Live Review

Jason Mraz – Manchester Academy

• 25th Apr 2009

I first saw Jason Mraz at the Academy back in June 2003. Like most people I’d heard the big singles from his 2002 debut album ‘Waiting For My Rocket To Come’. Songs like ‘The Remedy (I Won’t Worry)’ and ‘You and I Both’ with their clever lyrics and catchy melodies had won over a legion of British fans and the music press had been singing his praises for a while. I’d been looking forward to the gig for weeks but the cynic in me wondered how much of the hype was truly merited – could this guy really deliver that kind of performance live? Would the quirky lyrics work as well or would they seem more contrived knowing that he’d sung them exactly the same the previous night? Well, I needn’t had worried; to say that he impressed that night would be an understatement. Fantastic vocals, tight band; controlled on the slower songs and full of energy on the upbeat numbers. It was a good job, very well done, from young American singer-songwriter.

Now, fast forward some 6 years and what do we have? One critically panned but mild commercial success in the album Mr. A-Z, followed by a two year hiatus from the studio and then a welcome return to form with the multi platinum selling album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things released early last year.

As expected then Mraz had no trouble filling the Academy tonight; the crowd swelling yet further as the support band came to a close and we all waited in anticipation for our headliner to take to the stage. And what an entrance it was: dry ice bellowing from the sides and blue floodlights lit up the horizon as he marched on stage to the grandeur of an orchestral-esque string movement. No spoken introductions though as they seamlessly went from the grandiose strings into the uptempo ‘Make It Mine’, the whole crowd instantly bursting into a chorus of song.

If you’ve ever heard a Mraz album you’ll know too well the cocktail of genres that he throws in to the cooking pot; elements of latin, jazz, reggae, soul, folk and hiphop all held together by an undeniably strong pop sensibility. Live he takes all this to another level. His voice is incredible, soaring effortlessly over the high notes, his persona is magnetic and his guitar playing is faultless. With a band of over 10 players too there’s a rich fullness in the sound that you rarely hear from a touring band; the brass section and bongos working away to bring out whole new flavours to well loved songs like Only Human and Lucky the duet he sings with Norwegian support artist Marit Larsen tonight. The biggest cheers of the night are of course reserved for the massive 2008 hit I’m Yours which has the whole audience bouncing along in time but this is not to detract in anyway from the others; A Beautiful Mess and Absolutely Zero in particularl stood out for me with perfect, haunting vocals that left us all spellbound.

Overall, the quality of the musicianship is second to none, and it would have to be given Mraz’s range, but it’s the whole vibe which really makes this show. The guys on stage look like they’re having a ball throughout; laughing, joking and dancing away as they play, occasionally breaking into a jam where they really get to show us their skills. During one such section at the end Mraz pulls out a Polaroid camera and takes photos of his band on stage, throwing each picture out into the cheering audience and adding to the party spirit of the evening.

I liked Mraz six years ago on his first UK tour but it seems that these last few years have allowed him to mature into something quite exceptional. He seemed keen to please back then, perhaps overly eager but tonight he was the epitome of cool; dressed down in a pair of trousers, a simple plain v-neck T-shirt and a trilby hat. No airs, no graces, no plastic persona; this boy was going to let his music do the talking and talk it did. Even considering the brevity of the set I would say that this has been my favourite gig of 2009 so far and it’s going to take something very special to take its place.