Stolen Guitar, Help if you can!

Amy from Little Rock, Arkansas posted this on MyStupidMouth.

Some of you know me...some of you don't --- but I hope you will be willing to help me in this sad time.

My home was recently burglarized and vandalized. Among the items stolen was my precious and most beloved guitar. The John Mayer Signature Martin I won in the Heavier Things CD pre-order contest. It is an OM28 Martin - number 12 out of 404 made.

I will forever be checking eBay for my baby... but if you could help me as well - I would be so appreciative. I know several of you also frequent guitar dealers in your respective areas... if you could just be on the watch for #12 in the future it would mean so much to me. It is autographed To Amy "heart" John Mayer... photos below. It was in a black hard case with crushed green interior.

They also stole all of my autographed Mayer CDs... I feel like the last 7 years have just been wiped away. At least I still have some photos and memories.

I won't gross you with details of the robbery... and the blood he left behind... no joke.. Disgusting!!! Please help me rescue number 12!!!! I am unbelievably broken hearted and truly appreciate your help! If you have any leads, please contact me at grabafella01@yahoo.com

I hope your property is returned to you ASAP, Amy.

If anybody who reads this has ANY information, get in touch with her ASAP please!

Guitars ahoy!

Some videos from the Target Special DVD Package of Where the Light Is!







I'm in love wit the "200 Guitars" video. It's just so amazing to see how enthusiastic John is about the instrument he plays. If I had his money, I'm sure I'd have more than 200 guitars, though. I have the exact same guitar that John uses for "Wait Until Tomorrow" with the Trio though!

One down, 199 to go.

Haw haw haw!

Was great to see more of the Mulholland drive shoot. I was in awe of it from the Where the Light Is trailer, and I felt the exact same way when I saw the video above.

John Mayer is awesome. =)

JM Blog: Summer 2008 is here

I'm laying in my London hotel room in one of my least favorite scenarios: the job is done today but the plane takes off tomorrow. The European tour was an absolute blast and I think I speak for the band and crew when I say that all sights are set firmly on the US tour and making it the best ever.

As a 30-year old with an eight-year mainstream professional music career, I couldn't be happier (and more thankful) to still have a gig. All I can think about when I'm on stage these days is how terrible it would feel to have learned how to make the most out of each and every show after the gig was up.

It's a funny time to be alive right now, in that I'm not quite sure we're celebrating like we should. I don't mean the "Hand me your keys, Dan!" celebrating. I mean the very innate act of celebration; human appreciation. Group reveling. A general sense of "This is my tribe and this is our fellowship." Like a concert.

I know I've written along these lines before, but do you know why it matters? Because someday you're going to be old, and things are going to change. Your body is going to turn on you. I already know where the L-5 and L-6 discs in my back are, because they're wearing down a little, and when I ask the doc how we lick this, he says "It is what it is. You're not 18 anymore." I have 3 gray hairs that I insist are "mutant clear hairs" but they're not. They're just gray. And right on time.

Chances are you won't get hit by that proverbial bus people always talk about when they're smoking a Lucky Strike and tipping back on their chair. Odds are also on your side (thank God) that you won't ever get the news from your doctor that you have only months left to live. But you know what he may very well tell you? That you need a new hip. Nobody ever says "live it up because someday you might need a new hip" but it's the truth. They don't say "Be good to one another because in time we'll all know a medical lab technician on a first name basis" but it happens every day.

My point is that whenever that someday comes, when I slide into the MRI scanner and the thing starts spinning up, spitting lasers and screaming into my ears, I may very well say to myself "I wish I had just one more of those summers."

Being a young man is kick-ass. Being a young man who knows that being a young man is kick-ass is what it's really all about. And as a musician, I'm finally learning to distinguish the notes that matter from the ones that don't. I'm also getting better at knowing those notes as a person, too. I'm excited to bring it all on stage, and even more excited to see you all out there.

Thank you for another one of those summers.

John

A lot of people see John Mayer as an arrogant douchebag (I said it because on L83, it's edgy and cool to use that word. Stupid people are good at being difficult to understand!) but I say he's someone who is more in-touch with himself and his place in the world than the average mainstream musician. I genuinely believe he appreciates what he has, and I think he's entitled to feel he deserves it.

I may feel the urge to punch him in the face if he ever gets cosmetic surgery after this blog post, though.

I just wish I could have one of those summers. Somebody, buy me an awesome summer please. =D

John Mayer vs the UK

Here's some videos from John's performance at Glastonbury, courtesy of Try JM!

John Mayer live at Glastonbury (June 29, 2008) - Part 1
by tryjm

John Mayer live at Glastonbury (June 29, 2008) - Part 2
by tryjm

It's incredible just how tight they are live. I'm so excited about the fact that John is finally becoming a big name in the UK. It reminds of this article from the BBC News website back in 2006. No doubt, they'll be writing about his success in the coming months!

