August 7-13, 2003

musicpicks

Jason Mraz

Rock/pop

Like John Mayer before him, singer/songwriter Jason Mraz is finding his radio-friendly tunes wooing everyone from frat-house air guitarists to pop-starved baby boomers. With Mayer's producer, John Alagia, at the helm for his debut, Waiting for My Rocket to Come (Elektra) -- and high-school idols Agents of Good Roots providing the musical muscle -- the 26-year-old Virginia native has an audience as diverse as his own folk-blues stylings, which seamlessly bridge the gap between country (listen close for the banjo) and urban. A former NYC street busker, Mraz got his shit together after linking up with SoCal music impresario Bill Silva and becoming a San Diego coffeehouse star. It's been a rocket ride to fame ever since. "I'm used to talking one-on-one after my shows, but now it's getting to be so big I can just about sign a ticket stub and smile," Mraz said recently by phone. "I try to at least keep it intimate from the stage." "The Remedy," the infectious hip-hop-flavored single from Rocket, was written in honor of a friend's battle with cancer and, like the rest of the record, is a musical snapshot of Mraz's own ever-accelerating life.

Tue., Aug. 12, 8:30 p.m., $20, with Liz Phair and Sondre Lerche, Electric Factory, Seventh and Willow sts., 215-336-2000.

—Nicole Pensiero