Some may say that Jason Mraz is just another performer in the ongoing rotation of pop stars soon to be forgotten, but this couldnt be any further from the truth.
Mraz brought his new material to The Rave on Friday night, blending pop, funk and hip-hop. And for a guy whos barely over five and a half feet tall, he can dish it out.
Mraz came out to the deafening roars of the crowd, opening with a solo acoustic version of Bright Eyes.
With a well-rounded set list, Mraz dove into songs off of his newest release, the cleverly titled Mr. A-Z (which spells Mraz for those who dont notice), while reaching into his debut album and pulling out a few favorites such as You and I Both and Curbside Prophet.
The blend of pop and hip-hop during the almost two hour performance set Mraz apart from any other pop performer, as his incredible vocal abilities allowed him to scat or sing opera, as he does in Mr. Curiosity. Truly, the former United States Postal Service employee has a voice to be reckoned with.
And, it doesnt hurt that he is a classically trained singer.
A Mraz show wouldnt be complete without The Remedy, or a two-song encore featuring his funky and hip-hop driven tune, Geek in the Pink, as he sported a pink t-shirt with the word geek written across it.
Mraz may be a geek, but hes no idiot when it comes to music.
The show opened with Bushwalla (not to be confused with one-hit-wonder group Dishwalla), a hip-hopping, free-versing group with catchy beats and entertaining lyrics. A song about how its tough to be a gangster when youve got a basket on your bicycle is one of the many creative songs the group shared with the Milwaukee crowd. Similar to a laid-back Incubus, Bushwalla incorporates turntables and quick rhymes into their music, and their high energy kept the crowds attention, especially when Mraz came out for a duet.
Dropping Daylight hit the stage next. The intense, head-banging group seemed like a strange match for Mraz. The crowd of mostly teenagers seemed shocked at what they were witnessing on stage, as lyrics were belted out with furious undertones.
Apologies was a stand-out song for the group, but falling into the punk rock category, the music was just not what the crowd came to see.
