Written by Alyssa Fasolino
John Mayer hit the MVP Arena on Thursday, February 19 for the opening of his much awaited Sob Rock Tour, promoting his most recent album by the same name. The stage design and look of the show gave off the ’80s aesthetic that Mayer has aligned Sob Rock with, invoking the decade of analog, windbreakers and neon.
Chicago-born Alexander 23 opened the show with an incredible 11-song set. Playing a good mix of songs off his just-now released (02/19/22) album Oh No, Not Again! he was an excellent crowd warmer. “Cry Over Boys” and “Brainstorm” were especially fun to dance along to.
When John hit the stage the room filled with cheers of excitement and love for the artist. Opening with “Last Train Home,” the first single from the new album, the legend addressed the audience, “Albany, welcome to the Sob Rock era.” From that moment, the crowd was locked in for a full night of new and classic favorites.
John Mayer has carved himself a place in music history, known for his smooth voice, and blues inspired guitar playing, which was plentiful during the show. His love for playing music is always apparent while he is on stage. The whole show combined the sing-along energy of your favorite popstar’s concerts and the groove of your favorite jam show. Mid-way through the show he told the audience very seriously, “We are prepared to make you move.” And move they did, everyone was on their feet the entire night.
Just as integral to the night was Mayer’s backing band. One highlight includes a jam-battle of John vs. his keys player, Greg Phillinganes, on keytar during a particularly jam-heavy “Helpless.” The audience was also lucky enough to hear perhaps John’s most famous song “Your Body is a Wonderland,” played for the first time with a full band. The song, a classic, was made anew by the full band accompaniment. Even John acknowledged this telling the audience, “Only a band like this could make a song feel that good.” The full arena singing along certainly helped, too.
One fan received a special shout out during the show when John pointed them out saying, “This person understood an assignment that hasn’t even been given yet!” The audience member donned 80’s inspired gear, Walkman attached to them. John was so delighted by this he even took a minute to get the camera on the fan who showed off their look with pride to the audience.
You could sense John was grateful to be there, like many artists who have had their live-touring plans disrupted or delayed these past two years. He even took a minute to share his gratitude with the crowd. “A lot of things have changed in the world, your tastes have changed, but you decided to come back and listen to these songs, and that means the world to me.” Which he followed with an early fan-favorite from his Continuum album, “Gravity,” while audience members held up phone flashlights to make the room sparkle. Even in a full arena, this moment felt intimate and special. The full show ended with an encore, including songs “Born and Raised” and “New Light.”
There was excitement and admiration as the audience left the arena following the show. John Mayer is known for his charisma and ability to make people fall in love with him over and over again. There is no doubt that he had succeeded at this once again during this Thursday night show in Albany.
This was the first stop on the Sob Rock national tour. Mayer heads to NYC for a two-night run at Madison Square Garden on February 20 and 21 and will be back in New York State on March 1 at the UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY. Check out the full list of dates for the Sob Rock tour here. And if you attend one of the shows – don’t forget your Walkman!
Setlist: Last Train Home, Shot In The Dark, I Don’t Trust Myself With Loving You, Who Says, Love On The Weekend, Moving On And Getting Over, Shouldn’t Matter But It Does, Rosie, I Guess I Just Feel Like, Helpless, Stop This Train, In The Blood, Carry Me Away, The Beautiful Ones @, Slow Dancing In A Burning Room, Your Body Is A Wonderland, Wild Blue, All I Want Is To Be With You, Waiting On The World To Change, Gravity
Encore: Born And Raised, New Light
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