New York City is a magical place this time of year, and I can't imagine living anywhere else. A fan made this video on his first trip to Manhattan and there is something just oh-so-fitting about the accompanying tune.
2007-07-14 New England Dodge Music Center - Hartford, CT
Since my last blog, I've received a bunch of links to taped JM shows from the last several years. Today I was sent a recording from the Hartford show during the 2007 summer tour (the one with Ben Folds) and instantly started laughing when I saw the setlist.
I remember being at that show, and a girl in the crowd holding up a sign declaring she was "Finally Legal". Needless to say, the intro to Vultures that night turned into a jam about all the things you can do when you turn 18. Or maybe just what this girl did.
"Gonna use my new I.D. to buy some poster board, gonna use my new I.D. to get myself a marker, gonna use my new ID (not the fake one) to get a ruler. Gonna go to the John Mayer show 'cause now I'm so much cooooooler."
I imagine she's finally able to enjoy an ice cold one now, too.
This show also featured a really great acoustic performance of Slow Dancing in the encore and it's nice to hear a live rendition of Dreaming With a Broken Heart.
Does anyone have a favorite performance or recording from the 2010 Summer Tour? Maybe it would be cool if we put a few of them together in an EP....
recordings@johnmayer.com!
- Lindsay
It's a really crazy thing, to absolutely love what you do for a living. To work for musicians whom you believe in, to spend your days and nights spreading your love to others, hoping that they too will one day "get it". What's more amazing is the escape that this music can allow you. It's a way to remove yourself from whatever bad situation is going on in your life. It's a path to disconnect and help you find your center. Getting to experience those songs live, in person, with 20,000 people who feel the same way? That is the ultimate "don't worry" moment. Everything's gonna turn out alright.
No matter how long I end up working in this industry, I never want to forget why I started in the first place - because I love music. Seeing fans rocking out in their seats at a shed show every summer is something I want to always inspire me to keep doing my job better. It's this level of appreciation that drives musicians to continue making music and sharing it with the world. The amount of time I spent on the road this summer with John opened my eyes to see that even in hard times, in times where people have to count their change, music is still a release. That, a concert ticket is much more than a piece of paper but more like a way out. It's reminder that for at least one night, you can get out of your own head and just have a good time.
Mayer fans are a breed of their own. You all are a community of people who turn to music for the answers. You bow down to the guitar solos and welcome with open arms the 12 minute jams, even though you're still secretly hoping for Daughters. You are the most loyal fans I've ever seen. It's been an incredible summer seeing you dance and sing along in the crowds. This is the 'road journal'. Let's recap this summer tour, shall we?
After spending a few days in San Francisco for meetings back in August, I headed to the Shoreline Amphitheater for John's bay area gig. Now, first thing you have to know is that this venue is special for many reasons, but number one is that it was designed by Bill Graham. After spending a day nerd-ing out over the BG-era archives at Wolfgang's Vault, I was especially psyched to see what exactly Bill had in mind when putting this place together. It was originally designed for The Grateful Dead, so each row of seats has extra room to allow fans to stand, dance and full on rock out. The backstage production offices are all centered around a deck where the band and crew can eat together and presently play ping pong. And if you've ever seen an aerial shot, the amphitheater was designed to represent the cover of the album "Steal Your Face", so the shed kind of looks like a giant skull. And of course that's not to mention the giant skull with roses that sits perched on a hill backstage.
This show seemed really special to me - maybe because for the first time on the tour, as the sun went down, so did the temperature. It was the first time you felt a cool breeze sitting on the side of the stage so all the chills you got could have been from the weather... but they were definitely from the music, too. Slow Dancing really stood out to me that night and there was a moment during the show where John did his best to play a solo without making any sort of guitar-face. Then DRH took over during JM's pee break and the whole crowd sang along to Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay into the Why Georgia Remix. "I am driving up the 101 in the kind of morning that last all afternoon...". Waiting's bridge went into Marvin Gaye's Inner City Blues, but it was Heartbreak Warfare that made the most impact. For the first time, John took the stage solo and the crowd sang back up for the first verse and chorus of the tune. You forget how intimate that song really is until you hear it stripped down so bare. Friends, Lovers or Nothing was a pleasant surprise at the end of the set and Half of My Heart included an In Repair name drop and a little of Fleetwood Mac's Dreams.
Thank you Bay Area for seeping that night deep in music history. I can't wait to come back.
- L
If you'd like to submit a tape of this show to share, please e-mail recordings@johnmayer.com.
The whole west coast run has been a whirl wind - from getting a chance to see some serious music history in San Francisco, to seeing John cover both Hendrix & Dylan in one night at Irvine. This is part one:
Before meeting up with the tour at Shoreline, I spent a few days in San Fran for meetings, but the most memorable time was the day I spent at Wolfgang's Vault. For those not in the know, Wolfgang's Vault is another name for Bill Graham's archives. It's the place where every piece of psychedelic rock history from the late 60's and early 70's is kept in pristine condition and cataloged by artist. We're talking original show contracts signed by James Brown himself, handwritten Jimi Hendrix lyrics on cocktail napkins and original ticket stubs from Jefferson Airplane shows. One of the highlights of the day was getting to see how there are very few current artists in the Bill Graham archives, and John is one of them. Below are two JM show posters from 2002, one from The Greek, the other from The Fillmore. A little John Mayer nerd history.
