Peter Mason

Drummer Peter Mason was born in New Jersey in July 1967. Raised in Livingston, NJ, and Orange Park, FL. Peter encountered his first drumming influence – Bingo from the Banana Splits – during a concert in a New Jersey mall parking lot. That Xmas, Peter received his first “Snoopy” drum set from Santa (and the Sears holiday catalog).

At eight years old, Peter started taking drum lessons in New Jersey with John Sarcone. The epitome of the kid who sat under a tree and drew in the dirt at recess – nonathletic and undersized for his age – young Peter displayed an awkward personality that caused making friends to be difficult. Drums gave him something he knew he was good at, and something that made him different in a good way. From this very young age, drumming became a part of his identity.

Upon moving to Florida, he continued taking lessons from former Tommy Dorsey drummer and legendary Jacksonville teacher Jimmy Glenn. In high school, Peter joined the marching band and the jazz band and earned a scholarship to play drums in the Florida Community College of Jacksonville jazz band performing with Dr. Billy Taylor and Toshiko Akiyoshi. After FCCJ, Peter went to Florida State University where he set his sticks aside save for a 1-year stint in a surf rock band – The Gravamen – who had the good fortune of opening for The Toasters. 

Upon graduating from college, Peter dropped his sticks and “slipped and fell into a bottle of Southern Comfort.” When he emerged properly medicated in 2000, he met and married his wife Shannon and has 3 children – Kaley, Darby, and River. He promptly took to “adulting” and found little time to focus on his passion.

With work and parenting taking up most of his time, he did not resume playing until berated by his high school friends over a few of a couple of post-Rush concert beverages. Peter came home, dug his Slingerlands out of his parents’ garage, acquired a Roland electric kit, and set out to regain his form after a hiatus of almost 20 years. Alas, the Slingerlands were now “vintage” and the parts to recuperate the kit were expensive. So instead of putting his first kit back together, he purchased his current Gretsch kit.

In 2014, Peter helped form the band “Mother Strange” with guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Stuart Coy, guitarist Jimbo Poole, and bassist Gerry Moore (later replaced by Steve Summers) in Jacksonville and played on the band’s self-titled album. Mother Strange played several shows for 2 years throughout North and Central Florida, culminating with opening for Living Colour in 2016. Peter also enjoyed a brief stint with Jacksonville Afro-punk legends “Askmeificare”.

In 2021, he joined Thommy Berlin to establish a new music project, which was to be rooted in punk but with a larger and more diverse vision. Numerous line-up changes sent the band in different trajectories until it finally evolved into Radio Poets – a heterogenous hard rock band once described as a “sonic assault”.

Peter has an eclectic and improvisational drumming style that draws from jazz, hard rock, punk, grunge, progressive rock, swing, and fusion. He brings to the band a diverse taste in music as well. His list of favorite musicians and bands is extensive and includes Rush, Led Zeppelin, Jellyfish, Jeff Beck, The Clash, Bruford, Iron Maiden, The Mothers of Invention, and Parliament/Funkadelic. His drumming influences include Buddy Rich, Neil Peart, John Bonham, Bill Bruford, Terry Bozzio, Charlie Watts, and Bingo (of course).

Once dreaming of rock stardom, Peter now sees success as simply being able to provide for his family through music. “If I could pay my bills on time, allow my wife to retire, and have some money for a vacation or two a year solely from performing and recording with Radio Poets I would be content”.

Peter currently releases his anger on a 7-piece Gretsch Catalina Maple drum kit with Remo Pinstripe heads. He uses Zildjian, Paiste, and Sabian cymbals. Peter beats the hell out of all of this with Scorpion Percussion sticks. “I love these sticks. The venom grip keeps them in my old, sweaty hands. And, the huge barrel tip delivers a perfect ‘ping’ on the ride cymbal and a thunderous ‘boom’ from my drums.”