Mraz and his band serenade 18,000 fans

American pop singer-songwriter Jason Mraz made his way back to his Korean fans on Friday night, and despite it being the musician’s sixth performance in the country, the geek in the pink still managed to attract around 18,000 fans to Jamsil Sports Complex.

Opening acts for the show included Superstar K4 winner Roy Kim, who performed his new single “Spring, Spring, Spring,” as well as 25-year-old up-and-coming British singer Joe Brooks. 

When Mraz finally took the stage, he opened with his 2011 promotional single “The World as I See It” and later took the audience back with his debut-album hit “The Remedy (I Won’t Worry).”

The live band also brought to life Mraz’s popular track “Butterfly” with an electrifying brass performance before the artist, as promised, unveiled his new song “3 Things.” The singer also sang his Grammy Award-winning singles “Make in Mine” and “Lucky,” featuring an upbeat tango-like percussion interlude.

Mraz kept the audience laughing when he periodically broke out in a faux-British accent while speaking to his fans. He introduced his most recent single “The Woman I Love” as a song for all of the “gentlemen” out in the audience to listen to and consider the times the women they love go “crazy.”

Near the end of his two-hour set he welcomed beloved local guitar genius Jung Sung-ha, whom Mraz admitted to have great musical admiration for, to join him on stage in a new arrangement of his single “93 Million.” Mraz then said goodbye by serenading the audience with his powerful and soulful vocals on ballad “I Won’t Give Up.”

After leaving the audience members screaming for more, Mraz returned to the stage with an encore of “Song For a Friend” and finally ended the night with the crowd favorite “I’m Yours,” accompanied by Jung on the guitar.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)