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7:00 PM SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 2018
PAVILION
GOOD VIBES
BRETT DENNEN
–
–
JASON MRAZ
†
†
Ravinia debut
JASON MRAZ
Born and raised in Virginia, Jason Mraz devel-
oped an interest in musical theater during high
school and attended the American Musical and
Dramatic Academy in New York for a year be-
fore nding the ultimate stage for his voice: with
a guitar and original songs. He decamped to
San Diego in the late ’ s and entered the city’s
burgeoning co eehouse scene, soon landing a
weekly residency at Java Joe’s. As Mraz began
gigging to other Southern California hotspots,
a live acoustic album was recorded in
, and
by the following year he had signed a contract
with Elektra Records. Working with produc-
er John Alagía (Dave Matthews, John Mayer),
Mraz returned to Virginia to record his debut
album,
Waiting for My Rocket to Come
(
),
which blended his recent co eehouse folk music
with the roots rock of his youth. His rst single,
“ e Remedy (I Won’t Worry),” became a smash
hit, soaring up the Top chart to number and
helping propel the disc to platinum sales. Soon
on his rst national tour, Mraz immortalized
the moment with another live disc,
Tonight, Not
Again
(
), recorded in Milwaukee, WI. Mov-
ing over to the Atlantic Records roster, he fol-
lowed up in
with
Mr. A–Z
, which entered
the charts at number ve. A er another live disc
(recorded in part at Chicago’s Schubas Tavern),
Mraz struck gold—or, to be precise, multiplati-
num—with
We Sing. We Dance. We Steal ings.
in
thanks to the lead single “I’m Yours.”
e song became his rst top- hit and ulti-
mately set a record for the longest time spent
on
Billboard
’s Hot
chart while also earning a
Grammy nomination as Song of the Year. A year
later, he won Grammys for “Make It Mine” and
“Lucky,” a collaboration with Colbie Caillat, o
the same album. Mraz’s subsequent discs
Love Is
a Four Letter Word
(
) and
Yes!
(
) both
debuted at number two, with the former’s single
“I Won’t Give Up” becoming another top- hit.
His latest,
Know.
, was released two weeks ago.
Jason Mraz is making his Ravinia debut.
RAVINIA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 20 – AUGUST 26, 2018
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