Great concert, Great Night, Great Singer
Rules for the night, JM's photo.
LAST week’s concert at Stadium Merdeka by US singer-songwriter Jason Mraz was a celebration of his two favourite themes, music and love.
At his show, part of his global ‘Tour is a Four Letter Word’ concert, Mraz performed songs from his latest album Love is a Four Letter Word, as well as a handful of his older hits.
The formerly clean-cut Mraz's appearance had undergone a drastic change since his last performance here nearly three years ago. He took to the stage dressed casually in T-shirt and jeans and with a hippy-chic beard and shaggy hair.
Accompanied by a nine-member band that included an energetic horn trio and a female violinist, Mraz kicked off the night with the upbeat tracks Everything is Sound and Freedom.
When he sang the second track, he made it clear that he wanted the crowd of 8,000 to cut loose and enjoy themselves, saying in passable Malay: “Saya menjemput anda semua berdiri dan ber’rock-and-roll’ bersama saya!”
The crowd then cheered and obeyed, with pockets of them continuing to stand and dance throughout the show.
The show itself was full of memorable moments like that. He performed his hit song You and I Both alone on a darkened stage. The crowd obviously knew the lyrics to this song but they chose to sing along with him very softly, so as not to drown out Mraz’s own clear, smooth voice.
He then showcased some variety in his vocals by singing Living in the Moment in the style of a gospel preacher, telling the crowd “I was told I couldn’t say any four-letter words onstage tonight, but the only four-letter word I know is ‘love’!
“And ‘love’ is a word we just can’t say enough.”
Later on, in honour of Father’s Day, he sang the emotional ballad Frank, about his own grandfather, and showed his own family photos in a slideshow on the crystal clear high-definition screen behind him.
He also reworked his first hit single Remedy into a jazz number, which prominently featured the excellent horn trio in his band, who are known as Grooveline Horns. He also introduced them one-by-one during the night: Carlos Sosa on sax, Fernando Castillo on trumpet and Reggie Watkins on trombone.
Another prominent band member was Mraz’s violinist, Merrit Lear. Besides playing her instrument, she was also a back-up vocalist, replacing usual Mraz collaborator Toca Rivera.
While her skills as a violinist were excellent, especially on the ballads Beautiful Mess and The Women I Love, her skills as a singer were pretty hit-and-miss. Her vocals were weak and straining.
She had one big chance to shine, on the love song Lucky where she dueted with Mraz. Unfortunately she seemed to get swallowed up by the music and by Mraz’s own rich vocals.
Mraz turned the heat up a little towards the end by performing the raunchy track Butterfly, before turning things romantic with the mega-hit I’m Yours. During this track, he showed his playful side by leading the crowd in a singalong where he just made funny noises instead of singing the song.
I’m Yours was presumably the last track, and the band walked off the stage while the crowd called out for more. After a few minutes, they dutifully returned onstage and Mraz belted out the haunting Bella Luna, and 93 Million Miles, which he describes as one of his favourite songs he performs while on tour.
He finished off his performance with I Won’t Give Up, prompting the crowd to singalong with him on the chorus. When it was all over, he and the band took their bows to thunderous applause.
It was a master performance by a master musician. At just a hair over two hours long, the concert seemed to fly by in half that time. Hopefully, we won't have to wait too long to have Mraz and his band return to our shores!
by Anansa Jacob in The Sun published 27 June 2012
