Jason Mraz charming in concert at Eastern Michigan University
You really have to hand it to Jason Mraz. He knows his audience, he knows his craft, and he knows how to use the latter to entertain the former.
Mraz did just that on Thursday, bringing and keeping an Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center audience to its feet with his easy charm and even-easier-on-the-ears light rock during a surprisingly fluid and funky show that proved Mraz is more than a blissed-out, one-trick singer-songwriter.
Jason Mraz performing live Thursday at Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center.
Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com
“I’m so grateful to be able to play in Ypsilanti,” he sang at the top of the show. And, dressed all in white and topped by his ubiquitous stingy-brim hat, Mraz really seemed to mean it, engaging naturally with the mostly young, largely female crowd. He even brought several audience members up on stage to dance with him throughout the show.
Backed by an able octet, Mraz swung between reggae, funk, Latin-tinged rock and his signature stream-of-consciousness folky tunes, including the smash hit “I’m Yours,” which closed out the main body of his 90-minute show.
Of course no one is ever going to confuse Mraz with Bob Dylan. His songs, while impossibly catchy, are as substantial as seafoam. Yet his appeal on Thursday was undeniable, as he unflinchingly tackled a range of styles that were well outside of his sweet spot.
And Mraz gets the most out of his limited voice, even throwing in some serviceable operatic licks as “Coyote” wound down early in the set.
Indeed, though, Mraz is at his best when trading in the strummy folk, with which he made his name with the neo-hippie crowd. Tunes like “I’m Yours, “How Does It Feel” and “The Remedy” all hit the mark, each finding a light-reggae groove and staying in it.
Jason Mraz performing “The Remedy” live earlier this month:
In fact, Mraz was so charming that it was hard to care that:
• Stingy-brim hats were on sale at the merch table.
• Acoustics at the Convocation Center were so bad that each kick drum hit reverberated well into the next beat and lyrics were rendered a mush.
• The faux hawk: Justin Bieber hairdo ratio was approximately 1:1.
• Mraz regularly doled out such kernels of wisdom as, “Don’t ever let your mind stop you from having a good time.”
If you can overcome these kinds of hurdles, you’re doing something right. And on Thursday, Mraz, thanks to charm, stagecraft and a handful of great tunes, had room to spare.
Will Stewart is a free-lance writer who covers music for AnnArbor.com.
Comments
Tom Whitaker
Sat, Sep 18, 2010 : 9:48 a.m.
Following up: We did hear from one of Jason Mraz's managers who confirmed that photography at his concerts is "totally allowed." They even encourage video and audio recording!
Holy Cow
Fri, Sep 17, 2010 : 3:31 p.m.
Tom, I feel very badly that your daughter had to go through this. My 12 year old daughter and I went last night and while we were waiting to get in a security guard went down the line and told everyone it was ok to take pictures, but no flash. On another note, I was upset because I paid 10 extra dollars each to get the best tickets (general admission). At other concerts I have been to, general admission means that they set up folding chairs close to the stage. This general admission meant that you had to stand. I paid a total of $20 extra dollars to stand for over 2 hours? The EMU ticket website did not indicate there would not be seats. When I complained we were told we could sit high up in the second tier and hope that no one would claim those seats. Overall, there seemed to be very poor communication among the staff.
Gary
Fri, Sep 17, 2010 : 1:37 p.m.
Wow, Tom..that's incredible....I know Jason loves for fans to take pics/videos at the shows. I will be very surprised if you don't get a reply from his management team
Tom Whitaker
Fri, Sep 17, 2010 : 1:21 p.m.
On a sour note, over-zealous security guards went after my 15-year-old daughter for taking pictures, even though at every checkpoint she was told it was OK to have a camera and take pictures. She even interacted with the ticket manager TWICE, with camera around her neck, when there was a problem with their seats. Everyone around her was taking pictures, too. What happened next was appalling. Two large guards pulled her out of the arena and forced her to go through each and every picture on her camera, deleting them one at a time while while she cried. They continued to threaten to toss her out if she didn't cooperate. Then, they stole her batteries--threatening to tear the camera off her neck because apparently, through her shaking and tears, she wasn't removing the batteries fast enough for them! She was frightened and humiliated by this experience--her first concert with friends and no parental escort. I never thought I'd need to be concerned about her being abused by security--the folks that should be there looking out for everyone's safety and enjoyment of the show. Ironically, if you go to Mraz's website, there is an entire page dedicated to concert photos that were taken by his fans! Clearly he has no problem with it, so what kind of power trip were these thugs on? EMU, the promoter "Social Studyz", and Mraz's management have all been contacted about this unfortunate incident. I'm waiting for an apology and some indication that measures will be taken so that other kids will not be intimidated like this in the future--at any concert.
A2LTRes
Fri, Sep 17, 2010 : 7:47 a.m.
I was at the show last night and thoroughly enjoyed. Jason Mraz was engaging. I am a FAN. Love the horns. In the future, I will take a seat versus general admission (not one of the younger fans -- long time standing in a tight space.
Gary
Fri, Sep 17, 2010 : 7:37 a.m.
great show, saw Jason last night and last year @ Freedom Hill, always fun...