Review: Jason Mraz

Jason Mraz played two types of songs Wednesday at Starlight Theater: those with horns and those without horns.  A three-man horn section added invaluable heft and soulfulness to Mraz's otherwise wispy and often inconsequential signature sound.

Just how important was the presence of the Grooveline Horns? It was akin to the difference between Tower of Power and John Denver. With all due respect to the late folkie, funk goes over much better in a large theater full of giddy teenagers.

Mraz, 31, is an immensely talented artist with a strong predilection for recalling the past. He frequently embellishes his unrepentant pop music with flourishes of jazz, hip-hop, reggae and folk. Much of Wednesday's concert, however, seemed like a tribute to '70s rhythm and blues. An astonishingly convincing cover of Con Funk Shun's "Ffun" set the tone early. The band would later riff on Maze's "Joy and Pain."

Similar echoes of vintage soul music characterized the night's most memorable moments. Mraz sounded like a genuine soul man during the ballad "A Beautiful Mess." While the recorded version of Mraz's massive hit "I'm Yours" is almost unbearably cloying, his superb band transformed it into an immensely likable dance song.

It's no surprise. Mraz's reputation as a terrific live performer is well-deserved. Eager to please and incapable of embarrassment, Mraz received a huge ovation for a ridiculous faux-opera gag during "Mr. Curiosity."

And on the few occasions when he gave the horn section a break during his 85-minute performance, Mraz's airy songs harmlessly dissolved into the pleasant evening sky.

Perhaps Plain White T's should borrow Mraz's horn section. The power pop band was just as sharp as ever, but most of Mraz's fans seemed intent on enduring -- rather than enjoying -- their spiffy showcase.

It's a shame. As they demonstrated last November at the Beaumont Club, the T's are a woefully undervalued commodity. Songs like "1, 2, 3, 4" and "Sunlight" evoke the sweet charm of 1964's "Beatles for Sale." In spite of their misguided skepticism, most in the audience of about 6,500 stood to salute the massive hit "Hey There Delilah."

Singer-songwriter Anya Marina knows a good thing when she hears it. She employed Mraz trumpeter Fernie Castillo during her opening set. Marina's delightful sense of humor, typified by a wry cover of T.I.'s "Whatever You Like," was refreshing.

Her considerable stage presence and supplemental production values aside, Marina wasn't appreciably better than Nicolette Paige, a local artist who could be heard performing on Starlight's V.I.P. stage. Her strong voice and low-key charm impressed. Even without a horn section.

| Bill Brownlee, Special to The Star

Comments

[indie snob]

when 6,500 people turn out to see an artist whose music is akin to a soggy bread sandwich, i realize just how out of touch with mainstream america i am. who are these people? you can find more depth, nuance, and artistic integrity from a hallmark card. jason mraz is the wesley willis of tepid pop dreck.

great night for an outdoor concert though.

[onthemark]

indie snob, I used to be just like you. If some artist or band did not meet my impeccable standards, then I was quick to dismiss them. But, with age comes wisdom. I pretty much took the attitude that 'to each their own', and with rare exception there is no such thing as bad live music. Broaden your horizons a bit, you'll be surprised when you let down your avant garde exterior at what you may be missing. And for the record, I was there last night. Got to admit, I am no fan, had not heard of Jason, I was taking my wife. I will say that tickets were a reasonably priced $36.00, not counting the usual Ticketbastard $12.50 'convenience fee'. I will post my review of the show and let you judge for yourself whether or not it was worth a night out...

[onthemark]

Nice spring evening at Starlight last night. A veritable hipster's paradise. Guys in plaid cargo shorts, sandals, ironic tee shirts and sporting attitude goatees. Gals in either butt hugger shorts or floor length summer dresses, most wearing oversized sunglasses (sunshine not required). Everyone holding a phone in one hand. Lots of cleavage on display. Not that I noticed or anything. I pulled out my shirttails so that Sherri and I would blend in. We moseyed on in and got seats in line with the stage, about halfway back.

Right at 7:30 the opening act Anya Marina walked on stage and did a 20 minute set. Had one of those high pitched hippy dippy type voices, 20 minutes was plenty.

Next up, The Plain White T's. They did a fairly energetic 30 minute set. Basically they are one step removed from being a boy band. 3 guitars, bass, drums. Very earnest. Highlight was at the close of one of their songs they did a rave up version of 'California Dreamin' by the Mamas and the Papas that was pretty cool.

