An emotionally charged rendition of I Won't Give Up

I have never seen Jason Mraz so openly tearful as he is in this clip of the upcoming episode of VH1 Storytellers, and in my opinion, it just made him even more endearing. I find it hard to believe that he'd ever contemplate ending his life when all of his songs and his words speak of love, peace, and gratitude...and witnessing this vulnerable and insecure part of him just proves that he is human.

I tried replaying the video below and just listening to it with my eyes closed, and by the end of the song, I was in tears.  Knowing the story behind the song makes it even more meaningful, more relate-able, and more comforting.

Get More: I Won't Give Up (VH1 Storytellers Sneak), Music Videos, Live Performances

Source: Jason Mraz gets emotional on 'VH1 Storytellers': Watch the sneak peek here -- EXCLUSIVE

Watch a Mraz Concert from Home: Live at Java Joes (June 27, 2002)

There are a lot of generous Mraz fans out there who take time out of their lives to film an entire Jason Mraz performance they've attended live so other people who weren't so lucky to have been there may also experience the awesomeness.  I sort of find it impossible to film an entire show because, well, I actually like watching and experiencing the show personally through my eyes and not through a camera lens.  I also don't have steady hands that are strong enough to stay put for 3 straight hours, so I end up taping only a select few of super favorite songs.

Anyway, this is one of those shows that every Mraz fan should see, at least once.  If you haven't yet...ENJOY! :) Thanks to Eric for this video. :)

 

I can stare at him all day.

Yep.

He Said, She Said: Finally, The Matter Is Settled!

When this interview came out, I didn't know how to react.  The quoted Mraz seemed almost cruel for mentioning his ex's inability to stand up next to him in his fight for marriage equality.

The singer, whose lovey-dovey 2008 smash “I’m Yours” has been certified six times Platinum, admitted to the magazine that his personal decision not to get married until gay marriage is legal, put an irreparable strain on his previous relationship: “I put myself in the position and said, ‘Now I really know what it feels like to look at my partner and know that I can’t get married.’” 

“I’ve never really talked about this, but after a couple of months, she was like, ‘This is kinda fucked up because I really want to get married and have some babies,’” he says, quickly noting that while she believed in the fight for equality, like many gay couples probably feel, got frustrated having to wait. “We eventually broke up and I think that was one of the factors. I am a stand for [marriage equality], as well as a number of causes, and I discovered that my partner wasn’t. It’s still absolutely something I stand behind and feel today.”

Of course, in true you-proposed-marriage-to-me-then-called-it-off-and-now-this-shit, the ex spoke up on her blog:

Hey, how bout the time you told me that you were clearing all the room mates out of your house, and creating a space to make room for family and that “next phase” in your life? 

And then hey, how bout that time you designed a beautiful engagement ring, asked my parents for their permission, and proposed to me… And then how bout that time you pulled me aside after we walked off the red carpet, at the AFER Elton John event, one month after getting engaged, and explained to me that the press asked you a questions about that time a year ago when you said you weren’t going to get married until there was equality for all. 

And in the moment, all you could think to do was re-affirm to them that, that was still the case. 

Hey how bout COMMUNICATING? 

I supported your decision in that moment, and did not miss a beat, to stand by my man.  But after a while, when things started falling apart. It was not because I didn’t believe in equal rights, or because I wasn’t a big enough advocate for a number of causes.
Take some responsibility. I ALWAYS communicated my desire for kids and family. No one forced you to propose.
Have some respect.
TP
***AND FOR THE RECORD: I DO SUPPORT MARRIAGE EQUALITY. EVERYONE DESERVES TO LOVE AND BE LOVED, IN WHATEVER, WHICHEVER WAY THEIR HEART DESIRES. 

