In 2001 a fresh-faced guitar prodigy stepped onto the global stage and wowed us all. Eight years later it seems most people are more concerned with who John Mayer’s dating, and how he’s treating them than the music he makes. But not the crowd at The Metro on Friday night. 
The packed house was made up of fan club members, their friends, some lucky Rove watchers, and the inevitable press. In short, these were people who didn’t care whether John Mayer was a love rat or not; they just loved him. I admit, I fall into the fan club members camp. Perhaps that makes my experience of the show a little biased, but what review isn’t to some degree?
How wonderful to return to the very place I first saw John Mayer play all those years ago. How wonderful to experience that with such a lovely crowd: one happy to stand without pushing or shoving, one who listened politely to the support act and who sang along enthusiastically to the main act.
That support act was the wonderful Georgia Fair. They humbly told us that this was the biggest audience they’d ever played to, but something tells me that won’t be the case for long. These guys are technically flawless, with compelling harmonies and gorgeous melodies. The combination of acoustic and electric guitars, unadorned by other instruments, worked a treat. The stripped back treatment drew us all in, despite most of us not knowing more than “Picture Frames.” They’re still a little green, but it’s only a matter of time before they gain some confidence and develop the stage presence to match their natural talents. I hope to see a lot more of these guys.
We loved Georgia Fair, but we were really there to see John. I was so keen to hear the new cuts from Battle Studies, but also hoped to hear some old favourites. John delivered on both scores, with a healthy mix of new material, tracks from his previous albums, and even a couple of covers. The first, Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads” features on Battle Studies, but for those of us who haven’t snuck a listen of the soon-to-be released CD it was simply a fantastic blast from the past. Later on, his brilliant acoustic cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’” made a well-received appearance. The new songs were all sensational. Again, there’s that bias creeping in, but I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of this disc. The man still knows how to craft a pop-rock gem.
While I was thrilled to hear the new songs, I was just as excited about the older tracks. John could have easily played all the singles, but his careful and unexpected choices were perhaps more rewarding. There was no “No Such Thing,” no “Body is a Wonderland,” and no “Clarity.” Not that he forgot about singles altogether, with “Why Georgia,” “Bigger Than My Body” and “Daughters” all receiving roaring receptions. But it was the songs we weren’t sure we’d hear that really excited us. Watching two-thirds of The John Mayer Trio rip into “Who Did You Think I Was?” was a real delight. “I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You)” was another unexpected joy. And how proud I felt when John handed the vocals to us in “Gravity,” and told us that he loved us when we did such a great job.
Artists tell crowds that they love them all the time, but there was something different in this gig. I’ve seen John Mayer perform more times than I can count now, but I’ve never seen him quite like this. He was so very giving, from the songs he played to signing a few autographs during the show. He’s always great, but this time he was incredible. He told us of the dark place the media scrutiny of the last few years left him in, but there were no black clouds here. In rediscovering the music, it seems a weight’s been lifted from Mr Mayer’s shoulders. It was a joy to watch that. Concerts this special are rare, and I’m savouring the afterglow.
Image source: Newscom
Australia has seen its fair share of disappointing comeback tours of late. There was lip-synching, lacklustre Britney. There was Whitney, who probably should have used a backing track. But on Friday night, George Michael bucked the trend to deliver one of the most entertaining concerts I’ve seen.
