Hailed as one of the modern eras most gifted pop troubadours, Mraz has shared stages with percussionist Noel “Toca” Rivera for more than a decade. The two musicians first met back in 2000, when Mraz was just making his mark on the San Diego coffee house scene. Enthralled by the young songwriter’s free-flowing lyrical mastery, Rivera invited Mraz to join the eponymous trio he fronted alongside his brother Carlos. The group hit the road, travelling California’s highways and byways together in a beat-up Winnebago, inspiring Mraz’s classic song, “Dream Life of Rand McNally.” When Carlos decided to take time off, Jason and Toca continued to collaborate as a duo, earning acclaim and passionate audience responses wherever they performed. Mraz’s guitar and vocals match beautifully with Rivera’s intuitive djembe playing and the two maintain a long friendship and collaborative relationship, recording and touring together to this day.