Grammy-winning singer Jason Mraz inspired by Pittsburgh's favorite neighbor

Grammy-winning musician Jason Mraz’s latest album design was inspired by one of Pittsburgh’s beloved neighbors.

The cover has an image of a mirror surrounded by a rainbow.

“Mister Rogers was definitely the inspiration,” Mraz, who will be performing here at the end of the month, told the Tribune-Review. “Mister Rogers was about looking for the good in others, and the mirror is about looking for the good in ourselves, for us to have gratitude, and to love like Mister Rogers. Mister Rogers is like the Dalai Lama (spiritual leader) that we have in the U.S. He had such compassion.”

Mraz will be visiting Fred Rogers’ neighborhood on Saturday, Aug. 28, at “Rock, Reggae and Relief,” an outdoor music event on Forbes Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh.

Other performers taking the stage at the festival include The Wailers, UpRooted featuring Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root and Roots of Creation.

Tickets are available here.

Mraz is on tour after more than a year away because of the coronavirus pandemic.

His “Look for the Good Live!” tour kicked off July 30 in Austin, Texas.

The final stop is in Pittsburgh.

Mraz will bring his 13-piece band. The group will perform songs from “Look for the Good.” The set list will feature new and classic tunes. The album has 12 songs, including “Look for the Good.” The tune “Time Out” features Jamaican reggae artist Sister Carol. Comedian Tiffany Haddish is part of the song “You Do You.”

“Look for the Good” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Current Reggae Albums Chart.

Mraz said he is happy to be back on stage. Like many artists, he and the band created concerts online because of covid-19.

Mraz of Southern California started The Jason Mraz Foundation. Its mission is to shine for inclusive arts education. It has donated more than $1 million to nonprofits. The Pittsburgh event will benefit the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership’s Community Takeout program in partnership with 412 Food Rescue.

Mraz said his desire to give back comes from an appreciation for those who donated so he could take part in creative arts programs when he was younger.

“We’ve returned to the stage with gratitude,” Mraz said. “It is a privilege to be on stage again, and we were reminded how special it is when we got to perform again.”

Mraz said he and the band members have been vaccinated because they are traveling across the country and mingling with fans. They wear face masks backstage because self-care is so important, Mraz said.

The Pittsburgh festival setting allows for Mraz to listen to other bands. He said he enjoys reggae because the songs are about change and spirituality, and they broadcast optimism.

“There’s a lot going on in the world, and it’s crazy,” Mraz said. “But instead of worrying about it and adding more craziness to it, let’s look for the good.

”I love that we are performing in Pittsburgh because we will truly be in Mister Rogers’ neighborhood. He always looked for the good.”