Mayer’s talent unsullied by teen fans

  CATHERINE JAYIN JUN/Daily Bruin Senior Staff John
Mayer rocks the crowd at the House of Blues Wednesday
night.

By Shana Dines
Daily Bruin Reporter

About six months ago, John Mayer was virtually unknown when he
played an intimate concert at the Roxy in front of a small, but
sold-out group of devout fans and music lovers. Since then, a lot
has changed. He has had a number one single with extensive radio
play, released a hit album that just went gold, and appeared on
TRL.

The change was apparent at his concert Wednesday night at the
House of Blues on Sunset Strip, the first of two sold-out shows.
Mayer was the same soulful, raspy-voiced guitar genius that he has
always been. The crowd, however, now consists of hoards of
screaming, giddy, obnoxious teenage girls. Yes, the same ones seen
on MTV.

There is more to John Mayer than his adorably poster-ready face
and pop hit, however, as his die-hard fans have always recognized.
He was not too shy to show off his skills at the concert, either,
as he often stepped aside from the microphone to wail away on a
solo.

At these moments, the music lovers distinguished themselves from
the teeny-boppers, who looked temporarily bored, disinterested, or,
confused. In spite of that unappreciative half of the crowd, there
was still mass applause following each solo, in which Mayer tended
to mouth along with his guitar’s voice and convulse to the
rhythm.

That kind of soloing energy makes him such a huge hit among
music aficionados. There’s also his poetically truthful
songwriting and intense musical passion. It’s the sexy voice,
deep eyes, charming smile, and adorable “take home to meet
mom and dad” look that draws the younger female fans. He has
the ability to make every girl swear he is singing directly to
her.

The reaction to this, as stated, was eager and excited
shrieking, which became bothersome as the show progressed. With
three lava lamps on the stage and a very casual presence, he seemed
to be attempting to recall the mood from the earlier Roxy show, or
even the tiny bars and clubs he would play when he was part of
Atlanta’s strong local music scene.

Though his attempts were somewhat in vain, Mayer’s vocals
were at least turned up loud enough to drown out the high-pitched
singing along. Other than that, he was relatively successful,
telling little anecdotes in between songs and speaking as if to a
half-full coffee shop show. At one point, he even said to the whole
crowd, “So it’s just you and me, huh?”

As an intro to “Love Song For No One,” he talked
about listening to the radio on emotionless days and adopting the
feeling of every song that plays, including a hint of a Backstreet
Boys cover. Mayer also gave an explanation as to how he can
“write women so well.” He indulged his secret addiction
to Seventeen magazine, and even admitted to taking the quizzes.
Just to clear things up, he is not a jealous girlfriend.

After playing “No Such Thing” an hour into the set,
many expected the show to be over. Mayer then thanked the audience
for letting him be the kind of musician who can play his radio hit
in the middle of his set, and continued to play another half an
hour.

This was just after he humorously discussed his prominence on
music downloading sites. Although he wishes fans would buy his CD
rather than simply burn it off the Internet, he must realize that
the live tracks found only online showcase his talent much better
than his studio album. There are no solos or jam sessions packed
into his 54-minute album, and those are the very basis of his
amazing showmanship.

Warming up the crowd before Mayer’s arrival onstage was
Norah Jones, a sweet, twangy-voiced keyboardist who was accompanied
by a guitar and standing bass. She was talented but shy, and played
a mix of covers and original songs. Although there were no
complaints, the crowd seemed bored and anxious to see Mayer,
talking through most of the songs. She did, however, earn
formidable applause throughout her show.

Despite the annoyance of the younger, estrogen-rich section of
the fans, Mayer played an extraordinary show. His abundance of
talent as a blues guitarist and passionate songwriter shone through
the recent pop fame he has attained. Whether his popularity among
the MTV crowd lingers for a few more years or falls after one hit,
Mayer will be around. This boy has staying power because artists
that good never get old.