I hope everyone's enjoying Where the Light Is! I know I am. =)

Until next time! Wooosh!

Retirement?

From DailyStab.com:

John Mayer, 30, has hinted at an early retirement from the music industry after completing his summer tour.

Jennifer Aniston’s new man is currently in the middle of his European jaunt, but has indicated to USA Today newspaper that he may never release another album again saying:

”I’m not sure when I’ll come back with another record. I feel like I’ve done everything I can do with this set of tools.”

Mayer’s last release, The Village Session EP, came out in December 2006.

I, personally, don't think there's any merit to this at all. For one thing, they've completely disavowed any knowledge of one of John's most successful releases, Continuum. Secondly, considering the fact that John has been spending quite a bit of time in the studio over the last few months, even releasing previews of his new material, I find it hard to believe that the man has completely run out of ideas or inspiration.

Is this John messing with his fans? Perhaps a tactic to divert attention to John merely days before a new cd/dvd release? Could be. Or maybe, just maybe, this is for real. We'll see, huh?

If he retires, I'm flying to the US and I'm going to smack him upside the head. Raaawr!

Where the Light Is Review

As promised, a review of "Where the Light Is". Keep in mind, this is a review of the CD, not the DVD. I'll be checking that out and reviewing it after the official release.

And so, we begin with...

The Acoustic Set

Beginning with a wonderful bit of acoustic noodling by John, Where the Light Is begins with a solo acoustic version of Neon. The tone of his acoustic set-up is fantastic, a complete contrast to John's electric sound. A full sound, with plenty of midrange and depth. It's almost as if the guitar was mic'd, although I'm sure it's running through a pre-amp. It also strikes me just how much control John has over his voice now, compared to Any Given Thursday.

Next up is Stop this Train. I am beginning to love how John changes a lot of the vocal melodies now, but perhaps the best departure from the studio version of this song is the little whistling solo. It's fantastic, even if it's a bit different for John. Regardless, this is another top class performance. Two songs in, and I'm already in love with this recording.

And then comes In Your Atmosphere. I imagine people will call this "another pop ballad", but this song radiates with relevance. It certainly reflects John's situation right now, and the guitar work in this song is just incredible. Absolutely beautiful. In fact, I would say this is my favourite song in the entire acoustic set.

I just want to state again that John's voice is absolutely incredible now. He is absolutely in his prime.

At this point, John is joined by Robbie MacIntosh, who is in my opinion one of the best slide guitarists in contemporary music. After a brief slide piece, Daughters begins, and once again, John mixes things up with new vocal melodies and one or two subtle lyrical adjustments. Absolutely fantastic performance here, once again. I also believe that Robbie MacIntosh is the real Pièce de résistance of John's band (Other than John himself). His slide guitar skills have brought an entirely new dynamic to the band, and even with just Robbie and John on their own, he seems to bring out the best of the lead parts of songs like Daughters.

John has been playing Free Fallin' at his shows quite a bit recently, and it's of no surprise that he performs it in Where the Light Is. Let me assure you, folks; this isn't a bad thing! It's a fantastic performance of a classic song, into which John pours his heart and soul into. It's just a shame the song only lasts for four minutes.

With the acoustic set over, we now move onto...

The Trio Set

DEAR GOD I LOVE THE JOHN MAYER TRIO.

Now we've got that out of the way, the Trio set kicks off with Every Day I Have the Blues. This is a complete groove-blues-fest. Seriously. It's AWESOME. John seems to have made the transition from a blues singer/guitarist whose influences shine through in his work into his own entity all-together, and this song is a great testament to this. The leads in this song are fantastic, particularly the second solo which includes fantastic use of a wah pedal. The trio is back, and in top form!

Next up is Wait Until Tomorrow, one of the two Jimi Hendrix pieces you will hear. John really does Jimi justice, just as he did on Try! I just want to point out that John's electric guitar tone thus far has been phenomenal, especially considering the simplicity of his rig. The clean tones are bright and shimmering, whereas the overdrive is sharp, but with clarity.

And here comes my absolute favourite Trio tune, Who Did You Think I Was. This song is just plain dirty. I love it. John belts out every line and every lick with conviction here. Once the song wraps up, the Trio break into a very Hendrix-esque jam, with John laying down some fantastic licks. Pino's bass lines are incredible, by the way. I honestly believe that Pino should take over Dela's place in the main band. It probably won't happen, but it would make me giddy as hell. :D

And now, one of the newer Trio songs, Come When I Call. Anybody who calls the Trio a "faux blues trio" has now officially been shut up. I love the fact that John is experimenting with new guitars, using semi-acoustics as well as the usual array of Stratocasters. The tonal difference is clear, and I mean this in a very good way.

Where the Light Is features the single most incredible rendition of Good Love Is On the Way you will EVER hear. Just the intro is phenomenal. Words simply don't do it justice. You have to hear it to believe it. Seriously. I cannot stress enough just how far John's voice has come over the years. The man can SING, people.

