The first time I had the chance to experience John Mayer live was in 2006 at the Mod Club. At the time I had no idea who he was, but I fondly remember being impressed by his skills and extended guitar solos. Fast forward 11 years, and it’s pretty evident how Mayer has grown to be one of the best guitarists of his generation. Watching him perform is an experience on it’s own as he gets lost within the music – he literally seems to reinvent the songs as he performs them live. An example of this was when he performed ‘Something Like Olivia’. It was mind boggling to hear it live, as it sounded much groovier than it appears on the album. It’s really like a breath of fresh air, and you can tell that Mayer genuinely enjoys his craft.
Even though The Search For Everything Tour made a stop in Toronto earlier this year, rest assured the set list was completely different. This time around we were treated to songs such as ‘In The Blood’, ‘Waiting on the World to Change’, and ‘Emoji of a Wave’. The beauty of this tour is also the fact that it showcases how Mayer is a well-rounded songwriter and musician. The show starts off with a full band, but then throughout the night it included an acoustic set along with a John Mayer Trio performance before continuing on as a full band.
To top off the night, Toronto was treated to the live debut of ‘Never on the Day You Leave’ as Mayer ended his set. It was definitely a pleasant surprise for fans, as he had admitted in an interview with Billboard that the song was too painful to perform live as it deals with a painful breakup.