Train's just about to take the stage tonight here at SPAC, but here's a few shots from last night in Hartford to tide you over until I can recap the whole weekend on the road.
Pat joined John on stage in Homdel on Tuesday night to show Don Henley some love and cover Boys of Summer.
Philly/Camden definitely had one of the most energetic crowds of the tour. I got to meet fans from all over the world; some who had flown in from places like Brazil and Sweden, just to catch a Mayer show. Others were there for the "summer ritual", because live music in July and August is the best way to celebrate friendship.
War of My Life really stood out tonight, with a little Tom Petty - You Don't Know How It Feels intro. John talked about how sometimes we feel the pressure of always having to be 100% in life, but it's OK to freak out, to hurt, to not feel right. He let everyone know that it's supposed to be that way sometimes, that we all go through it and once in a while you just have to reboot and fight on.
-L
Getting to see JM play Jones Beach is always a full circle moment for me, mostly because that's the hometown venue I grew up in. It's a music homebase in a way, and that makes each show there so much more special. There's also the damp salty air that frizzes your hair and the smell of low-tide, but I might appreciate that more than most.
After spending some time in guitar world and monitor land on the backstage tour that afternoon, JM headed out in a Ben & Jerry's truck to visit the tailgaters and pass out free Milk & Cookies. Next time John Mayer asks you if you want some free ice cream, make sure to reply with "please pass the spoon!" because that stuff was deeeelish.
I say it after every show, but this was my favorite performance of the tour. After the early back to back set of Clarity and Georgia (with a Jimi Thing intro, WHAT?!), I knew we were in for a throwback of a night.
Heartbreak Warfare was a 'sing-your-heart-out-along'; an anthem. "I swear to god we're gonna get it right if you just lay your bullshit down." Yep, exactly. Then came the 'Part 2' Perfectly Lonely, right before John asked if it had started raining. It had, and so began the impromptu version of Covered In Rain that actually stopped the drops. Big props to the new band members for learning that one on the spot.
Raspberry Beret made me realize how many of you need to go buy some Prince records (ha!) until Good Love! swept in and counter acted the earlier acknowledged heartache. Half of My Heart (and Don't Stop Believing) was one of my favorite moments of the night. The Jones Beach choir sang in a beautiful delayed unison and kept the song going ("oh oh oh ohhhhh") while John made his way to front of house, getting a little closer to the crowd. He surprised everyone with the best acoustic encore I could have asked for (ok, well the best acoustic encore I could ask for might include 3 additional songs).
I think that was the first time I've heard Wonderland (minus Storytellers) in maybe 3 years? It's always going to be a reminder of how long John has been playing music, and how he's grown as an artist while his fans have grown with him. I think of it as this really beautiful moment of nostalgia, and growing up.
I had gotten a sneak peek of the setlist before the show, so I knew he was going to bust out In Your Atmosphere, but it still did not prepare me for chills that the first few chords of the song always bring. "I'm gonna steer clear, I like my life in New York City right here..." summed up everything, until he went into Jeff Buckley's So Real, which, well let's put it this way, in the words of Ina, "LA Song into Buckley? Oh my god I'm gonna die", pretty much killed me.
When JM joined the band on the main stage again, I was waiting for the magic of Edge of Desire to take over, but was pleasantly surprised when John decided to sing the lyrics of Heart of Life as an intro. That song can just fix a whole lot of things.
Jones Beach, you were amazing last week. Thanks for sharing that one with me and the entire Mick team.
-L
You can download the entire show here, courtesy of the Z-Man.
I took these at the satellite stage during the encore...
Last night was one of the strongest tour openers I've ever seen. After some serious rain and thunder, the skies opened up and cooled off the air to set the perfect atmosphere. The guys from Train rocked, serving hit after hit with a little participation from some audience members.
At 8:30pm, John and the band hit the stage runnin', jamming into Vultures and then heading right into Clarity. Ain't No Sunshine had this funky, almost reggae feel and getting to hear Do You Know Me with Bob Reynolds on sax was probably my favorite moment of the night. Boy did I miss those horns. Plus I mean closing with a full band Edge of Desire?! Pshhh... amazing.
The below shot was during Half of My Heart > Dreams > Carolina. See you tonight Raleigh. Get your game faces on.
Kris and I spent the past week working with our friend Brian from Reverb on what we can do to make the AKOG Eco-Village special, this summer.
Another Kind of Green (AKOG) is a collaboration between John and Reverb, where fans can learn more about important issues at the venue each night before John plays by simply walking around the amphitheater.
Each night, volunteers will speak with fans about green touring, ways to get involved and how to take action. We'll also be selling green Heartbreak Warfare decals to offset the carbon footprint the tour leaves.
If you'd like to volunteer with Reverb, and get a chance to see JM this summer, head here and sign up.
In exchange for volunteering with Reverb for a few hours, you'll receive access to the general admission area to catch the show once John's set starts, and you'll also get a pretty cool volunteer t-shirt.
See you out there!
-L
