Mason Zero and Huck n’ Pray at The Viper Room – Live Review and Photos
Mason Zero
Mason Zero, Huck N’ Pray, Kelly McGarry Presents at The Viper Room, West Hollywood, CA. July 19, 2026
First of all. I would like to commend Kelly McGarry Presents for promoting some of the most exciting new bands at The Viper Room. Kelly brought together a very compelling collection of bands at the world-famous venue on a Saturday night as perfect counter programming to the L.A. Guns show taking place across the street at The Whisky. Mason Zero is a local pop punk band on the rise while Huck N’ Pray were on tour, based out of Boulder, Colorado – and playing the Sunset Strip for the very first time. The Highwire Daze staff were in attendance to cover these two outstanding bands on the rise.
MASON ZERO
Mason Zero is the namesake of a remarkably talented trio of musicians based out of Southern California. And on this night at The Viper Room, only two were present with bassist Fionna Tucker unable to make the show. We missed you Fionna! “The show must go on” is the age-old proclamation of all seasoned entertainers, and Mason Zero hit the stage as a two-piece – and they proceeded to rock the roof off the notorious Viper Room on the Sunset Strip.
Kenny Robertson of Mason Zero
Fans of Blink-182 and Green Day are destined to discover a brand-new favorite when encountering what Mason Zero has to offer the world at large. Celebrating the recent release of their A Puppet Cannot Lie full-length, Mason and his equally amazing drummer Kenny Robertson proceeded to play the album in its entirety live! The first two selections Anime Intro and What They’ve Done instantly hooked in the early arrivals, and the blasting nine song set was pure pop punk bliss at its finest!
With impassioned vocals and searing guitar work, Mason Zero is quite a talented and resourceful front man. Kenny Robertson slammed to the beats with hyper-skilled perfection. I’ve been seeing a lot of live shows lately with bands missing members, and together, Mason and Kenny sent it all into the stratosphere. I’ve also witnessed the talents of Fionna in her previous band Side Chicks, and could only imagine the fantastic low end she would have contributed to this already wonderful duo. Highwire Daze will be back to revisit a full throttle Mason Zero show in future.
Mason Zero will be playing Krash N Burn Fest in Orange County on August 16th with KrashKarma, Endure Oblivion, Where It Lies, and more!
Huck n’ Pray
HUCK N’ PRAY
Thank you so much to Kelly McGarry for recommending that we stay to see the touring band Huck n’ Pray. They may be young, but the musicianship is skilled way beyond their years. And at The Viper Room, this Boulder-based collective presented an awe-inspiring set of absolutely epic proportions.
Channeling icons such as Rush and The Grateful Dead yet kicking it all in the ass with a youthful energy, Huck n’ Pray unleashed an absolutely rapturous performance! Yes, this band was insanely talented, and brought an impressive amount of local fans along for the supersonic ride of a lifetime.
Huck n’ Pray
There was a brilliant tension exuded with the opening selection The City, beginning with a quietly intensive prologue and then exploding into an artistic mass of intrigue. And throughout the entire set, Huck N’ Pray delivered to the gathered congregation a vibrantly unforgettable performance! This is a jam band times ten, with each and every member brimming with charisma while tantalizing your senses with an absolutely epic live show. Proceeding on with the one-two punch of Drive Me To The Line and Ophelia, Huck n’ Pray commanded the stage with each and every note.
Let’s discuss the amazing membership found within the ranks of Huck n’ Pray. Fintan Canning performed superb lead vocals on a few of the song, and his guitar work was supreme and stylish. Cory Shisnik was at center stage, unleashing dynamic vocals as well, and delivered astounding and imaginative lead guitar work. Will Berbaum is a beast of a bass player, delivering a raging low-end that raised pulses all across The Viper Room. And bringing it all home with an all-out vengeance was drummer Axel Pearson. Together, Huck n’ Pray embrace timeless rock and roll genres and spin them into a fierce modern-day dimension.
Huck n’ Pray
One of very many highlights of the set was the all instrumental Frog Legs, demonstrating just how thrilling the Huch n’ Pray live experience is. And on this magical day, Huck n’ Pray had their debut single Dixon released on Spotify – and they closed the night out with this very intoxicating song! Do not miss this band the next time they arrive to enrapture a venue near you.
CONCLUSION
Jam bands usually bore the crap of me, but Huck n’ Pray are fire personified, and make me a believer! And Mason Zero shows us all that pop punk is very much alive and well in 2025 and beyond! Watch for interviews with Mason Zero and Huck n’ Pray coming soon to Highwire Daze Online! Many thanks to Kelly McGarry Presents and The Viper Room for another unforgettable night on the Sunset Strip!
(Review by Ken Morton – Photos by Jack Lue)
Mason Zero on Instagram
Huck n’ Pray on Instagram
Kelly McGarry Presents on Instagram
