“Just so you know.” John Mayer began, “until we cross the threshold of that door-as far as we’re concerned it’s Friday” gesturing towards the entrance of The 9:30 Club this past Sunday night. Is this what is it means to hang with the man himself? An endless string of weekends. It might have been a Sunday night, but while mayer was on stage everyone knew it was still the weekend.
The adrenaline that pulsed throughout the two-story venue was contagious. From the moment John appeared on-stage, up until his second encore the club buzzed with the commotion of frenzied fans crying, screaming, shouting, and singing along to this 24 year-old up and coming rock-star’s set.
The show was comprised of tracks from the artist’s two c.d.’s Inside Wants Out and Room For Squares, along with some comic renditions of 80’s commercials and hits. Mayer also treated the audience to some short anecdotes about certain songs such as “Back To You”, “Your Body Is A Wonderland” and “Comfortable”.
Mayer opened with “Why Georgia”. From there, he began “No Such Thing” with a personal rendition of Ja Rule and Ashanti’s “Always On Time” which brought forth both tremendous smiles and laughter from the audience.
Mayer and his band have a peacefully melodic sound, both lively and soothing at the same time. The calming and captivating tone of Mayer’s voice has been compared to such rock guru’s as Dave Matthews, Sting, and Jakob Dylan.
The band’s distinctive folk-rock quality and charismatic stage-presence kept the audience clapping and cheering, constantly wanting more and more.
About half-way through the show John Mayer took a break to show his audience some of the moves he wished he could do on-stage if his guitar wasn’t slung over his shoulder. He then entertained the crowd with a little of Cindi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” along with the jingle for the popular 80’s doll, “My Buddy”.
Mayer also informed the audience that according to seventeen magazine he was “not a jealous ex-girlfriend” and according to the most recent issue of Ebony he was also, “a strong black woman.”
Mayer ended his performance with “Neon” returning shortly for his encore. “83”, a song written about Mayer’s childhood was followed by a tear-jerking performance of “Comfortable” a song, dedicated according to Mayer to “all of you who have something solid in your lives.I’d trade it all in for some of that any day”.
Overall, Mayer’s show was extremely entertaining and rewarding. The audience was more than fully satisfied, tossing tee-shirts, disposable cameras, and Hershey kisses onto the stage throughout the course of the performance. John left us by saying “they say the album’s gonna go golden.but I say it’s already gone golden.and that’s because of you guys.I say, it’s always been golden…”
