Regardless if you like the guy's music or not, you have to admit: Jason Mraz is a pretty good dude. Known for his never-ending philanthropic efforts, as well as his chart-topping singles and multi-platinum-selling albums, San Diego's favorite fedora-donning singer/songwriter is doing what he arguably does best: lending a hand to those in need.
On Saturday, Feb. 23, Mraz joins several aspiring musicians for a concert at Solana Beach's Belly Up to raise funds for Banding Together -- a local nonprofit whose mission is to provide music therapy scholarships and programs for youth with disabilities.
Along with Mraz, the benefit (and live auction) will feature local acts such as the Shift, Jungle Poppins, Jody Mulgrew and the Heart -- with many of Banding Together's special needs musicians, community mentors and families set to be in attendance.
The show is scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. on Feb. 23, with tickets available for $25 in advance, $30 at the door and/or $44 for reserved seating. For more information, visit the Belly Up's website or the venue's box office.
The performance is just the latest in a long line of recent Mraz headlines: He dropped a new studio album, "Know," last August; released a behind-the-scenes documentary in theaters titled "Jason Mraz: Have It All the Movie"; issued a new collaborative single "More Than Friends" with Meghan Trainor in January; and was even named Build-a-Bear Workshop's Hug AmBEARsador last month to boot.
But hey, if you can't make the Banding Together benefit, don't fret, you can catch him with the Java Joe's All-Stars when they perform at the 2019 San Diego Music Awards on March 11 at House of Blues -- where he's also up for Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Artist of the Year, naturally.
Dustin Lothspeich runs his own music equipment-loving blog Gear and Loathing in San Diego. Follow his updates on Twitter or contact him directly.
