Jason Mraz recalls his first concert: Milli Vanilli at Richmond Coliseum, where he stood on a chair, made eye contact with the performers, and cried. That moment shaped how he performs now, prioritizing connection with each audience member.
I feel good too. Hey, what's up? It's Jason Mraz, and these are my first concert experiences. I feel that my first real concert experience was when I bought the tickets myself and my parents dropped me off at the Richmond Coliseum to see Milli Vanilli, which to this day I still feel is an iconic band, and they put on one heck of a show. Regardless of the outcome, it doesn't change how much I loved their album and their concert. And at one point I stood up on my chair and I made eye contact with Milli and/or Vanilli, and they saw me. I actually cried in that moment. It was quite profound. And to this day, as a performer, I love looking out at the crowd and trying to make eye contact with as many people as I can to to recognize that they too are there in this moment, that you are in your seat and I see you, I feel you, I hear you, I harmonize with you. I knew at a very young age that I too wanted to be a performer. I really credit Milli Vanilli for helping me be a better performer to put on the best concerts that I can put on. In the words of Milli Vanilli, ¡Gracias!
