TORONTO- Singer Jason Mraz's biggest asset might also be his biggest flaw: he's simply too nice. There's just no getting around it.
Such was the case Saturday night before a surprisingly large crowd at Toronto's Molson Amphitheatre in what was primarily a younger female-dominated crowd when it took roughly 45 minutes for Mraz to give fans a proverbial kick in the derriere.
Mraz - who recorded a show in Chicago recently for a future live release tentatively called Jason Mraz's Beautiful Mess - has gone from playing smaller venues like the Kool Haus last year to the larger venues on this Gratitude Cafe Tour on the back of some hit singles off last year's album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.
But that momentum, enthusiasm or energy was hardly noticeable judging by the polite fans comfortably seated from the set-starting If It Kills Me, the first of several mellow, summer-sounding pop numbers that would put him in fine company with Jack Johnson. This tone was also revisited on Live High.
Mraz then pulled out his trio of horn players - dubbed the Grooveline Horns - for the '70s groove-styled Only Human with a slightly better result musically.
Stating he was very grateful to be here, Mraz acted like a party host to thousands, getting fans to high-five friends and then strangers throughout the night between some songs. Fortunately the sonic hors d'oeuvres he dished out such as the reggae-tinged Anything You Want and Make It Mine saw the first signs of a collective pulse.
That reggae thread continued when the musician and his five-piece band reworked his first big hit Remedy into a plodding but warm reggae number. Yet still it wasn't really hitting the generally laidback concertgoers.
Only when Mraz brought out support acts G. Love on harmonica and hometown favorite K'naan for Curbside Prophet did things come to life, with K'naan rapping as Mraz guided the fun, funky tune perfectly home, bringing many more to their feet.
Seizing that moment shortly afterwards, Mraz encouraged all to stand up during The Dynamo Of Volition with its bluesy, John Mayer-esque feel. Here Mraz had fans follow his dance lead which they did eagerly, leading him to say it was the best crowd participation yet on the tour.
"This is good fun!" he shouted before asking all now onside to sing the light but memorable I'm Yours which slowly morphed into a cover of Bob Marley's Three Little Birds with better than expected results.
Leaving the stage for what many expected would be the encore resulted in Mraz heading into the crowd on a smaller stage for a few more songs, including a short but sweet duet with Toronto singer Lesley Pike on Lucky.
And although he'd do a few more songs on the main stage, You And I Both was the best way to describe the connection Mraz and audience made, albeit not right off the bat.
Sun rating: 3.5 out of 5