As a woman who knows how it feels to think you are being talked about in a shitty way by people you care/d about, I felt sympathy for Tristan.  However, Her blog post did give off an immature feeling, like she was a scorned teenager ranting about a stupid boy.  I sent the following tweet to fellow MrazWomen as a follow-up to an earlier one saying that the woman part of me felt like siding with Tristan more: I just hate it when private stuff like breakups are made public like that and sides are forced to be taken.  Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan but I don't need to know every detail of their personal lives...not if it makes me have to choose, you know? I really appreciate celebs who can keep their relationships on the down low and divert the attention from it to what really matters--their talent. But i guess when Mraz is concerned, it's hard to ignore news about his love life since love is his main subject. Whatevs, this whole situation is the opposite of being love, IMO. /end-long-twitter-rant

A part of me still wishes that they can fix things and get back together.  They seemed so perfect for each other!  However, I think there's too much history to consider, and maybe they both have been clobbered too much to want to try a romantic relationship again.  So the best I can hope for as a fan is that they remain good friends.

Which is why I am glad about Jason's response to the repercussions of that damn magazine interview.  The way he handled it was very classy and diplomatic.  The way he addressed the issue made his ideals and beliefs shine even more, and it makes me proud to be a fan.  The way he ended his post with a personal apology addressed to Tristan gives me hope:

BTW, I would like to clear something up about my friend, the talented Ms Tristan Prettyman, with whom I stood beside in protest against the inequality of Proposition 8. She is still very much a stand for equality even though our engagement (and protest) was called off. That wasn’t made clear in a recent article published in Instinct Magazine. I have since apologized to her for how my words landed in that interview. And I apologize to you too in case you were misled or disrespected by any of my comments. My decision to leave that partnership was personal to me, and I never should have connected our break-up to the frustration we experienced in the protest. TP continues to inspire me to look deeply at my life in effort to improve it and enjoy it. I love and respect her dearly and am truly grateful for her unconditional love and forgiveness. Thank you friend. And thank YOU friend.

And of course, this too, is awesome.

Song(s) of the Moment: Old School Mraz!

Greetings from the MrazGal!

I know this was supposed to be a daily (or weekly, at least) blogging effort on my part, as a way to reinforce my writing chops, but certain things have happened since my last post that have caused me to momentarily abandon my MrazFan responsibilities:

1. I got married.
2. Too many shows to catch up on.
3. New hobbies are underway.
4. Yeah, I've been watching too many shows lately.

Anyway, more on that in my other blog soon, which I have appropriately renamed to reflect my blogging behavior.  For now, I would like to share this wonderful, 49-minute show that I rediscovered on Youtube.

 

 The set list includes a lot of my old favorites.

1. I'll Do Anything
2. Unfold
3. Details In The Fabric (which was still named Sewing Machine during the time of performance)
4. Life Is Wonderful
5. Did I Fool Ya
6. After An Afternoon
7. Gypsy MC
8. Plane

I love the fact that this video features a much younger Mraz, before his long hair and fedora days.  I also love the fact that he sang at least one song from each of his studio albums (back then, he probably had no idea Details in the Fabric/Sewing Machine would be in his third album, but the coincidence is AWESOME). I love how he based his set list on the requests made by the audience.  What a great moment for fandom!  If I were there, I would have died of happiness.

I won't be quoting the songs sung in this show.  You will have to watch it yourself and drink it all up.  However, let me end this post with this:

I'll Do Anything to be able to Unfold the Details In The Fabric, for they convey that Life Is Wonderful.  Did I Fool Ya into thinking that this life isn't?  I'm a Gypsy MC, one who will forever be glad to have gotten on a Plane so she can have her happily ever after with the man she loves. ♥

Song of the moment: I Won’t Give Up

Happy New Year everybody!  I haven’t posted anything for a while ever since I’ve gone away for the holidays, but I’m making an exception today.

Jason has released an official lyric video of his first single for 2012 entitled I Won’t Give Up, and it’s one of my new favorite songs of his.  I was so blessed to have heard him perform it live during his concerts in San Diego (I know, I know…I need to blog about that soon).

I love this song.  There’s something incredibly painful and incredibly beautiful about it.  As I listen to it, I feel all these emotions going on simultaneously, and the way the song does this is just remarkable.

Forget that it’s probably directly related to his breakup with Tristan Prettyman (who also has a new breakup song that’s brilliant)…Jason Mraz of 2012 is raw and full of emotion and I love it!

