In case you missed it the last two holidays, or even if you watched it a couple dozen times last December, please take a moment to enjoy Jason’s holiday message. It’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen him do. And that’s saying something.

Put your balls into it,

Lisa

P.S. – It’s not quite as good as closed captioning, but if you want to have a sing along with friends, here are the words/lyrics to Jason’s Merry Holidays video/song.

Hi, and merry, jolly times. I’m Jason Mraz.

You know, as an international traveler, I have a really special opportunity to give unique gifts this season.

For instance, for my elderly acquaintances, I give the gift of life, by paying for their medication, cheaply, in foreign countries.

My sister’s going to love these Ritz-Carlton towels, and slippers.

Mom loves lotion and soaps.

For dad, it’s another year’s subscription to Sky Mall.

For my brother, I just got myself this new iPod. Why don’t you join me in the singing of this timeless Christmas classic?

Happy Christmas time

Happy Christ-mas time

What an awesome time of year

To celebrate Christmas cheer

Wherever you go

You may find lots of snow

Unless you’re livin’ in the southern hemisphere

Merry holidays

Merry cou-ple of days

What a wintery way to say

I’m not workin’

It’s a time for you to be you

And a time to go and see how grandma’s doin’

And maybe she’ll have some money too

And oh yeah, the presents!

The way they overflow

from the belly of the Christmas tree

And oh ho ho ho ho, here comes Santa

To say the very best things in life

You can have for free

Everybody, put your balls into it!

Merry holidays

Merry couple of days

Make it a Nat-King-Bing-Crosby-Charles-Dickensy kind of thing

So whatever you’re planning on giving this holiday season, give from the heart. But most importantly, make sure you have a merry couple of days.

OK GO rocks the bells.

Hello Mrazonites. I just got back to Boston from the Life is Good festival in Canton, MA (which should have been called the Life is Dusty festival based on the five pounds of dirt I brought back on my clothes and shoes).

My friends and I started the afternoon with OK GO on the second stage. I didn’t know much about them, other than that they were the treadmill guys, but they put on a really energetic show and completely won me over. I’m downloading their stuff on iTunes right now.

After that there was some time to kill, and since we didn’t know that Mraz was hanging out in the kids tent, we walked around until it was time for Guster.

How can life not be good when you're wearing a balloon dress or hat?

I’ve seen Guster perform once before, in the Tower Records that used to be on Newbury Street. I thought of them as a college band, mostly because I was in college when I saw them 12 or so years ago, so it’s great to see that they’re still making music, and the local crowd clealy adores them. I always love “The Airport Song”.

It was very chilly and a few drops of rain fell, but in the end the weather held out for us and nobody on stage had to worry about being electrocuted.

And speaking of the people on stage, where was Toca? I think the last time I saw Jason without Toca was the Curbside Prophets tour. Maybe he’s still on summer vacation. It’s just a little strange to see Jason play without any of his original band of merrymakers.

Here’s a quick rundown of Mraz’ set:

1. Dynamo of Volition
2. NEW SONG – “Freedom”, written after Hurricane Katrina by Luc & the Lovingtons. Jason said that he performs it to honor the people of New Orleans.
3. Make It Mine
4. Anything You Want/Love Love Love (That’s what I’ve been calling this one and no one has corrected me so far)
5. Coyotes

Jason Mraz lights up the Life is Good main stage.

- Small break while Jason eats cantaloupe and throws it into the audience where a guy catches it in his mouth. -
6. NEW SONG – Mother’s Out There (I think this is what Jason called it. It’s a song he wrote with Brett Dennen, who performed earlier in the day.)
7. Live High
8. NEW SONG – Life is Good (Again, I’m guessing at a title here. It could also be “The Thank You Song” based on the lyrics. It was beautiful, and every geek can relate.)
9. NEW SONG – I want to call this one “Gene Wilder” because Jason sings about him and the glass elevator, but it might also be “Going Up”.
10. Remedy (the reggae version he performed during the WSWDWST tour)
11. San Disco Reggaefornia (with dancers Joe the cantaloupe-catching guy and Katie from the audience)
12. Butterfly

Encore:
13. Lucky (with the ladies in the audience singing Colbie’s part and Jason singing the last verse in Spanish)
14. I’m Yours
15. All You Need is Love (yes, the Beatles song, but with more of a disco vibe) with some of the earlier acts joining him on stage

All in all a fun but dirty, dirty day. I don’t think I’m a festival girl. I think I’m a reserved seat girl. Still, it’s been at least a year since I saw Mraz, I think, so it was great to have a chance to see him live this year, and to get so much new material. For that, I am grateful.

Life is good,
Lisa

I’m in Boston now, visiting friends, and while I don’t need a reason to visit the people I love other than wanting to see them, there is a tiny reason that I’m here this particular weekend: Life is Good.

Jason Mraz is playing the Life is Good festival on Sunday, and once that was announced a group of us decided it would be a great time to get together. That’s Mraz for you, bringing people together across great distances and time and space and… boy, those drinks I had earlier really aren’t wearing off.

Anyway, I’ll have a full report for you after the show.

He’s the reason that I’m laughing,
Lisa

And would I report something so tawdry? Of course I would, but I’d punctuate it with an exclamation mark. (!)

So there’s a new contest to win one of Jason’s guitars, and that’s all well and good, but the accompanying video of him playing the guitar is freaking incredible. It’s Mraz the way I love him best – on his own.

Yes, Toca is awesome and the Grooveline Horns are groovy in their own way, but my favorite performances have always been the ones where it’s just Jason and his guitar alone on stage. Listen to “Selections for Friends” and then tell me if you disagree. You’re certainly welcome to.

