John Mayer brought his first-ever solo tour to Chicago’s United Center and it just goes to show that sometimes less is more.
It takes someone extra special to be able to stand on a stage, completely by yourself with no band behind you, in front of an arena full of people. But when you realize that someone is John Mayer, all doubt goes out the window because you know he’s got this. Armed only with his guitars, a piano, and a harmonica, Mayer entertained Chicago’s packed United Center for two hours straight. It goes to show you don’t need all the bells and whistles when you are brimming with an abundance of talent. It was a masterclass in musicianship and songwriting made to look effortless while delivering on so many levels.
It’s difficult to imagine an arena show being intimate but that’s exactly what this was. You almost felt like you were in a small club, but with 20,000 plus people singing along. At one point, it almost felt like you were in a rehearsal space after someone shouted out a request for “Vultures” and Mayer then proceeded to show why he couldn’t do it for a solo performance before then working it out right there and then. You could see his brain ticking away for how to make that song work for future shows.
This intimate feeling was emphasized by the way he interacted with members of the crowd, whether it be being propositioned with someone’s telephone number being held up on a sign, responding to song requests being shouted out, or locking eyes with someone in the front row when things got a little too much Cobra Kai for his liking (in a joking way).
Each night on this tour has a different setlist but the attendees of the Chicago show were very happy with the selections. The first section of the evening saw Mayer perform on his acoustic guitars, and included songs such as “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room,” “Who Says,” and his cover of Beyonce’s “XO.” He then headed over to the piano to showcase even more of his talents and performed “New Light,” “You’re Gonna Live Forever In Me,” and “Changing.” Never one to be away from his guitar for too long, Mayer returned to the acoustic portion of the show to perform “Shouldn’t Matter But It Does” and “Walt Grace’s Submarine Test, January 1967” among others. Picking up a double-necked acoustic guitar, he paid homage to his Dead and Company bandmates with “Friend of the Devil.” The evening was wrapped up with the foot-tapping “Born and Raised” and his beautiful cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin'” to round out a jam-packed night of hits and deep cuts.
If you’ve missed out on tickets for this leg of the tour, Mayer recently announced additional fall dates which include a return to Chicago’s United Center. You’ll need to pick up your tickets for this new date soon as it is going to be a popular one if this show is anything to go by.
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