Song of the moment: Lucky

Today is our last day in San Jose before we fly out to J's parents' house in Pennsylvania.  Right now, I'm in his office and we're the only ones here...I guess everybody left for the holidays already.  He's busy working on some last-minute stuff, while I'm acting like an idiot stealing glances and checking him out when I'm supposed to be writing for money.

Thinking about my relationship with J is always a butterflies-in-my-stomach moment, and I'm just hella glad that I am where I am now.  I'm very happy.  Very grateful.  Very lucky.

 

Note: I was actually at this concert back in 2009 at the Pearl in Las Vegas.

Song of the moment: I'll Do Anything

I pretty much have 100% free time to do whatever I want to do.  When I want to work, I have a couple of people I can contact for some writing gigs.  If I want to do some art, I've got paper, I've got Sharpies, I've got my laptop and Photoshop.  If I wanted to Sleep All Day (hehe), I could.  If I wanted to brave the cold weather and go for a walk outside, it's always an option.

I would if I could. I'd do anything spontaneously. You know I would, if I could. I'll do anything spontaneously.

This song reminds me of just that...and the truth that there's more to life than just staying indoors and watching shows on your computer.  So yes, I'mma get off my arse and do something productive.  Life's may be short, but it can be anything I want. :)

Song of the moment: Live High

Ever since I first heard of the phrase, I've always believed in Carpe diem-ing the crap out of my time in this world (Note: If you haven't seen Dead Poet's Society, find time.).  To me, nothing is more effective as an energy booster in the morning as a kiss or hug from a loved one, a good cup of iced coffee, and a self-motivating mantra that propels your insides to make something of yourself today, whatever that something may be.

Live High is by far one of my most favorite Mraz songs from We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things.  In fact, I even made a poster of it and put it on my inspiration wall back home in Manila:

I love how those three sentences serve as an effective reminder.  There are things that happen in life that may cause you to feel negative, but if you are able to will yourself to see the bright side in all situations, then you will know in your heart that everything happens for a reason (yes, even the bad things), and the simplest would be to teach you some sort of lesson that will arm you with better understanding for things to come.  

Actually, the underlying message can be further summarized into one, simple word: Live. :)

How I would have loved to have been there when they taped this. ♥

Song of the moment: No Doubling Back

I find it funny that when I woke up this morning, this song was playing in my head.  It's been a while since I've heard it, and I didn't even really think of the lyrics immediately.  I have a habit of letting the beat and the rhythm roll around in my head for a while first before I try to remember the words.  And it usually comes back to me slowly.

I know this ain't the way I planned it / I guess I ain't the great romantic / And I'm not doubling back now


If you listen to the entire song, you can pretty much conclude that it's about wanting to break up and trying to muster up the courage to let the other person know.

To me, today, it means something else.  It just so happens that I've been giving myself mini-pep talks to try and reclaim the creative fire that is within me which I think is slightly low on gas.  So hearing this song in my head is like telling myself to just...suck it up and do something about it.



Or maybe I am breaking up...with my self-doubt.

History of MrazGal, Part 2

Ever since I found out that Jason Mraz was an avid blogger, I made it a point to always read what he had to say.  I used to religiously follow his now defunct blog, Freshness Factor Five Thousand, an online portal he maintained for years before calling it quits.  I also follow him on Twitter and watch his Facebook fan page.  Add to that my community of MrazWomen, I’d say I pretty much covered a lot as a fan, don’t you think? :)

Anyway, back when he still updated his FF5000 blog, he used to have regular weeks of accepting questions from fans on Twitter and he would answer them on his blog.  I was lucky enough to be chosen (out of probably thousands and thousands of hopeful fans) for the day August 17, 2009.  I posted a lot of question tweets for that day, and because another twitter user re-tweeted another question I originally came up with, I got two questions answered!  I was so grateful I wrote him a lengthy blog comment (which I hope he reads).