Jason came on at 9:30. Right up front I will admit I know nothing about the guy or his music, I was basically escorting my wife who is a fan. That being said, the guy put on a pretty good show. Nothing too deep mind you, just light catchy tunes backed by a pretty tight band. I will say Jason can fit more syllables into a sentence than any other song writer I know. He was well received, the place was darn near full and pretty much everyone stood for the entire 90 minute set. And everyone (except me) sang along word for word with most of his songs, no small feat considering some of them were quite wordy.

Towards the end he engaged the crowd and had the gals singing scat style doo bops low parts and the guys singing the high parts, and that was pretty funny. Very engaging stage personality, seemed genuinely appreciative of the audience support. Jason played acoustic and electric guitar and was backed by bass, keyboards, congas and a horn section. Best description I can think of is a fusion of reggae, pop, rock, folk, jazz and hip hop.

I did recognize two songs, the first was 'The Remedy' which I had heard on the radio. Pretty catchy tune. And towards the end he did 'I'm Yours' which I am guessing is his biggest hit based on the reaction to the opening notes. Crowd went wild, and Jason did the song justice.

One thing that really struck me was after Jason left the stage, the band tore into an instrumental that was quite tasty, first time of the night I was really up and moving to the music. Kind of reminded me of the original Chicago Transit Authority sound, lots of horns and percussion.

Jason came back for his encores, did about another 20 minutes or so, including an acoustic song backed by piano when he sang part of the lyrics like an opera singer. Guess you would've had to been there, it was really pretty well done! So, come 11:00 the lights came up and the crowd went home happy.

Next up: Fleetwood Mac tomorrow night. I guarantee you that I will know all of their songs!

Submitted by your roving hipster,

onthemark

Best guess set list: Make It Mine, The Remedy, Who Needs Shelter, Live High, Lucky, Mary Jane, The Dynamo of Volition, Unfold, Beautiful Mess, I'm Yours, The Copchase, Mr Curiosity, Butterfly

[Sam]

It was alright. Compared to some of his shows on archive.org it was pretty tame. Despite what indie snob and others think, this guy actually has some depth to him and is a good entertainer. Get past what you hear on the radio and most of his stuff is decent.

[wadkc]

Screw depth. Jason Mraz can sing. What happened to just bringing the goods. Sinatra, Martin & Elvis would be proud. This is the 3rd go 'round for me and it didn't disappoint. Saw him in Lawrence right after his first CD came, out along with about 150 others. This time I got there 1 hour early for his GA show and I stood in line with 3,000 other early guests. Plus his band was solid. Good pull with the CTA sound. I thought the same thing. The only change I would have made is to have another guitar player to add depth to the sound. It lacked something and that might have been it. Also, I don't think the mic on the hi-hat was even on, so even more bottom end was noticed.

I have never been to a show at Starlight (remodeled) where the sound wasn't perfect. Always crystal clear...again.

On a side note, I was DJ'ing at The President Hotel last weekend (private event) and Mr. Tony Bennett asked me to turned down my music! It was after his show and he has the VIP room on that same level. Of course I accommodated.

[br549]

At least indie snob appropriately named himself. I'm sure all his music tastes are far superior to mine **cough cough**.

He was right about it being a great night for a concert, though. Beautiful weather and a fun/lively show. I think Mraz is quite fun.

[Mike A]

yuck

[Ryan Decosta]

This is a wonderful opinion. The things mentioned are unanimous and needs to be appreciated by everyone. The above thought is smart and doesn’t require any further addition. It’s perfect thought from my side.
Ryan Decosta
http://www.pokerraking.com/vip/

[Yawwwwn]

"when 6,500 people turn out to see an artist whose music is akin to a soggy bread sandwich, i realize just how out of touch with mainstream america i am."

...........Unfortunately, Indie Snob is correct (capitalization notwithstanding). SOMEONE has to say it, despite the repercussions. I feel the same exact way when (just to name a few) Jason Mraz, The Dave Matthews band, Thriving Ivory, Sara Bareilles, Maroon 5, 3 Doors Down, O.A.R., John Mayer, The Fray, Colbie Caillat, and the incredibly and eternally boring Jack Johnson sell bongloads of tickets.

