This past Thursday night, Mason Ramsey brought his rodeo to lower a Manhattan venue, Gramercy Theatre, with special guests Jenna Paulette and ERNEST. While only 12 years old, Ramsey held the room in the palm of his hand, singing a variety of originals and covers while showcasing his yodeling and dancing skills for the crowd. Penned Lil Hank Williams, he certainly lived up to his nickname.
First up was rising Texan singer/songwriter Jenna Paulette, a long-time member of writers circle Song Suffragettes in Nashville. When the lights were dimmed, the crowd went wild as Paulette walked out, clad in a fringe skirt and cowboy hat. She opened her set with “Wild Like the West,” an upbeat song about her wild personality. When Paulette played current single “Blue Jeans”, the crowd was hooked. “This is my first time playing a show in New York City,” she said, to which the crowd cheered. She closed with hit “F-150”, and asked the crowd to send a “yeehaw” back to Mason Ramsey before leaving the stage. To learn more about the Texas native check out our Swag Spotlight from earlier this year.
Next was songwriter-turned-artist ERNEST. Performing with just his guitar, ERNEST stole the show, performing a slew of hits recorded by artists such as Morgan Wallen and Chris Lane, as well as new songs on his debut EP, Locals Only, released this past Friday, October 11th. “This is what helped me sign my first publishing deal,” he said before playing his catchy hook “Blacked Out”. He sang it another time after free-styling to the word “mullet” at a suggestion by a fan. After singing “Sugar”, a fan shouted, “Play ‘Blacked Out’ again!” He laughed and responded, “Y’all don’t wanna ruin the present now, do you? It’s coming,” And with that, he closed his set to a deafening sing-along of “Blacked Out”. His music is perfect for fans of Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen.
When the lights flickered on and off, signaling that Mason Ramsey was about to enter the room, people started excitedly running to the front of the stage, chanting, “Mason, Mason, Mason”. He followed his band out, singing and shredding the guitar like it was nobody’s business. He opened with his original song, “The Way I See It”, and the audience knew every word. “So… I’m happy to be in New York. Tour’s fun… except for that one incident I had on my bike, I crashed,” Ramsey told the crowd, laughing and cheering. “Now we’re gonna go a little classic,” Ramsey said. “Let’s take it back with ‘Ring of Fire’ by Johnny Cash.” The crowd was thrilled to hear it, screaming the words back to him as he made his way to the front of the stage, hi-fiving fans. Following his Cash cover, he played four Hank Williams covers, which included, “Jambalaya”, “Hey Good Lookin” and “Your Cheatin Heart”.
“It’s a true story,” Ramsey laughed, telling the crowd. “My grandma needed towels at Walmart, and I decided, in this weird little aisle, like Aisle #12 or something like that, to sing a couple of songs, and then a circle started forming around me. And after that, there was this lady who said, ‘Can you sing me a special song?’ And she recorded it. And that song goes like this,” he said, nodding to the band who started up the song that started it all, Hank Williams’ “Lonesome Blues”.
After singing an unreleased song, “Gone”, Ramsey surprised the crowd with his verse of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road”. For his two encores, Ramsey brought out ERNEST to sing “Twang” and Jenna Paulette to sing “Famous”, closing the show to the entire venue singing both songs at the top of their lungs. Ramsey, ERNEST, and Paulette all seemed to be so thrilled to be on stage together, soaking in every moment.
It’s not every day a 12-year-old embarks on a headlining tour with a stop in New York City. After success on social media, it was incredibly impressive to see how dedicated his fanbase is and how truly talented he is. This show had something for everyone – if you can, make sure to catch the HOW’S UR GIRL & HOW’S UR FAMILY PT. 2 Tour. Additional dates at www.masonramseyofficial.com
To keep up with Mason Ramsey follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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