Whenever I go see a singer perform, I’m always a little nervous. What if they’re really bad live? Maybe I only like them because of the studio enhancements. What if they can’t actually sing at all? Luckily, the Jason Mraz concert at the University of Pittsburgh Oakland on April 12 did not disappoint. In fact, it exceeded my expectations.
By Vanessa Kolberg,
Senior Staff Writer
Whenever I go see a singer perform, I’m always a little nervous. What if they’re really bad live? Maybe I only like them because of the studio enhancements. What if they can’t actually sing at all? Luckily, the Jason Mraz concert at the University of Pittsburgh Oakland on April 12 did not disappoint. In fact, it exceeded my expectations.
The concert was part of a longer festival at Pitt called Bigelow Bash, a street fair on Bigelow Boulevard, beside the Cathedral of Learning. In addition to Mraz headlining as part of his “Music, Magic, and Make Peace” tour, there were also two additional bands before the main act—the Jungle, a Pitt band and Bushwalla. The concert was free for Pitt students and $10 for outside guests although this was not very well enforced.
Mraz performed for nearly two hours, which was impressive considering how much energy he exerted dancing all over the stage with his “SuperBand” (their name changed with every song). He sang selections from his upcoming album, “We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things” (release date: May 13), including the new single, “I’m Your’s.” Mraz also took it back a few years by bringing out the old favorites such as “Wordplay” and “Geek in the Pink” from his second album. Die-hard Mraz fans were trilled when selection from his first cd were also featured, including “You and I Both,” and the classic “Remedy (I Won’t Worry).”
The worry that the concert wouldn’t be as good as the albums? Completely gone. Mraz is probably one of the few performers that I prefer in person rather than recorded. Without all the studio enhancements, Mraz was able to improvise and create more of a real acoustic sound. Gone were the formalities or special effects of some concerts for bigger acts. It was just Mraz, his SuperBand, a guitar, and the audience, who enjoyed the low-key style.