“This is a very decorated and expressive crowd!”
Meanwhile, singer-songwriter Jason Mraz was decked out in his own sky blue shirt, splatter-printed pants and signature hat as he beamed at the audience before him. Mraz and His Superband brought The Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride Tour to Arizona Financial Theatre this week and no one could possibly say they had a bad time at the world’s most uplifting show.
After finding huge success with his funky acoustic beats over the last 20 years, Mraz has grown into a prolific songwriter, exploring a vast spectrum of genres and appealing to crowds like the one that packed the theatre on Sunday. After “Getting Started” with “Feel Good Too”, Mraz spotted a sign in the audience and treated a shocked fan to an impromptu performance of “Curbside Prophet”.
These special moments were just the tip of the iceberg in a night full of them- Mraz made every attendee feel like part of the band, giving over the show to the delights and whims of his fans. Backed by a plethora of multi-instrumentalists, vocalists and more, Mraz and his Superband have been together for 15 years and counting and their onstage musical chemistry is unmatched.
The band was intermittently joined by a trio of horn players, with a stunning trombone solo during “Make It Mine” that even had the sidestage crew throwing their hands in the air to dance along. The audience gave themselves over to the energy of the night, swaying to a sweet acoustic rendition of “Lucky” and “I Won’t Give Up” before jumping back into the funky side of “Disco Sun”.
Mraz’s extensive catalog meant that there was something for every type of fan in the room and no one left unsatisfied at the setlist. They had sitar solos, synchronized high-stepping, epic guitar shredding and so much more- and that was before we even hit the groovy remix of smash hit “I’m Yours”.
The main setlist ended with Mraz getting everyone on their feet to “I Feel Like Dancing” before returning to treat everyone to a beautiful two-song encore. It was a miraculous Sunday evening of the best vibes in the Valley and, as Mraz sent his well-wishes to the audience, “Hopefully it’s a long drive through a very long life for all of you.” We couldn’t ask for anything better than that.
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Story and photos by Olivia Khiel
