EIU Presents Jason Mraz in Concert
Apr-04-2008 
Tickets are now on sale for Eastern Illinois University's spring concert, headlining Jason Mraz, featuring Bushwalla and The Makepeace Brothers, and hosted by Magician Justin Kredible, on Friday, April 25.
The event, part of Mraz's Music Magic and Make Peace Tour, will begin at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m., in Lantz Arena. Tickets are $10 for EIU students with university ID and $13 for the general public. They may be purchased between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays through the MLK Jr. Union Ticket Office, located on the second floor, west wing. For information, phone 217-581-5122.
Mraz has been celebrated as one of the most gifted young singer/songwriters to emerge in recent years. Born in Virginia, he left his hometown of Mechanicsville in 1999, and headed to California. Settling in San Diego, he became a leading fixture of the city's renowned coffee house scene.
In 2002, Mraz released his first studio album, "Waiting for My Rocket to Come," a compelling blend of folk, pop, hip-hop and roots rock. The certified-platinum album received major critical praise and spawned chart-topping singles.
At the same time, Mraz earned widespread acclaim for his incredibly captivating live performances, headlining several national tours and sharing stages with Coldplay, Bob Dylan and the Dave Matthews Band, among others. In 2005, Mraz released Grammy Award-winning "Mr. A-Z," his last studio album, produced by Steve Lillywhite (U2, Dave Matthews Band, Rolling Stones). The album fully showcased his amazing talents as a singer, songwriter and musician.
Following a relentless tour run after the release of "Mr. A-Z," Mraz returned to his hometown of San Diego. Performing locally around the city, he reconnected with long-time loyal fans, who have, over the years, become friends. Mraz values these relationships and has always felt it vital to be accessible to his supporters.
In this environment of friends, home and comfort, Mraz started writing songs and recording them, stripped down and acoustically, in his home studio. One song on the slate for his newest project was "I'm Yours." A demo version of the song appeared on a limited release bonus EP Mraz put out. This demo version became a hit around the world after it leaked onto the Internet. Today, more than 200 cover versions of the song exist on YouTube.
In the summer of 2007, Mraz strapped a guitar to his back and left for Europe, performing in cities he'd never before visited. At the Peace and Love Festival in Borlange, Sweden, he began playing "I'm Yours," and, much to his surprise, thousands of friends in the audience sang every lyric along with him. The voices were too loud to ignore: the song has since been confirmed as the first single from "We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.," Mraz's third studio album, due out next month.
