Hearing he was to hit the stage at 8:30, I timed my arrival at the Metro around 8:15 with my dinner at the Tuscany just a few doors down. To my surprise, I could hear “The Remedy” blaring from the bottom of the stairs, as I was getting carded and receiving my wristband. I asked the security guard what I already suspected and he responded with, “Ya, it’s been a cluster of an opener – they’ve all pretty much been on stage the whole time.” No way, I was bummed –so I grabbed my boyfriend’s hand and scurried thru the crowd noticing quickly that Jason’s audience is much larger than I anticipated - a sellout! We chose to head upstairs rather fast since the main floor was impossible. Upstairs, we settled in on a good corner spot, found a beer gal and prepared ourselves for what was already off to be a great show. Lesson learned, if you are seeing Mraz in concert get there when the doors open.

Settled and catching my breath, with the final choruses of “The Remedy” winding down as the whole crowd sang along, I finally had Mraz in view. Sporting a stocking hat, Adidas tee and sneakers (I’m not sure how he didn’t rip that stocking hat off his head with the Metro cooking like a sauna), Mraz continued to do what he does best, jam. Feeling like a sardine in the rainforest, I sucked it up with a smile, along with help by our beer gal.

Mraz, percussionist Toca Rivera and about 6 others on the stage, started into “Geek in the Pink,” to me a fairly average song but gave me a chance to take in my overall environment while listening. Perhaps by our location, the crowd consisted mostly tonight of 20/30 something Lincoln Park/Wrigleyville types. Tonight also seemed like date night for a lot of couples, which was obvious watching the girls swaying with their guys to the tunes.

The next song was a Spanish number entitled “La Nueva Belleza”. This was a very straight forward, clear crisp and no computerized rendition. Any singer can appreciate that Jason Mraz can carry a tune and didn’t have to make any adjustments for it live. This song Mraz was able to step it up another level once the horn section came out in full force. A trumpet, trombone, drums, the pearly whites and the bass made the energy in the room soar. Unfortunately, it was followed by “Beautiful Mess,” a much more lo-key tune that might not have been the right choice. Mraz seemed to be fighting crowd’s chatter during the tune, that was distracting to me, so I can only imagine how it was on stage. With conclusion, Mraz took the moment to discuss his new Album, We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Thin.”

He continued the rest of the show with his tea close in hand, his stocking hat still in place, showcasing some new songs. One of the new tracks, the seductively sexy “Butterfly,” really stood out and was one of the highlights of the evening. The Hawaiian infused “I’m Yours,” a song that shows off his wide range followed, made me jump up for joy as well since it’s one of my favorites. Speaking of favorites, the fan favorite, “Toca” came next. This song has such a soothing laid back, tropical flare – it’s a song that sticks in your head the rest of the evening but one you don’t mind.

After “No Stopping Us,” that featured a killer saxophone with Mraz improvising a bit on the lyrics, he announced that the Wrigley area had a curfew of 10 PM. I thought it was a cruel joke, but looking down at my watch I realized it was just a few minutes short of ten. Mraz spent some of his remaining time introducing his band and talking about how much he loves playing in Chicago, even though he hadn’t’ played here in 2 years. Everyone took their bows and the crowd roared. Yet I knew they must come out for at least one more, they had to, they still had 3 minutes left before the ridiculous curfew. Thankfully I was right, Mraz appeared out of the darkness and grabbed everyone’s attention as he spoke about the political candidates and difference within communities and encouraging everyone to rally together. He then went into “You & I Both,” just Mraz and guitar with a single light on the dark stage.

It was a rather short set but I have to say it was what I expected – just about perfection in a small, muggy venue on Chicago’s north side. Mraz is the real deal people, charming, quirky and talented. I just hope he doesn’t wait 2 more years to return to Chi-town.

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