I always wonder who their fans are and if they know ANYTHING about music or are just at these snooze-fests to socialize, take phone calls, or text feverishly while all of this heartless music bellows in the background. When people continue to buy these lame duck's albums and pay to see them in concert, it just begets more boring Neo-Elevator music. Suffice to say, these people must live very simple, uncomplicated little lives.

[aquaman]

...just a thought - maybe we should leave the full-length reviews to the professionals. Just sayin'.

[andrew]

i'm a fan of dave matthews band and have been since 1994. i also love jazz of all kinds, delta blues, 1960s pop, punk, 1990s alt-rock one hit wonders, 1980s pop one-hit wonders, most of the stuff that is now categorized as "indie," led zeppelin & black sabbath - the original heavy metal bands - traditional japanese koto music, salsa, Afro-Cuban & Latin jazz, stax-volt soul classics, motown, bach, mozart, beethoven, even a few jason mraz tunes. and that's probably not a comprehensive list, but you get the idea.

i've also been a musician for over 12 years. i've got pretty decent knowledge about music and keep my mind & ears open, but i don't try to tell people what music "is" and "isn't." bashing what someone else digs doesn't accomplish anything, and it's not going to change their mind.

if they ARE just going to the "snooze-fests" to socialize, then so what? why is it bothering you? you weren't there...or were you?

life is too short to waste your breath or keystrokes bashing other people's tastes. if you don't like it, you don't have to listen - or even read the reviews, let alone make comments chastising people for enjoying something. live and let live.

if you had to make a sandwich out of music, what would you put on it? and what makes it (or you) better than anyone else's tastes?

[Darin]

Yawwwwn...

I'm a fan of many of the bands/artists you listed. I don't go to socialize, I go because I genuinely enjoy the music...sorry to dissapoint you.

Mraz is one of the best POP acts in the business. No, he will never appeal to the likes of you and indiesnob, why can't you accept that and move on? Sure, he's not much a guitar player, but his voice and self penned lyrics are what makes him successful.

On a side note, It always cracks me up when people throw John Mayer into the discussion as if Mayer is a no talent a$$ clown. Mayer has played with and has the respect of some of the best musicians in the world: Herbie Hancock, The Headhunters, Clapton, Steve Jordan, Pino Palladino, Buddy Guy, BB King, John Scofield.

[Darin]

It should also be noted that Mras will recieve the Hal David Starlight Award for Young singer-songwriters this summer.

An award previously won by the likes of John Mayer, Alicia Keys, and John Legend to name a few.

It's OK for a popular artist to actually be good...gasp.

[wadkc]

Yawwwwn,

You missed one. Happy. "very simple, uncomplicated, happy little lives."

carry on.

[Yawwwwn]

Yeah, Ignorance IS bliss, I suppose.......

[andrew]

well, it's pretty ignorant to try and tell people what they should and shouldn't like, or to judge them by their musical tastes - so you too must be pretty happy.

[onthemark]

And all too predictably, this post denigrates into name calling and bashing of other people's musical likes and dislikes. C'mon people, this is an open forum for MUSIC lovers, and I would like to think that if someone takes the time to read these posts or contribute their own opinion, then that person is probably a music fan. And just like there will forever be arguments between pizza aficionados' about thin crust versus Chicago style deep dish, so it is with music. EVERYONE has their own likes and dislikes, and as a music community I feel like the more variety the better. Like a previous poster noted, if you don't like the particular subject, then don't bother reading it or writing about it, it is that simple. Remember people: to each their own...

[indie snob]

i stand corrected. this is GENIUS:

"Curbside Prophet"

I’m just a curbside prophet
with my hand in my pocket
and I’m waiting for my rocket to come
I’m just a curbside prophet
with my hand in my pocket
and I’m waiting for my rocket, ya'll

y’see it started way back in nyc
when i stole my first rhyme from the m.i.c.
at a west end avenue at 63
the beginning of a leap year, february, ’96
with a guitar picked up in the mix
i committed to the licks like a nickel bag of tricks
well look at me now
look at me now
look at me now, now, now, now

i'm just a curbside prophet
with my hand in my pocket
and i'm waiting for my rocket to come
i'm just a curbside prophet
with my hand in my pocket
and i'm waiting for my rocket, ya'll

