Mraz highlights night’s performance with ‘emotional’ show

By Kerry Kirk

Features Editor

Publication Date: 02/17/2009

Forrest Fauer | Staff Photographer

Jason Mraz performing in Elliott Hall of Music, February 16, 2009.

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With more than 600 Jason Mraz T-shirts sold after his concert, both workers and concert-goers thought this was one of Mraz’s best performances.

“This was probably one of the most enthusiastic crowds we’ve seen all year so far,” said Jerry Lindahl, merchandising manager for Mraz.

“We did better than average because it was open to the public ... we sold more CDs than we usually do.”

With Vedera as the opening act, fans piled in around 6:30 p.m. and stayed until after 10:30 p.m. to watch Mraz play after his encore.

“Being on stage and playing; watching Kristen do the duet,” said Drew Little, drum player for Vedera, when asked his favorite part of tonight’s show.

The band unanimously agreed they would describe their music from last night’s show as “emotional.”

Mraz interacted with the audience and kept the crowd going with all of his well-known hits, and fans came from all around to hear him perform.

“It’s our fifth and sixth show,” said Jamie Wiersma, who traveled from Holland, Mich., to see Mraz play. “It wasn’t the best show we’ve been to, but it wasn’t the worst.

“It was a lot more mellow than what we’ve usually seen him.”

The crowd went wild when they heard Mraz play “I’m Yours,” his newest hit. Elliott Hall of Music was filled with young women and men as they cheered Mraz while he talked to the audience between every song.

When talking with the crowd in the middle of the concert, Mraz thanked the audience for standing during the whole performance while adding, “It makes me think Purdue, Pur-does.”

Mraz headed off stage after playing some of his most-known hits and came back out to play an encore for the fans who still filled the Elliott Hall of Music.

“It was really nice – Jason Mraz leaving and then suddenly coming back,” said Edward Tirtaja, junior in the School of Mechanical Engineering. “It was a great concert.”