I have always been impressed with anyone who can paint a stage with an acoustic guitar, a microphone, and a heart full of stories. It takes quite an artist to display that and also be such a beacon for positivity night after night. That is exactly what the ”Still Yours Tour” is about. Jason Mraz takes us through the various phases of his career building the setlist minutes before showtime, honoring requests made by fans on social media the day of. But before we get into that let’s talk about a really special treat.
The evening starts with a heartfelt opening performance from legendary songwriter Gregory Page. A gem of a human. Jason tells a story about how Gregory heard him play at an open mic in San Diego and was so impressed that he invited Jason to play a few songs before a gig Gregory had over the weekend. Jason attributed it as his first gig! In support of Gregory and his amazing career as well as friendship, Jason joined a couple of songs into the set and played bass for Gregory. Also joining this part of the show is Raining Jane’s own, Chaska Potter! She added a moving layer with the mandolin and ukulele as well as adding vocals at times. Another gem of a human, Chaska blended perfectly with Jason and Gregory and the chemistry between the three seasoned musicians was as beautiful as it felt natural. As well as adding some of his classics we got a few great selections from Gregory Page’s most recent album One Hell of a Memory. Check out his story on his site. We also got to hear a catchy one from Jason’s new album Grandma’s Gospel Favorites called “Turn Your Radio On”.
After a short intermission, Jason Mraz took the stage again, this time just himself and his guitar. Just like the old days in the coffee shops, but with a few more friends along for the ride. Some new faces, some old, all happy to enjoy a night of peace and harmony in a world that doesn’t always offer that. Personally I found it to be an incredibly refreshing way to spend the evening and would highly recommend catching a show on this tour. Jason shared songs from throughout his career that in a way felt like opening a time capsule.
I found it to be an interesting perspective to hear him speak of how some of the songs are a little harder to sing than others because of how much different person he was back when he wrote them. It is a healthy reminder that these songs come from real life and life does change. “93 Million Miles” for one holds a special place in my heart after hearing it during an important time in my life.
I was happy to hear it as the first encore song. Jason speaks of writing it because his parents gave him permission to fail. That gave him the courage to pursue an arts career, which has also enabled and encouraged countless others to pursue the arts through the inspiring nature of his songs as well as the Jason Mraz Foundation. I encourage you to see the amazing things the Jason Mraz foundation accomplishes and donate to its worthy cause.
One song from early on in the show that I was surprised and excited to hear on this tour was “I Feel Like Dancing”, an anthem on the full band Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride Tour. It was really fun to hear an acoustic version of this song, and it was great to see the excitement in the room as people danced and sang along! “The Remedy” has always been a favorite, but that one grew even more on me after hearing about the inspiration behind its conception. Jason spoke about writing it after a conversation with his childhood friend that at the time was fighting cancer yet didn’t want to worry his life away. He also gave us the reassuring good news that this friend beat cancer and is still around today!
A fun new song that was received really well by the crowd was from his new Gospel album called Peach Pie. Jason talks about recording this album 20 years ago because his Grandma asked him to. And I’m glad she did. You can pick up a vinyl copy at his shop. The set ended with everybody singing the always popular “I’m Yours” together.
The encore was especially inspirational. Of course starting with “93 Million Miles” as mentioned earlier, then going into “Have it All”, the ever encouraging “I Won’t Give Up”, and closing out with Gregory and Chaska joining and performing the title track off of Gregory’s album One Hell of a Memory.
A great night full of great music! No backing tracks, no Auto-Tune, just pure music by three of the best who share a passion for storytelling in one of the most beautiful forms.