View Full Album

A full year later, Spin Magazine launched a similar Twitter campaign.  They were going to interview Jason Mraz for their website and they were taking questions in from fans.  I was again chosen:

To end this part of my history as MrazGal, I provide you a screenshot of back when Jason didn't have full control over his Twitter yet...my tweet, marked Favorite! (August 4, 2009)

History of MrazGal

Hi.  My name is Jam and I am the girl behind the MrazWomen community, which started from a blog idea I had back in 2009 that would eventually forge strong friendships between like-minded female Mraz fans.

I don’t think I’ve written about how I first came to know about Jason Mraz and his music.  It’s all pretty hazy to me now, since it’s been 10 years since I first heard of his genius, but I believe I first heard Sleep All Day on my college classmate’s iPod (or was it cell phone? mp3 player?  Not really sure!) on a shared 2-hour bus ride home back in 2001.  I was so enchanted by the tone of his voice and how he played around with his notes that I asked to hear more.  That’s when I heard The Remedy.

And like the cliché goes, the rest is history.

At that time I had a girlfriend who was stationed at New Zealand, and we would often exchange lengthy emails to keep in touch.  She was happy to know that I knew of Mraz and she began to send me more of his songs.  She would send me mp3s and we would discuss each one at length and gush about how dreamy all his songs were/are.  I loved them all.  I especially grew fond of After An Afternoon, which to this day I refer to as one of my most favorite Jason Mraz songs ever.

Fast forward to February 21, 2004.  Jason Mraz’s first time ever performing in Manila, Philippines, and I was lucky enough to score a ticket to his show at Aliw Theater in the CCP Complex.  The whole experience was very surreal and very memorable—I even wrote a poem about it.  I saw the show with my brother and his girlfriend, my cousin and his girlfriend.  We got Row Q tickets (if I remember correctly), but as soon as we had the opportunity, we jumped the fence dividing the sections and got as near as Row E.  He sang hits like Sleep All Day, The Remedy (note: these two songs were his most popular tracks constantly played on the radio), and Curbside Prophet.  I even remember him wearing roller skates at one point.  It was awesome.  I distinctly remember strategically timing a fan shout-out that will surely get his attention, and I did—just when everybody else on my row sat down, I stood up, shouted his name and pointed at him….AND HE POINTED RIGHT BACK.  I remember this because I jokingly told my friends, “He pointed at me….I think I’m pregnant.”

After that concert, I vowed to catch a show every time he went to the Philippines.  I saw him again when he came back for his Mr. A-Z tour in January 21 (yes, also 21!  Weird.), 2006.  This time I had a more intimate encounter…I actually went to a meet and greet and was able to meet him!

I had just read a blog entry he wrote about meeting his fans and he remarked that he appreciated fans who took the time and conversed with him more than those who only wanted an autograph or a photo.  While I was in line to meet him at Music One in Greenbelt, I was planning my 20-30 seconds with him, what I would say, what I would ask, should I tell him a joke or what.  By the time it was my moment to meet him, I was so stupefied that all I said was, “Sign my leg!”  He repeated it back to me, just to make sure he had it right, and I said it again the exact same way and just…brazenly put my foot on his chair and my leg in front of him.



I have the CD cover and faded ticket framed at home, and the pair of pants he signed is somewhere stashed in cabinet at my parent's’ house.

As a culminating project for my time as a student of Multimedia Arts in De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, I wrote, directed, and produced a mockumentary film about fan behavior, using my own Jason Mraz fandom as a peg and inspiration.  I included a clip of my leg signing in the story line:

So anyway, these are the first two times I was able to see him in person.  I saw him again this year, but let me save that story for another entry.  I still have a lot more history to remember and re-tell. :)

Launching Words of the Carbon-Atom Girl

As part of my initiative to honor my daily goals and to share my love for Jason Mraz, I am formally launching yet another blog.

This is where I plan to chronicle my thoughts on his music, on news about him, and other things I find relevant to Jason Mraz.

Here are other ways of connecting with me:

@MrazGal on Twitter

@MrazWomen on Twitter

http://mrazwomen.blogspot.com

Be radical love, everyone!