Jason Mraz: In a Local Coffee Shop Near You

"Miss would you like room for cream?... Miss?" "Oh sorry. No thanks." I replied moments later. My mind was elsewhere. I couldn't believe Cava Java has a Jason Mraz display complete with sample CDs of his new album Waiting for My Rocket to Come. "Are you kidding me?" I thought. "Who put these samples here?" Well as Jason would probably say, "At least it isn't Starbucks."

I grabbed my cup of the house blend and a copy of Jason's sample CD. I wondered what it would have been like to hear Jason live where he started, in the coffee shops and streets of Manhattan. It wasn't until he was 18 that he picked up the guitar and learned to play. Not long after Jason dropped out of college and moved back home to Virginia to continue playing. He relocated again to what is likely the birth place of his soul - San Diego, California. Jason's laid back, peace-loving lifestyle is at home in Cali. He won't deny that fact that he is a homebody. Just recently he Jason started Yoga classes. "It's really changed my life. I feel centered and it's a positive thing to do," Jason commented in an interview.

Despite his seemingly California trendiness, Jason Mraz is a talented artist and performer. His friendly energy on stage can take on any crowd. Among his many talents Jason can surely set the atmosphere. His lyrics and warm karma make the ideal small venue scene. Jason makes listeners feel at home as if it were your best friend on stage. He still plays for 200+ crowds at coffee shops out in California. (The ones that haven't been converted into a franchise). In a recent interview Jason commented, "When I tell my friends back east that I play at coffee shops, they think (I mean) they turn down the radio at Starbucks and stick me in the front window." This is obviously not the case. Yet Jason won't be playing at small coffee shops forever. So take a trip to California, sign up for a yoga class, grab a cup of joe and see this guy live while you still can.

Well if you can't make it to San Diego any time soon or your local coffee shops in your area are Starbucks, just download some live tunes and you will be hooked. Jason doesn't mind, "if you can't afford it, burn the shit out of it. I'd hate for 10 dollars to be what separates you from silence and sound." But if you can spare the cash it's definitely a worthy investment.

There was a noticeable transition between Jason's live music and his newly recorded album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come. The lyrics haven't changed but the music had a slightly altered style and tone. It was evident that they had re-recorded most of the music, tweaking each song. "Common Pleasure" has been polished to perfection. Jason initially demonstrates his natural acoustic guitar talent. He doesn't waste a single breath and breaks out with an amazing scatting, bromp bom bom didle en vada didlee bada de vomvom didle en faf…, that you will find your head popping to. The jazz and hip-hop beat is extenuated even more when his sidekick Toca Rivera busts out on the djembe drums to completely harmonize the song.

Despite his coffee shop displays and yoga classes, onstage Jason Mraz is talented music man. This is a guy that despite his popularity (which is inevitable), his relaxed and charismatic personality will be hard to hate. Jason makes his finely tuned sultry sound seem almost effortless. It cannot be denied that Jason and Toca produce a whirlwind of mesmerizing sound. You will definitely find yourself rocking your hips and moving your feet to the jams of Jason Mraz. And if you're not a coffee fan, Mraz's music will give you a boost of energy.