By Megan Lepage
Jason Mraz finally made it to New Hampshire, hitting
the stage at the University of New Hampshire's Field
House on October 11. For a guy that's toured around
the world, it was about time he came to my state.
 "Hello
friends!" he exclaimed, as he tossed Starburst candies
into the crowd. "I know you're hungry!"
Jason and his band opened the set with the melodic
new "Life is Wonderful." As I've come to expect, his
voice was spot-on. However, his guitar was not as cooperative.
As the band attempted to segue into the next song, technical
difficulties took over. Ditching the instrument, Mraz
opted out of playing and instead concentrated on singing
his heart out. The end result was a beautifully orchestrated
rendition of "Unfold," carried by guitarist Marion Aqualina.
Once his gear was back in action, Mraz and co. rocked
through new tunes like "Did You Get My Message" before
slowing it down for the jazzy "Bella Luna."
Saying that he likes the way the bass envelops the
room when they play in a gymnasium, Mraz treated fans
to the classic "Absolutely Zero" before introducing
Mr. A-Z's newest epic, "Song for a Friend." This song
is my favorite off his latest album, "Mr. A-Z" and I
was more than thrilled to see it performed live. Jason
claimed that this was the first time they played the
song live as a full band. It sounded rich, full and
ethereal, making it impossible not to sing along: "Climb
up over the top. Survey the state of your soul. You've
got to find out for yourself whether or not you're truly
trying."
Jason talked about his collection of magnets shaped
like the states he's played in. "I've had the New Hampshire
magnet for a long time," he remarked. "And I'm so happy
I can finally stick in on the fridge!"
The band then kicked into "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)"
which, as expected, was received by tumultuous applause
and screaming.
 "I
need to sleep with you!" yelled one excited fan, to
which Jason replied, "I must be hearing things!"
The band rocked through the song, and I was reminded
yet again why I love this guy. His energy, his geekiness,
his ability to scat and string words together so quickly...
"Mr. Curiosity" tends to be a little too slow for my
taste and usually marks the sluggish moment for me on
Mr. A-Z, but seeing it performed live last night changed
my perspective. Jason oozed raw emotion as he sang.
And he hit the operatic notes beautifully and perfectly.
I couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion that I didn't
expect upon the song's first notes.
One of the night's highlights was the acoustic performance
of "I'm Yours." It brought me back to the beginning
– to the early days of Jason. My favorite tunes
are the acoustic, coffee shop recordings ("Live
at Java Joe's" is the best, in my opinion.) To
see Jason playing his acoustic accompanied by the fabulously
talented Toca Rivera on bongos lifted my spirits. It
was the perfect reminder that this up and coming pop
star still has simple, acoustic roots.
 That
being said, Toca definitely does not get enough play
time with the new band. I noticed that he spent a great
deal of time standing stoically behind the kit instead
of knocking out beats. As an old school fan, this was
the one element of the show that bothered me. I hope
that the band will find a way to incorporate more of
Toca's talent into the newer songs.
The rest of the main set consisted of tried and true
favorites off of "Waiting for My Rocket to Come." The
bubbly, danceable "On Love, In Sadness" was followed
by the fan-favorite, "You and I Both," to which Jason
orchestrated a crowd sing-a-long. We all eagerly participated,
of course. And then, just when I thought the crowd couldn't
get more into it, the band busted into the opening riff
of "Curbside Prophet." And we were all eating out of
Jason's hand. There was no need for Starbursts anymore.
The show closed with an energized "Geek in the Pink."
Watching Jason rap was captivating, and when he finally
decided to give my side of the stage some love (I was
front row, stage right), I instantly turned from faithful,
mature music lover to sappy fan girl. I admit it.
"Thank you for inviting us to your beautiful part of
the country! We hope to see you again soon!" And then
they were gone, leaving all of us still surging with
emotion. Jason Mraz has really come into his own over
the past two years, and tonight it really showed. I
can't wait to experience what his future holds.
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