John Mayer's voice holds out fine at his concert comeback
Imagine being a singer-songwriter and then being told by doctors that you might not sing again for years, if at all. That's exactly what happened to John Mayer in 2012, but now the 35-year-old, Grammy Award-winning artist is back on tour and performing for thousands. On April 25, 2013, Mayer took the stage in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for the first stop on his Born and Raised tour.
To say that people were stoked about seeing John Mayer again is a huge understatement. I'm a fan, though I'm not always crazy about some of the things Mayer has said in the past. Trust the art, not the artist - that is my motto. With that in mind, I headed out into the clear, cool Alabama night to see, and more importantly, hear Mr. Mayer perform.
Let's tackle the question most every fan is asking first: How did John Mayer's voice sound? For the most part, it sounded fine, if not a bit lower and more gravely than in years past. Mayer played for a solid 1:45 and given that this is the first full-length show he's done since his very, very serious voice issues came to light, I was impressed. To think that Mayer very nearly lost his voice permanently, well, I was thrilled for him at the show.
Mayer did have some issues hitting the higher notes, but I sort of expected that. Mayer himself actually mentioned it more than once, and he asked for the audience's help during parts of some songs, including "Why Georgia" (from his first album, Room for Squares). I managed to snag a bit of video of that song, so take a listen and see what you think:
Why Georgia John Mayer Tuscaloosa
Keep in mind that this was near the end of the show, so no doubt his voice was fatigued at that point. I still think he did a nice job, and as I said, he definitely let the audience fill in the gaps on the higher notes.
Now for another pressing issue: How did the newer Born and Raised album material sound? The short answer, as far as I'm concerned, is stellar. John Mayer released Born and Raised back in 2012, but he didn't get to tour behind the album because of his voice problems. Now, however, he's making up for lost time. The audience in Tuscaloosa got to hear a lot of the new material, and for the most part, the songs went over really well.
John Mayer opened the show on April 25, 2013, with a rousing "Queen of California," which included a signature Mayer guitar solo. Say what you want about John, but wow the guy can seriously play. I've long thought that he's one of the most talented guitarists of my era, and he reminded me again why.
"Queen of California" segued very nicely into another Born and Raised song, "Something About Olivia." This one was light, airy and of course, a signature John Mayer singalong for the audience. Other new songs from the 2012 album included "The Age of Worry," "If I Ever Get Around to Living," "Love is a Verb" and "Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey" (the latter was an acoustic version).
This was a very new material-heavy show, and I'm not at all surprised. Tuscaloosa is a friendly market for John Mayer, and nearby Birmingham was a stronghold for him in his early days. I didn't really know much about John Mayer when I first saw him perform way back in September of 2002 at the Oak Mountain Amphitheater. I was hooked instantly after that high-energy show. Interestingly enough, that particular show wound up as a live CD and DVD, Any Given Thursday. And yes, I've gone frame-by-frame on the DVD trying to see myself, to no avail.
John Mayer did call a few "audibles" during the concert, including the aforementioned "Why Georgia" being one of them, and he also hit a few of the older tunes, most notably "Vultures." Once again, what Mayer lacked in voice, he more than made up for with that blazing guitar! The crowd responded favorably to all the songs, especially "Who Says," which I did manage to capture in its entirety on video (hooray):Who Says John Mayer Tuscaloosa
Here's a nice shot of the official setlist, courtesy of John Mayer's Twitter account:
If it looks short to you, keep in mind this was the first show back since the long hiatus and he went long with all the jamming.
I'm really happy to say that John Mayer is definitely back. The voice is still a bit shaky at times, but who cares? Mayer was clearly delighted with himself, dancing all over the stage and grinning from ear to ear during most of the show. Overall, I think this is a more mature Mayer, and the setlist choices definitely reflect that fact.
Are you planning on seeing John Mayer on his 2013 Born and Raised tour? Have you seen him in the past, and if so, what did you think?
Photos courtesy of Popdust.com and John Mayer's Official Twitter