NEW YORK'S MAS ROCKS SPRINGFIELD

Sometimes it takes someone from somewhere else to make people realize what Springfield has to offer.

Saturday, Lindburg's could have easily been a nightclub in New York or Los Angeles. Instead, New York singer Carolyne Mas and Springfield band The Big Beat Club treated local music fans to a wonderful performance.

Mas, halied by the New York press in 1979 as the female Bruce Springsteen, is recording an album for European release with Lou Whitney at Springfield's Column One Studios.

Mas captivated the crowd.

She has a powerful voice and writes rich songs. Unlike female vocalists like Madonna who are known more for fashion than talent, Mas looked at home in a pair of blue jeans, a black turtleneck and a guitar slung across her shoulder.

Mas sang original ballads and rock tunes, backed by Whitney on bass, Joe Terry on keyboards and Ron Gremp on drums.

The Big Beat Club, having a hard act to follow, simply rocked the place. The group also debuted some new songs of their own, Ron Butler's 'No One Knows' and Jimmy Frink's 'D.C. Male.'

Lindburg's owner Bruce Rader was so impressed he called Mas and the Big Beat Club back for an encore. Mas sang a slow, soulful version of the usually up-tempo Beatles song 'Eight Days A Week"--a rendition that would have made Tina Turner jealous.

But more importantly, Springfield impressed Mas, too.

Her impression of this southern Midwest town was like that of a musical time bomb waiting to explode. 'I see a lot of talent coming in and out of here, and it reminds me of the way New York was 10 years ago,' Mas said.

And to think that someone from the East Coast had to tell us.” - Ron Sylvester

— THE NEWS LEADER, SPRINGFIELD, MO (12-22-88)