NIU’s Remedy: Jason Mraz

By Steve Brown

Clad in a worn Van Halen T-shirt, jeans and a trucker hat, singer-songwriter Jason Mraz showed a crowd of more than 1,000 his way of pronouncing DeKalb on Tuesday night in the Holmes Student Center’s Duke Ellington Ballroom.

In between songs, Mraz joked, “DeKalb sounds a lot better when you say it in a [French] accent. We have ‘de cabin’ in DeKalb.”

Sophomore undecided major Chris Medina said he enjoyed Mraz’s “personal language,” which consisted of “scatting,” or yodeling, and speaking in a French accent.

“The coolest part was when he went into ‘The Remedy,’” Medina said, “but the whole show was amazing.”

Others were impressed with Mraz’s opening act, California native Tristan Prettyman, whose style was comparable to artists Jewel and Jack Johnson.

“Tristan totally exceeded all expectations,” said sophomore marketing major Mark Annes. “I expected more from Mraz. He was too mellow at times, but he really vibed with his waves later in the show. ‘Too Much Food’ in the encore was fantastic.”

Prettyman, a solo acoustic artist, will continue to tour with Mraz until Dec. 2.

“It’s super exciting,” Prettyman said. “We had a show together a year ago, but I’ve always been a fan of his stuff. He liked the stuff I did, so now I’m touring with him.”

Mraz performed most of the songs from his album “Waiting for my Rocket to Come,” including “I’ll Do Anything” and “No Stopping Us.” He left more familiar radio hits such as “The Remedy” and “Curbside Prophet” until later in the set.

Mraz’s acoustic and jazzy style is comparable to Dave Matthews, John Mayer and other singer/singer-songwriter peers.

Mraz added two hats to his collection during the show after fans threw “I Love Chicago” and “D.A.R.E.” caps onstage. Mraz wore the hats during his performance.

“The concert was great,” said Dalmy Bolivar, a freshman psychology education major. “Not only did he play well, but he also interacted with the audience.”