I've been a huge fan of Jason Mraz for years. I don't know what the perception of Jason Mraz is among non-fans so I don't know if that sounds cheesy or not, but I just have to be truthful, no matter what you might think of me. Jason Mraz is possibly my favorite artist of all time. He's bigger than Reba to me, and that's saying something.
I finally got the chance to see him play live last week, and I was not disappointed. And trust me, I was getting myself ready to be. I realized in the days leading up to the show that I'd pretty much idealized this guy. I didn't think there was any way he could actually be as good as I'd been imagining him to be. I was almost sorry I'd bought the tickets.
But I was worrying about nothing. The show was incredible, spiritual, uplifting, to say the least. He was vocally perfect, receptive and responsive to his audience, and overall, just a huge ball of energy. In lieu of singing the radio singles (well, he sang the two new ones, "I'm Yours," and "Lucky" with his opener, Lisa Hannigan, as well as "Remedy," which he really had to sing) he did most of his show with album cuts like "Who Needs Shelter," "Song for a Friend," and tons of stuff off the new album like "Make it Mine," "Live High," and "The Dynamo of Volition." He covered Rick James' "Mary Jane," and if I may say so, it was twice as good as the original. "Build Me Up Buttercup," was another highlight, as was another cover, "No Woman, No Cry," originally by Bob Marley. His sense of humor is even better in person than it is through the music or his blog posts, and really, I just have three more words to say: Rock. Hard. Body.
So considering the amazing show Mraz put on Thursday night, the amount of success he's had at radio with "I'm Yours" this year, and just his overall musicianship, I was disappointed beyond belief Sunday night while watching the American Music Awards. It wasn't just that Jason wasn't there, it was that the people who were--the ones performing especially-- were atrocious. Well, okay, not all of them. The Alicia Keys- Queen Latifah- Kathleen Battle matchup was incredible. But really? Miley Cyrus? The Jonas Brothers? The New Kids on the Block? The Pussycat Dolls? All terrible, terrible performances. All the while, one of the most talented, consistent people in music was out on the road, doing his thing, seemingly unnoticed by the AMA.
Oh well, I guess. I got to see him live and in person, and that's so much better than seeing him on some cheesy awards show anyway.
-Courtney
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2 comments:
I too appreciate Jason Mraz. He is standing the test of time by consistently turning out intelligently crafted lyrics and melodies.
I heard bad things about the location of the show though, he could have used a bigger venue, but it also proves that he's not over-promising and under-delivering.
he sold out two nights in a row, so it stands to say that he probably could have put the show in a bigger venue, but i wouldn't have done it. i think he does that on purpose-- it keeps the shows a little more intimate and i much preferred it to some of the huge venue shows i've seen.
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