John Mayer is currently in the midst of a victory lap for his solo tour, with a North American second leg of the acoustic outing running through November. Friday night marked the singer/guitarist’s second sold-out stop in Boston on his SOLO tour, in addition to two dates at Fenway Park with Dead & Company and opening for Ed Sheeran at Gillette Stadium earlier this summer. Stripped down and vulnerable like last time, Mayer opened the set seated, covered in striped lighting with “Heartbreak Warfare” and “Love on the Weekend”.
John is always an entertainer and exceedingly improvisational in his crowd work, with opener JP Saxe asked earlier in the day, “How do you not play extra notes when you’re in Boston?” to which John replied, “I don’t know, I just don’t… but Boston, I am hamming it up for you tonight!” This led into the fan favorite “In Your Atmosphere” and acoustic “Neon” renditions from Where the Light Is.
After an hour of giving Boston acoustic hit after acoustic hit, Mayer sat down at his piano for a change of pace. The first song for the piano interlude was “You’re Gonna Live Forever In Me” which did not feature the lyric change he made in the spring. This makes it true that John Mayer is not done “Changing”, which was played immediately after to conclude the piano section.
As “Stop This Train” played, John saw an audience member tear up, and Mayer began crying as well. It was an especially raw moment from the pop superstar, who seems to really be appreciating every moment on this tour.
Addressing the fan in the crowd after “Stop This Train”, John said, “Please don’t cry, your train ride is just getting started. You’re at the very first stop. You’ve got time”. Mayer’s train isn’t just getting started. He’s thoroughly cemented himself as one of the most talented and maybe still one of the most underappreciated artists of a generation.
As Mayer wrapped up his final song, a cover of Tom Petty‘s “Free Falling,” the audience roared with applause. “Thank you for caring after all these years and for making me John Mayer” he said and left the stage.
John Mayer – “Stop That Train” – 10/6/23
[Video: Robert Ahearn]
John Mayer – “Walt Grace’s Submarine Test, January 1967” – 10/6/23
[Video: Robert Ahearn]
words by Brent Goldman
John Mayer’s solo acoustic tour continued on through Philadelphia on Saturday night, with a setlist spanning over 20 years of a storied, and sometimes turbulent, career. At this latest stop on the second leg of the tour, John mused, reminisced, and played his way through a career-spanning medley of records in a show that felt like the reinvention of an artist.
With opener JP Saxe setting the tone and tenor of the evening, John opted to wait until the end of the Philadelphia Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves game to come on stage, which in hindsight was the right move as the Phillies shut out Atlanta 3-0, and a raucous Philly crowd, riding high on a Phillies playoff win, may not have come down in time to relish in the softer, calmer acoustic set about to be performed.
Once the show began, John wasted no time in jumping right into the archives, starting with a classic cut from 2006’s Continuum, “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room”, followed by his folksy, harmonica-infused, emotional cover of Beyonce’s “XO”, and Sob Rock’s “Wild Blue”.
Mayer’s approach to these shows was simple: back to basics with just him, his guitar, and his piano. Throughout the night, the Dead & Company guitarist shared humor, insight, and a wisdom reserved for those in the elder statesmen category of songwriters; a title John has rightfully earned but which the space still feels slightly uncomfortable for him to occupy.
The performances felt like John was visiting and checking in with old friends—“John and Company”, if you will—recollecting about the good old days and how much easier things used to be, all while providing commentary to the crowd about his companions who’ve painted his life’s journey through song. No better example of this can be given than his sheepish and raw introduction of “Your Body is a Wonderland”, a song that he admittedly has a love/hate relationship with.
“It’s like that weird friend you have that you just can’t help but love,” John exclaimed with a laugh while asking the enthusiastic and connected crowd to suspend the rules of songwriting and just enjoy a fun tune. The crowd obliged, singing every word, and hanging on every note.
John’s setlist in Philly, sporting some noted changes from the previous shows in New York City and Boston, was a kaleidoscope of career touchstones and deep cuts. Early relics like “Clarity” from 2003’s Heavier Things and the timeless cut “Neon” were woven through the reliable crowd favorites like “Who Says” from 2009’s Battle Studies and the poetic “Daughters”.
John took crowd requests and prompts through the night, as fans filled the Wells Fargo Center with homemade signs with requests for songs, birthday greetings, and marriage proposals. One fantastic pop of the night was the opening chords and first four bars of “Another Kind of Green”, the Jimi Hendrix-inspired blues cut from the John Mayer Trio days.
“I couldn’t tell you the next chord of this song if I tried!” Mayer exclaimed after abruptly ending the performance before jumping right into an enchanting performance of “Dear Marie”. Later, John seemed thoroughly delighted in the quiet, serene atmosphere provided during his piano rendition of “You’re Gonna Live Forever in Me”, exclaiming “You turned this place into a jazz bar, Philly, and I love you for it.” The introspective “If I Ever Get Around to Living” set the stage for the remainder of the evening, capped with his rendition of the enduring Tom Petty favorite “Free Fallin’.”
With the goal being truly “back to basics”, Mayer fans can expect an intimate, inviting show filled with favorites, classics, and new songs destined to become your next hooked-on Mayer record. While he may still find himself uncomfortable with the new label, John’s slowly but surely owning and accepting this new phase of his career, one that may not be as flashy as his younger days, but certainly a whole lot more fun.
John Mayer – “Clarity” – 10/7/23
[Video: Matthew Gary]
John Mayer – “Free Fallin’” (Tom Petty) – 10/7/23
[Video: Kirsten]
John Mayer – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA – 10/7/23
[Video: Boris Temkin, PA-C]
words by Adam Barnard
Check out image galleries of John Mayer in Boston and Philadelphia courtesy of photographers Brent Goldman and Adam Barnard, respectively.
The post John Mayer Delivers Solo Serenades In Boston & Philly [Photos/Videos] appeared first on L4LM.
