In today's age of disposable music in which the majority of acts rely more on bells and whistles than their own true musical talent, Jason Mraz and opener Lisa Hannigan in concert is a breath of fresh air.
From the beginning of the concert at DAR Constitution Hall, audience interaction was widely encouraged. A phone number scrolled across the large set backdrops that one could send text and picture messages to that would then appear on the video screen for everyone to see both before and during the concert.
Dublin, Ireland, native, Lisa Hannigan opened the show with her whimsical song, "Lille," a delicate ballad complete with bells and soft vocals. Hannigan is best known for her vocals present on much of Damien Rice's popular album "O." She carried over much of her soft vocals from that record into the eight songs that composed her solo performances.
Tracks such as "Pistachio" and "Sea Song" caught the audience's attention, conveying Hannigan's own lack of inter-song chatter. Hannigan's soft, shy speaking voice was nearly inaudible when she spoke between some of her songs, but she made up for her timidity with strong vocals and quirky songs like "I Don't Know."
Between the quick 20-minute set and instrument change leading from Lisa Hannigan's to Jason Mraz's stage, the audience excitement was palpable. Several concertgoers started chants of "Jason!" in an attempt to get him out on stage. As the lights dimmed and the words "Washington, D.C." flashed across the video screen, the audience screams were nearly deafening.
Mraz began the show solo with an acoustic version of his normally rapped "Gypsy MC," a little-known song he usually plays at concerts and is a bonus track on his newest album, "We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things." The rest of his band then joined him on stage as they transitioned into Mraz's new single, "Make It Mine."
The third song of the two-plus hour set was crowd favorite, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)," originally released in 2003. In the first of many audience interactions; Mraz had the girls in the audience sing the chorus of the song while the men of the audience sang a line from the chorus of Oasis' "Wonderwall" in a duet of sorts.
Displaying his obvious comfort with fans, Mraz often chatted with the audience between songs, making jokes about the song material.
Before he began playing "If It Kills Me" off his newest CD, a song about being in love with your best friend but not being able to say anything, Mraz asked the audience how many of them were there because they were "dating" their completely oblivious companion. Constant banter like this filled the show, providing a natural and open concert atmosphere. Mraz gave the audience specific dance instructions to do during the chorus of "Dynamo of Volition," encouraging everyone to get out of their seats and dance in the aisles. He also turned his current hit "I'm Yours" into a sing-along as he transitioned it into Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds."
The moment that received the most unbridled audience reaction had nothing to do with Mraz himself, but rather with an image displayed during his song, "Live High." During the lyrics, "I try to picture the man, to always have an open hand [.] always a good deed doer," the stained glass set background slowly faded into a picture of Democratic presidential nominee, Barack Obama. The audience screamed and clapped in reaction.
Though the majority of the set consisted of songs off his newest album, Mraz made sure to cater to the fans that have been following him since the beginning of his career. He played "Bella Luna" off of his previous CD, "Mr. A-Z," as well as "Unfold," a song off of his 2001 live and acoustic album recorded before he had a record deal at a popular coffeehouse in California.
After Mraz left the stage, the audience applauded and called him back for what turned into a six-song encore. He brought opener Lisa Hannigan back on the stage to sing "Lucky" with him, a duet originally performed with Colbie Caillat on his album. Mraz then roused the audience with a remake of The Foundations' "Build Me Up, Buttercup."
Mraz closed the show with a simple and haunting version of his song, "A Beautiful Mess" on guitar, accompanied only by an upright bass cello and the bongos.
Dressed simply in cargo pants, a T-shirt with a long-sleeved thermal underneath and his signature hat, Jason Mraz showed that one can enjoy a concert without being overwhelmed by flashing lights and synthesized audio. Armed simply with a guitar and his own voice, Mraz put on, as one of the exiting audience members said, "the concert of a lifetime."
You can reach this writer at thescene@theeagleonline.com.
