But then at last Crow set aside her guitar and departed; we were indeed "ready for some John Mayer," a response to her teasing inquiry, though more waiting was in order before the shaggy-haired one would greet the eager throng (myself included). Workers shuffled about the crowded stage, removing the screens, and hoisting large grids of squares into their place. After a half-hour or so, shadowy figures took their places, cheers and shouts flowed freely, and an effortlessly cool John Mayer started the evening's main event off with a suitably boisterous, crowd-pleasing rockathon.
Not that I knew what it was, of course (probably a cut from Mayer's first album Room For Squares, I decided). As a showcase for Mayer's formidable talents, it was at least enjoyable on a technical level if not an emotional one. The next few were in the same vein: foreign, yet still exciting. Finally, "Bigger Than My Body", off his second studio effort Heavier Things, came up, and I was captivated as Mayer improvised a dazzling solo that liberated the music from the constraints of the studio track, which seemed in that moment incredibly archaic and artistically lifeless by comparison; an artist's conception of a piece changes moment to moment, I realized in that revelatory flash of insight.
It would continue for quite a while, as the hit parade continued for the next hour: "Daughters," "Gravity," "Waiting on the World to Change," and "Clarity" came and went in a blur of old and new tunes. The jazzy bit towards the end of the latter was outrageously, unreasonably good, better even than on the album (where its brilliance thrills me time and again). It, the rest, and the others whose memory escapes me provided enough musical electricity to erase entirely my doubts, making them in hindsight both foolish and faithless. He is John Mayer, after all, a guitarist often likened to Jimi Hendrix in sheer talent.
With a "Good Night!" and a cheery wave, Mayer exited the stage just before 11:00. The applause continued for a good two minutes before he trotted back onto the stage for another round, with solo acoustic guitar this time. The soulful "Find Another You," from his upcoming album Continuum, was delightfully spare and intimate, bearing all the hallmarks of his best work. The band then returned to show off several more new pieces, most of which intrigued (though a few had me checking my watch alarmingly often).
By 11:15 the final chords were fading, the crowd was roaring, and the evening's pleasures were still wonderfully fresh in my mind as I scurried off towards the exit. It had been, I later ruminated, quite a time.
Article comments
1 - Joan Hunt
The brilliance of this single line alone -- "the graphics on those immense white squares were far more interesting to me than nearly anything she sang that night" -- was worth the price of reading anything about Crow or Mayer.
I'll never see Crow in concert (I have a deep aversion to vomit or vomit-inducing inanity) and I've seen Mayer once already (on his big "I'm a bluesman now" tour). I was unimpressed. Too Dave Matthews-y still and still not a good enough guitarist to cause me to move more than to place my fingers in my ears.
But I'm glad you had fun. That's what it's all about.
2 - Larry
This guy does not rock. I saw John Mayer last night, June 5, 2007, in San Jose. I hadn't heard alot of his material, but did hear that he had alot of talent, so I was looking forward to the show and went with an open mind. I checked around the internet and saw stark differences in how people perceived him; some spoke of Jimi Hendrix, or Stevie Ray Vaughan, and others said he was sugar-coated. So here's the story: this guy does not rock. He is not a blues player. He is what I would call an adult contemporary artist, which to me is one step below soft rock. For example, he did a version of "I Don't Need No Doctor". This has been done by many; my favorite is the Humble Pie version. His version was really bad. Not bad like good, but bad like lame. I could have left then, but stuck it out, and it did not improve. He's got some talent with the guitar, but no notion of what to do with it.
3 - Nikko
i just want to know if i can write or send letters to john mayer, for some question of him, on how to compose a song,'cause i really love his composed songs, and I am very eager to know his secrets in composong good songs.
4 - Nikko
john mayer is my number 1 favourite artist. his songs, his voice, his hand forming in his guitar gives me more talent in my music life. my favourite songs of him are clarity, no such things, your body is a wonderland, bigger than my body, st.patrick's day, new deep, waiting on the world to change, and the rest of it. i hope he will continue composing great songs. if only i could communicate on him, i would ask him to jam with me and ask for info about his composed songs secret.