \nThe band will likely run into MySpace friends at Rhino’s in February. They might need to come equipped with an ice pack and some Band-Aids.