This video has the added benefit of being shot in a hallway at NAMM (the National Association of Music Merchant trade show dealie), so there isn’t even an audience to get in the way, shout obnoxious things or stick their iPhones in your face.

This song sounds familiar but I can’t place it. If you know what it is, please let me know.

Torture and tease me,
Lisa

Ideally, I’d like to go in July so I could attend T in the Park (Paolo  Nutini!), but I haven’t set any dates yet.

Speaking of Jason Mraz and T in the Park, here’s an interview he did there in 2009. He’s telling the story of Rand McNally, which I don’t think I’ve ever heard before. Check it out:

“I just kinda wanna be surrounded by women.” Nice.

Anyway, if you can help me out with my trip planning, please leave a note. Thanks!

Lisa

Gratitude can't come easy to a guy named Frankfurter.

“Gratitude is one of the least articulate of the emotions, especially when it’s deep.”

This was the quote that our CEO left us with when he announced his departure last week. It was his way of saying that words could not express how thankful he was to have worked with such an awesome group of people. Well, I think we’re awesome; he might use different words, like “talented” “productive” “intelligent” or “crazy sexy”.

Nope, those are my words again.

Anyway. He often punctuated his speeches with thoughts like this one, which is probably why we all liked him so much. Maybe it’s just a California thing, but I think I heard him talk about passion and kindness far more than he talked about profits, and we never seemed to have trouble finding any of those things.

The quote is by Felix Frankfurter (the dapper gentleman pictured above), who was not a Rocky Horror character as I first assumed, but an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from 1939-1962.  Had you heard of him? No? Well sometimes you learn things when you come to my blog.

The reason I’m posting the quote isn’t just because I thought it was a nice sentiment, but because I think it’s interesting that when I am feeling my most ungrateful, unable to even imagine feeling grateful for anything ever again, gratitude finds me. Sometimes it’s a smile from a friend, sometimes it’s a bumper sticker, and sometimes it’s on a PowerPoint slide being projected onto a huge screen in a hotel ballroom.

And for the persistence of the universe in trying to keep me grounded and appreciative, I am very grateful.

I never knew it could come to me, (That’s a tough one. Any guesses which song it’s from?)
Lisa

“Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie’s revamped “We Are The World” recording session is taking place at the same Los Angeles recording studio where the original tune was recorded 25 years ago.

Stars like Akon, Jason Mraz, Bono, Wyclef Jean, Usher and Lady Gaga are expected to flood the historic A&M complex in Hollywood on Monday night to re-record the charity anthem.

The new song will benefit the aid relief in earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

Stars like Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen and Diana Ross originally joined songwriters Richie and Michael Jackson and producer Jones in the studio on January 28, 1985 to record the track.

That record raised more than $30 million for USA for Africa, a nonprofit organization founded by the singers to fund hunger relief in Africa.”

Jason won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for “Make It Mine”, which is a bit surprising considering I don’t think it’s gotten much radio time and I can’t believe many Grammy voters have ever heard the song. He beat out John Legend, Maxwell (I had no idea he was still around), Seal and Stevie Wonder. Not a shabby group of nominees.

He also won Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals for “Lucky” with Colbie Caillat, which isn’t surprising at all, because that’s on the radio all the time.

I believe the untelevised bits were streamed live online, but I can’t find a photo or video clip of any of this. (Was Jason even at the show?) If you know of one, please send it my way. His own website is useless for that kind of thing.

Wait. I found some:

Jason Mraz on the red carpet. And hey! Weird Al! (Video)

Jason Mraz gets interviewed by Nick Cannon. “Concentrated like orange juice.” (Video)

Jason Mraz gets interviewed by Justin Guarini. (I can’t believe that guy is still around.) (Video)

Jason Mraz wins Best Male Pop Vocal. (Article)

Is that Kramer hair, or Lyle Lovitt? Ooh! Neither. That’s Giovanni Ribisi in “The Wonder Years”. Check it out:

Whatever. Jason makes it all his own.

I’m following your joy,
Lisa

Update 2/4/10: Here’s a little more Mraz Grammy coverage:

Jason is interviewed for the Jay Leno Show while chewing a lot of gum . (“He just won two Grammys and he looks like he just woke up from a nap.”)

And, of course, Jason’s blog about Grammy night.

http://www.mediafire.com/?t4ny4z1wnht

This version includes an intro by Jason to the young man he wrote the song for. Lovely, isn’t it?

The Songs of Love Foundation didn’t score the million dollar grant from Chase Community Giving, but they did get enough votes for a $25,000 grant. That’s not too shabby. If you don’t know what they do, read more about them.

It’s a wonderful vision,
Lisa

I got the email that tickets were going on sale for Cord Progression, “a special night of music in support of spinal cord injury awareness” with our man Jason Mraz and our special friends Bushwalla and the Makepeace Brothers, and I was determined to go.

Sure, the show was in Long Beach and I had no idea who I was going with or how I would get there, I just wanted to go.

As soon as the clock flipped to 10:00 I was on Ticketmaster and had two sixth row tickets in my basket. Then the voices in my head started to argue:

You don’t need to spend this money.
It’s for a good cause!
You’re saving to buy a house.
I deserve a little fun!
You don’t even know if anyone else wants to go.
Who cares?!

In the end, I decided just the fact that I was hearing voices probably meant that the $160 plus travel expenses could be better spent elsewhere, or not spent at all. And there will be other Mraz shows this year, hopefully closer to home.

If you’re interested though, tickets are still on sale (the show is at the Long Beach Terrace Theatre on Saturday, February 27th, 2010), and it is for a good cause, and you can’t go wrong with a Mraz-Bushwalla show.

I don’t wanna wait no more,
Lisa