“The Search for Everything” Tour
When I found out mere hours before that I would be attending the John Mayer concert at Rogers Arena for his The Search for Everything Tour, I was thrilled, but also not sure what to expect. I had never really considered myself a full-blown fan, which may have stemmed from the infamous arrogant attitude and womanizing reputation he gained over the years. Did I like his music? Sure. I was a fan in the early days when he first appeared on the scene as the sexy, acoustic guitar-playing-singer-songwriter and-somewhat-tortured-artist whose way with words made the ladies swoon when singing “Your Body is a Wonderland.” Did I continue following his music like most after that? Not really, no. Apart from a few hit songs that I knew well, I did not continue to listen to his music much. Perhaps his reputation turned me off of his career, but I kept an open mind that night. Each concert tour has its memorable touches and I have to say, I loved his. Like a storybook or the four seasons, his set was divided into “chapters” which were as follows:
- Full Band
- Acoustic
- John Mayor Trio
Almost as though he had musician multiple-personality disorder (in a positive way), I was more than impressed with the different varieties and different “faces” of John Mayer. Was I listening to a heartbroken musician still carrying a torch for an old flame? Was I at a rock concert? It was all so different that I noticed the tone and mood amongst the audience members would shift based on the style that he was performing. Some were enthusiastic overall while many decided to shy away from the rock version he became during the John Mayer Trio chapter. He went from solo acoustic guitar player to hard rocker and many other things all within a single show. The acoustic side was the original John Mayer version we all fell for in the beginning and playing with the full band brought out his rock, blues and even a bit of a reggae side. Apart from the different chapters that split up the evening, my favorite part of the show was the gorgeous 3D backdrops that appeared behind him as he performed. One was a cityscape skyline (I think it was Manhattan) another, a gorgeous Japanese garden with floating cherry blossoms and an L.A. style establishing shot filled with tall, skinny palm trees. The Japan projection flowed nicely as he took the stage to perform his first acoustic song as well as his cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Falling,” which he played very ‘a la John Mayer’ as he changed the style of the original and made it sound like his own masterpiece. His attitude seems to have changed immensely during the last few years and I think I underestimated him as an artist. Besides his amazing guitar-playing skills, I was never aware of the talent he was capable of. Although his ability and talent never really fell by the waist side, his reputation appeared to be outshining his music to degrees that made him lose the support and respect of some fans, myself included. Needless to say, he was redeemed in my eyes as an artist and like other worldwide tours, his had a very special sparkle of something.
Full Band:
Moving On and Getting Over
Helpless
Who Says
Rosie
BeliefAcoustic:
3×5
Friend of the Devil (Grateful Dead cover)
Free Fallin’ (Tom Petty cover)
Your Body Is a WonderlandTrio:
Who Did You Think I Was (John Mayer Trio song)
Vultures
Crossroads (Robert Johnson cover)Full Band:
Changing
Queen of California
Why Georgia
Slow Dancing in a Burning Room
Dear MarieEncore:
No Such Thing
GravityEncore 2:
You’re Gonna Live Forever in Me
