I think my favorite thing about John Mayer is that he has serious reservations about being John Mayer. A once in a generation talent who plays like Hendrix, writes like Lennon and thinks like a neurotic Nietzsche, his constant state of uncertainty about his so-called life has inspired an illustrious career spanning over two decades. Back on tour this past spring by himself and an acoustic guitar for the first time since he started this odyssey was the answer to the something that was missing. The peace within that his life’s work was more than enough came in the form of validation by the thousands who showed at every stop, singing every single beautifully obscure metaphor in unison. This full-circle moment after two decades of obsessing about perception inspired the living legend to recognize and articulate as only John Mayer can. Shortly after the below statement Mayer announced an extension of the tour for this coming fall.
“This tour has changed me. It’s changed my view of my own work, stripping it of its former metrics as songs released on albums and taking on new life as an expression of something we all feel together. I see your faces when I sing Stop This Train, and I know you don’t see my parents – you see yours. You never know when you make art, what’s going to resonate and what’s not. I’ve had high hopes for things that didn’t take flight, and in the case of this tour, I have been stunned by what can happen when the moment is right for something, when the intention is pure, and when 15,000 people bring their hearts and souls in the room, seemingly to say “if you open yours we’ll open ours.”
From the beginning, even the bubble-gum singles he made to sell records had undeniable glints of greatness of what would become the norm for future albums. The commercial success of 2001’s No Room for Squares allowed the freedom to create the records that followed. Heavier Things and Continuum firmly cemented him as a truly exceptional songwriter, complex observations and reflections crafted into simple words that somehow nobody else had ever said before. My favorite example of this rare gift is when he flipped a Beatle’s timeless lyric with a different perspective on what love really is.
“”All you need is love” is a lie ’cause We had love, but we still said goodbye.”
Mayer’s influences have been ever present in his style and covers of his hero’s are as electric if not more than the originals. The Police, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi, Tom Petty, Bill Withers were all more than happy to have a version of their timeless songs played by him. When John Mayer covers you, the honor is yours. On or off the field. Just kidding…the resume is impressive, that’s all I’m saying.
I think part of the reason for the attraction is the unbridled joy he has on stage. The expressions when playing are of a man channeling lightning, his instrument not a separate entity but instead an appendage of his soul on full display. You can see the electricity flow through his hands and the mini seizure that accompany it. If I had that kind of creative energy at my disposal, I’d make goofy faces with my eyes closed too. Contrary to popular belief, that’s what enlightenment of oneself looks like. So comfortable in your own sound and skin you could give a shit what anyone else thinks. In that way, he has become fully evolved as an artist.
Perhaps his most poignant work to date “Stop this Train” is a song created by a young man with an old one’s perspective. It is a masterpiece of mortality and incredibly difficult not to reflect on one’s own life when heard. So much so that it prompted my own mother to say one of the most profound and true statements I’ve ever heard about John Mayer or music in general for that matter. “John Mayer is your generations, Jackson Brown.” She’s not wrong.
Continuum is a work of art; an album so complete it prompted Mayer to have an almost survivors’ guilt like complex towards its success. The albums since have been experiments in blues, folk, jazz, soul and even soft rock 80’s. All good records, but nothing like what he had put out prior. The decision to go back to the start resulted in John finding a piece of himself along with thousands of other people, who so desperately wanted to hear those songs again. The comments below any live performance on YouTube all have the two same reoccurring themes. Incredibly personal and incredibly grateful. These clips are from ten years ago and people still post weekly about the impact his music has had on their lives. I completely empathize as one of them. The memories that accompany the songs are vivid because the words are so relatable and very few musicians throughout history have the ability to deliver that on a consistent basis like John Mayer has. A Connecticut kid whose career was inspired by Marty McFly’s solo has become the man who can write so well, playing guitar just like he’s ringing a bell.
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