Walking on a random Friday night, still riding the high of Jason Mraz's 2026 Manila concert just a few nights prior, I found myself relating to a topic being discussed on the podcast I was listening to: meeting your heroes.
A lot has been said about meeting one's heroes, and much of it hasn't been particularly pleasant. Sometimes, the people we admire through our screens turn out to be quite different when we finally meet them in person. Whether it's on the big screen at the cinema, the familiar comfort of our home theaters, or the little screens of our unchained mobile devices, we tend to build an image of these people that reality doesn't always live up to.
They may not appreciate you the way you hoped they would, they may not perform the way you've always imagined they would, or they may even play your favorite song in a different key than the one you've grown accustomed to. And just like that, the experience you've been looking forward to could turn into a disappointment.
Luckily enough, that couldn't have been further from my experience with Jason Mraz. For the first time, I got to see him perform live in Manila, accompanied by my good friend, Leean.
I think it would be safe to say that most Filipinos were introduced to Jason Mraz through his 2008 global hit, "I'm Yours," followed by "Lucky" and, of course, "I Won't Give Up." These three songs became staples of television shows, Battle of the Bands competitions, and practically every karaoke session at Filipino gatherings. And whether I liked it or not, I was no exception. I was only acquanited with these three which eventually made me hate it for no reason at all because the radio airwaves were so saturated with these songs. It seemed I grew tired of hearing them.
That was until I was reintroduced to Jason Mraz through his 2014 album, "Yes!" It was "Long Drive" that got me searching for more of his music, eventually leading me to "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)," "You and I Both," and "The Woman I Love." I also rediscovered two tracks from "We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.": "Make It Mine" and "Butterfly." It was around this time that I realized which side of Jason Mraz's music resonated with me the most: the horn-filled, feel-good sound of "WSWDWST".
I also found a part of my identity as a musician (or at least, someone still trying to be one) through Jason Mraz. I stumbled upon a performance of his in Korea back in 2006, where he was accompanied by a rather mysterious man. I later found out that he was Toca Rivera, a longtime friend and musical collaborator of Jason's, practically there since day one (real OGs). I fell in love with the sound of the percussion instrument Toca was playing. Back then, I couldn't quite identify what it was. It looked somewhat like half of a pair of bongos, but the size and shape were different. That was in 2015. Two years later, I had my very first djembe.
Since then, Leean and I have made it a habit to cover Jason Mraz songs whenever time permitted, whether during our breaks in school or when we were called upon to perform an intermission number. Our rehearsals would often be filled with his songs, with some of his musical style eventually found their way into the music we tried writing ourselves. From "Love Someone" to our very own version of "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)," I think we've had it all (pun intended).
What really made the concert experience special for me was the setlist Jason Mraz prepared for the first night of the Asian leg of his 2026 tour. He wasn't really on a promotional tour for his latest studio album, "Grandma's Gospel Favorites," which meant he had the freedom to choose from his extensive catalogue of released and unreleased material. Naturally, I was looking forward to hearing songs from "Mr. A-Z" and "We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things."
I was caught by surprise when he opened with "Love Someone." I had almost forgotten that it was the lead single from its album. This was followed by "Have It All" and "Unlonely," which gradually got the crowd into the groove. Surprisingly enough, he then switched things up with what he referred to as a trilogy of breakup songs: "Be Honest," "Plane," and "Sleeping to Dream." Of the three, I particularly enjoyed "Be Honest." I wasn't expecting him to perform that one at all. Definitely a surprise on my Bingo card!
Soon after came "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)," and I was so happy they pulled off that particular arrangement even without the horn section. That also made me initially become skeptical about hearing "Make It Mine" and "Butterfly" without those signature horns, but lo and behold, both songs made it to the setlist, and they certainly lived up to expectations. The crowd was particularly enthusiastic afterward, and I couldn't help but appreciate Mona Tavakoli's superb percussion fills and ad-libs.
A few more love songs filled the setlist, beginning with "Unfold," another unexpected addition, followed by "A Beautiful Mess," a song that seems to have a different outro every time it's performed, and "Song for a Friend," where guitarist Molly Miller really shone. During another acoustic moment with Jason, he played "You and I Both." We sang along with him, and I can only hope he enjoyed hearing us lend our voices to the song.
The closing numbers were "93 Million Miles," "I Won't Give Up," and, of course, "I'm Yours." It was a rather familiar, almost standard Jason Mraz concert experience, yet one that felt incredibly intimate. I guess we fans couldn't have asked for much more, except perhaps for him to return to Manila as soon as possible for all of us Filipino Mraz fans.
What truly made the experience stand out, however, was the way he interacted with the fans and the crowd, many of whom had been waiting seven years for his return to Manila. You could feel how much that moment meant to everyone. I suppose it meant even more to those of us who were finally getting to see him perform live for the very first time.
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