well you’re never gonna guess
where i’ve been been been
and i have no regrets
that i bet my whole checking account
because it all amounts to nothing up in the end

well you can only count on the road again
we’ll soon be on the radio dial
and i been payin close attention to the willie nelson style
like a band of gypsies on the highway while
i’m one man pushin’ on the california skyline drive
up the coast I brag and I boast
i ’m pickin up my pace and makin time like space ghost
raising a toast to the highway patrol with the most
put my cruise control's on coast
cuz i'm tourin' around the nation on extended vacation see
I got Elsa the dog who exceeds my limitation
i say, "i like your style, crazy pound pup!
you need a ride? [*woof*]
well come on, girl, hop in the truck!"

i'm just a curbside prophet
with my hand in my pocket
and i'm waiting for my rocket to come
i'm just a curbside prophet
with my hand in my pocket
and i'm waiting for my rocket, ya'll
i'm just a curbside prophet
with my hand in my pocket
and i'm waiting for my rocket to come on
i'm just a curbside prophet
with my hand in my pocket
and i'm waiting for my rocket, ya'll

see i'm a down home brother, redneck undercover
with my guitar here
i'm ready to play
and i'm s a sucker for a filly
got a natural ability I'm geared to freestyle
look at my flexibility
dangerous at the mike
my ghetto hat's cocked right
the ladies say, "yo, that kid is crazy"
the backstage betties taking more than they can get
they say, "what's up with m-r-a-z?"

hey, hey, something's different in my world today
well they changed my traffic sign to a brighter yellow
hey, hey, something's different in my world today
they changed my traffic sign to a brighter yellow
i'm just a curbside prophet
curbside prophet now
curbside prophet now
curbside
come on, now
curbside prohet
waiting for my rocket to come...

[Mraz fan]

Indiesnob,

we get it. You don't like Mraz. Guess what? We do.

Doesn't it suck when the world doesn't fit in the box you're comfortable with?

[Winston]

OK, I can't resist. I've been to 100s of shows from jazz to rock to Broadway. I've seen Skynyrd open for The Who, Styx open for Zappa, Stevie Wonder open for The Stones ('72), the Police in a Beaumont sized club and Herbie Hancock share a bill with Chick Corea. Every show was different: some great, some sucked (Styx was booed off the stage and deservedly so..) and some were lost in the fog of a blunt. Some of the best shows I've seen were ones that someone gave me a free ticket to (Muse at he Uptown a few years ago).
At the end of the day you can't judge if you weren't there and we don't care if Mr.A.Z or any other artist is not your cuppa joe! Haters like that are in the same category of folks who think that gay marriage will somehow "destroy the sanctity of (straight) marriage". To each his/her own and in peace, thank you very much!
This particular show was a blast! Mr. Mraz has an excellent voice, his songwriting is very good, he has a great stage presence and his band absolutely kicked some major behind! And the best part? Someone gave me a free ticket at the last minute.

Now on to see Eldar at Jardines tonight.

Ciao!

[wadkc]

Indie Slob,

What didn't you understand about his vocal ability being fantastic. I don't care about lyrics. There you go, now you know. Read a book while listening to Mannheim Steamroller and you'll be happy.

Here's my criteria for music in order.

Vocals
Song Structure
Production
Groove or Feeling
Lyrics

The New York Dolls/Clash/Ramones have some stupid lyrics but they rock like no other.

Happy Friday.

[br549]

Indie snob, you know someone who does better with internal rhyme, alliteration, or assonance within his lyrics?

There's a reason THAT song is repetitive. If he's a curbside prophet, he's not going anywhere and he's waiting for his rocket to come. Much like the song, it doesn't have to be melancholy haughty persnicketiness to be fun. Some Mraz songs are quite impressive with the allusions and metaphors he draws out, but you don't really care, because it's still probably fun.

[Nicolette Paige Fan]

The Mraz concert was great. This was my first live exposure to his music and the horns added a nice touch. I was extremely impressed with the VIP artist Nicolette Paige. Those of you who missed it, missed an amazing artist. All orginal songs with only her guitar. Rather impressive. Hope to see her around more. Put a band behind this girl and she will be playing at Starlight soon.

[cheap jordans]

I was thinking about writing a post on this exact subject.Thank you.

[how alarm systems work]

One of the best artist of today.