John Mayer
April 9, 2017
TD Garden, Boston
There are a dozen reasons to dislike John Mayer. He’s a womanizer who has broken the heart of America’s sweethearts. He writes songs simply to appeal to the masses even if it doesn’t like the result. He comes off cocky and arrogant and unlikable. Even stating at one point during the show, “wow, you people way up there must really like me, I wouldn’t pay anything to sit way up there.” But, he’s a hell of a guitar player which is a side of him that is truly only fully-expressed in his live shows.
Fans looking for the sappy love songs that have graced the radio for 16 years would be disappointed in a John Mayer show. Not that he doesn’t play them (and he’s gotten better at giving into this obvious audience need in recent years) but that’s not what the focus is. The focus goes back to the music and what that man can get out of a guitar.
For the Search for Everything Tour, John breaks hit set into parts, clearly distinguishing what category each song fall into for him. First, it was the full intro band with songs like “Love on the Weekend” and “Who Says”, which set the vibe. He then moved into an acoustic set which was short but sweet with the highlight being “Free Fallin’”.
Then came my favorite part. In 2005, John Mayer met with up with bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Steve Jordan to form the John Mayer Trio. Essentially a cover band but one with some serious chops. After a hiatus, they agreed to join back up on tour as part of John’s larger show. Their performance was short but oh so sweet with “Jonny B Goode” and “Bold as Love” covers to show off some incredibly sexy guitar riffs.
The set then changed back into something more traditional with the full band with “Changing” and “Gravity” to top off the night. The audience had become enthralled though and sung every word with passion. There’s not much more you can ask for in a show, just remember, John Mayer is more than that guy who broke up with Katy Perry. He’s a true guitar hero deep down, you just need to seek that part of him out.
Article By: Teresa Reilly
