Mason & Cocker Rock Amphitheatre

November 2012 issue

Words: Lisa McPhillips  |  Photos: Cory Shannon  

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dave Mason and Woodstock legend Joe Cocker recently performed in a split-bill concert at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre.  Mason opened the show with an acoustic set performed alongside his band’s long-time guitarist, Johnne Sambataro.  The duo performed a number of Mason’s hits, as well as a couple of tunes by the band Firefall, once fronted by Sambataro.
            Joe Cocker took the stage in front of a seven-piece band and delivered a high-energy show of over 90 minutes, plus a lengthy encore.  Named by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the top 100 singers of all time, Cocker may be best known for recording wildly successful covers of already popular songs, such as the Beatles’ “A Little Help From My Friends,” and The Box Tops’ “The Letter.” The Grammy winner has collaborated with a veritable “Who’s Who of Rock & Roll” over his 40-plus year career, releasing his most recent album, “Hard Knocks,” in 2010.
            A high point of the show came mid-way through Cocker’s set, when Dave Mason joined him onstage to perform the song “Feelin’Alright,” written and recorded by Mason, then in the band Traffic, in 1968, but made into a huge hit by Cocker the following year.
Both Mason and Cocker, 66 and 68 years old respectively, have toured and recorded virtually non-stop for over 40 years. Both are British-born residents of the U.S., and both have enjoyed legendary success on both sides of the “Big Pond.”