My 23rd John Mayer Show!

As most of my friends know, I've been a borderline obsessive John Mayer fan for 7 years. Before hockey became such a huge part of my life, my regular indulgence was finding out where John Mayer was touring and getting a ticket to at least one show on every tour. I've managed to see him at least once a year, every year since 2003. Things got a little out of hand in 2006, when Continuum was released, and I saw 6 shows around the West Coast in about 10 days.

Lately, things have cooled off a little between John and I, mostly because of hockey. But I still love his music and can't bring myself to completely miss a tour. So what better way to get my "John Fix" in than by seeing him at my favorite hockey venue - Staples Center! And just for good measure, I also brought along one of my favorite hockey fan friends, the lovely Miss Chelsea Alexander!



In recounting our mutual John Mayer admiration over dinner, we discovered we both experienced our first John Mayer show in 2003, when he did a double bill with the Counting Crows and Maroon 5. Funny how the universe seems to bring people together for a reason!

Anyway, all the restaurants were packed at LA Live, so we were a little late getting in because we were both starving. Than meant we missed the biggest part of the opening set by Michael Franti and Spearhead, but what we saw was solid. I especially liked the set they used. It just feels like summer in the middle of a concert!



Then it was time for the man we came to see. After 22 shows, there isn't much John can do to surprise me...or at least I thought there wasn't. Musically, he's a terrific as ever, though the big surprise was in the visual interest department. Here's a run through the set list:

"Heartbreak Warfare" kicked it off with a bang, mostly due to a very cool projected video sequence that opened the show. I shot video of it, and if you're on Facebook you can see it there.

"No Such Thing" was next, and it still gets the crowd singing along.

"Vultures " was the first serious rock-out moment, and included a very cool dueling guitars moment with David Ryan Harris.

Then John started talking, and I got a little worried, given his recent press disasters (see "The Playboy Interview Debacle"). But he shared his love for LA, a city that, in his eyes, has filled up his heart, broken heart, still keeps him coming back for more. Let's give him a collective "Awwwwww...."



That little bit of stage banter segued into "Perfectly Lonely" (because per John, LA is the perfect city to be lonely in), which he delivered pretty much straight as recorded on his latest album.

David Ryan Harris kicked off the next tune with an improvised vocal. It may be from a song I should know, or it could be something of David's, but it meshed beautifully into my all time favorite Mayer song---"Slow Dancing in a Burning Room."



The music is still as emotional as ever, so I was REALLY disappointed when John got all literal and had flames projected on the screen behind the stage. Really dude? The people in the row behind me laughed, which kind of summed up my feelings as well. Way too hokey...just didn't need to go there.



"Assassin" was next, and it was everything I expected and more. When John's latest album came out, this was the one song I was most excited to see live, because the theatricality of it just lends itself to a monster live performance. It started with a really cool digitized video projection, which I shot in black and white.



Musically, it turned into a monster jam session that integrated a riff from The Police's "Wrapped Around Your Finger" AND included John using one of Steve Jordan's drum sticks in place of his right strumming hand on the guitar.

After all that excitement, we all had to peel ourselves off the ceiling and slow it down just a little. So the next selection was probably the most beautiful thing John has ever written but never released - a little fan favorite track called "In Your Atmosphere." The tail end got blended with a beautiful bit of "Free Fallin.'"



Then things got epically crazy again, with a funky slow-blues cover of "Ain't No Sunshine" chock full of solo guitar. But the biggest solo of the night was all about drums. Steve Jordan got a little intro from John with a piece of Sly and the Family Stone's "Wanna Take You Higher," then he ran with it. I wish I had recorded it. If Eddie Van Halen's "Eruption" solo ever had a drumming equivalent, it was Steve Jordan's performance last night. I've never seen anything like it.

The set continued with two tracks from Continuum, "Waiting On The World to Change" and "Belief," which was probably the biggest disappointment of the night for me. "Belief" has grooved so much harder before, I wish John done it more like the 2006 tour.

Next up was "Half of My Heart" with an improvised intro, followed by what John called the "other half" of that song, which turned out to be none other than Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams." And in John world, when you add those two halves together you apparently get Journey's "Don't Stop Believing!" You just have to love how this guy's mind works....

"Why Georgia" finished the main part of the set.

For the encore, John performed an acoustic version of "Who Says" behind the stage scrim with his image projected on the outside, which I had to admit was a pretty cool effect (and therefore photo worthy).



And the show closer was a souped up version of "Gravity," featuring some especially inspiring vocals from the two back-up singers John has on tour. I just wish he had left off the self-indulgent Hendrix imitation on the final solo. Laying the guitar on stage and playing it...Jimi could pull that off, but no one will ever be that cool again. Including you, John.



The one song I was hoping to hear and didn't get was "Edge of Desire," off John's newest release. Maybe I'll get that one tomorrow night in San Jose. That's right...one more stop this tour. Because hockey aside, I am still a little Mayer obsessed.