Out of My Mind begins with a typical bit of John Mayer banter as he plays. And I quote...

"Let me first say how wonderful it feels to know that it's 2007 and we just launched into a slow blues in LA, and 7,000 people just went nuts."

They had every reason to go nuts; this is John's epic improvisation piece, and he handles it wonderfully. John captures such emotion with his guitar playing, which is something every good guitarist strives to achieve, and few actually succeed in doing. The man has all bases covered; even the tone has changed to fit the mood of the song.

God, I love the John Mayer Trio. Can you tell?

I wasn't expecting the Trio to play Vultures, but none the less, they kicked the song's ass. In fact, I'm beginning to prefer the simplicity of the Trio playing it rather than the main band. After all, it's a funky-blues track and as such, only needs a solid groove and a good lead guitarist. I think Steve and Pino provide the groove, and well, do I need to go into John's guitar skills? Nope, I didn't think so!

The Trio wraps up with another Jimi Hendrix track, Bold as Love. It's not something John has played live very often, perhaps out of fear that he wouldn't do Hendrix justice, but I certainly didn't have any concerns in anticipation of this track, and I'm glad to say I was right. I think this was a very good choice as a song to wrap up with , especially with the absolutely fantastic banter between the solos!

With the trio set over, we come to perhaps the most anticipated part of Where the Light Is...

The John Mayer Set

An all too familiar drum beat kicks off, and so the John Mayer band break into Waiting on the World to Change, playing it the way it should be played; with pure energy and conviction. I was excited to hear this since the trailer for the DVD came out, and I was not disappointed. I particularly enjoyed the second part of the solo, but all in all this was one hell of a performance.

Slow Dancing in a Burning Room is intense. The emotional content of this song really shines through, and as usual, the guitar playing is unrivaled. The lead harmony towards the end is a fantastic edition that they whip out for live performances, and I'm glad they didn't leave it out for Where the Light Is. All together, this is a powerful song.

Slow Dancing is immediately followed by a shortened version of Why Georgia; John immediately sings along with the intro. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, in my opinion. I always found the guitar piece at the start of the song could get repetitive, but either way, this is a fantastic song that is executed to perfection. It truly exemplifies why I love John Mayer so much; he is a musician who pours so much emotion into his music. When I hear the lyrics, I believe them.

The Heart of Life always reminded me of Chet Atkins. I don't know why, maybe it's just the rhythmic guitar playing. Anyway, this was well placed into the set, giving a calm little break from the energy of Why Georgia. The little fade-out is executed to perfection.

I Don't Need No Doctor is just plain freakin' AWESOME. The arrangements gave it such a big sound, and the brass section really shines when they take over the main solo, which I thought was a fantastic idea that was well executed.

Where the Light Is features the single most incredible performance of Gravity you will ever hear. From the mellow guitar intro to the epic solo, featuring the lyrics from a collaboration John did with Buddy Guy (I've got dreams to remember), to the epic solo, this song will blow you away. This song is, without a doubt, the highlight of the album. Hands down. No dispute.

Gravity is followed up by I Don't Trust Myself, which features something towards the end that I absolutely adore. John has been doing this a lot lately during his shows, and it's the subtle key change. It really highlights the change of mood towards the end of the song, and I hope this is a permanent addition to the arrangement of the song. I've always had a soft spot for this song, and I'm glad to see that it was played so well.

Following an epic guitar intro, the band plays a searing version of Belief, bursting at the seams with energy and emotion. In fact, this performance is the reason I chose Belief as the namesake for this blog. David Ryan Harris' little rhythm-solo is great, making me fully appreciate his contribution to the band as a whole. Once again (Last time I swear!) I have to point out just how incredible John's vocal performance is during this show. I swear, this is the man in his prime!

All must good things must come to an end, so John ends with a good thing; I'm Gonna Find Another You. I especially love how John, David and Robbie all take a whack at improvised solos half-way through the song. Each member of the band add their own dynamic, but at the same time they gel so well as a unit. It's a beautiful thing, I swear!

All in all, Where the Light Is takes it's place as one of John's best productions to date. He's sure as hell came a long way since Your Body is a Wonderland! Okay, that was cheap, but I can only listen to that song so many times.

Marks out of ten? Not to sound like a complete fan boy (Too late, this is a JM blog!) but it deserves a ten out of ten. As a live album, it ticks every box. I'm going to be listening to Where the Light Is for years to come.

Belief!

Howdy everyone!

So, here we are. This is the beginning of Belief, a John Mayer blog which will be dedicated to one of the most talented singer/songwriter/guitarists in modern music, and that's exactly what it's going to be about; John Mayer's artistic pursuits.

If you've come for celebrity gossip or paparazzi-esque John Mayer stalking, this isn't your kind of blog, and you should probably look elsewhere.

Coming up very soon: A review of "Where the Light Is"!