Pop star to play acoustic show at UNM

by John Bear

Daily Lobo

Jason Mraz is a musician who becomes irritated when asked to label his music.

"Everybody is doing a crossover thing now. I got tired of trying to explain all our different influences because there are a lot of them," he said. "At the end of the day, it's pop-rock. That's where you'll find it at the store."

Mraz kicked off his tour Wednesday night in Phoenix and will be at Popejoy Hall on Monday night.

He said the tour features a full backing band, but the Albuquerque show will be just him on acoustic guitar and a percussionist who goes by the name Toca.

"It will be just me and my percussionist," he said. "He sings as well. He's a real lovable character."

Mraz said he has been playing with Toca for about six years.

"When we met, we were both kind of beginners," he said. "We were looking for a project and liked playing together."

Mraz is originally from Virginia, but he migrated to San Diego to pursue his musical career.

"I was turned on by the scene here," he said. "I felt comfortable growing here."

He said he was also attracted to San Diego because of the weather and landscape.

"It's close to mountains, close to the ocean," he said. "It's always summer. It creates a real sunny disposition in everyone."

Mraz's major-label debut, Waiting for my Rocket to Come, went platinum and featured the hit single "Remedy." He said his newfound success was, at first, a burden on his creative process.

"It affected me after the first album," he said. "It took me so long to deal with the responsibility - doing interviews, playing shows, meeting people, feeling drained."

He said he offsets the stress by getting up several hours before any tasks that need to be performed. He also tries to eat healthy.

Though he simply describes his music as pop-rock - including his latest release, Mr. A-Z - he likes to think his style is progressing.

He wants to record a major-label acoustic album. He said recording an acoustic album is just as difficult as one with a full band, but much easier to perform.

"All my songs are born as acoustic, but I have never released an acoustic album," he said. "I do have the one I did before I was on a label. I still sell that one."

As for his live show, Mraz said he will play some of his new material and some of the older songs as well.

"We get loud. We get quiet," he said. "There's something for all ages."