After welcoming Sheryl Crow to sit in in Nashville on Friday, John Mayer continued on his solo acoustic tour, stopping in Cleveland before arriving at State Farm Arena Atlanta, GA on Monday.
Following an opening set from Nashville-based Nigerian-American singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun, Mayer treated the sold-out arena audience to an emotionally intimate performance. He began on acoustic guitar as he has at previous stops but changed things up slightly by unsheathing a 12-string acoustic for “Heartbreak Warfare” after first opening with “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” and “Emoji of a Wave”.
He continued on with some familiar tunes including a cover of Beyoncé‘s “XO”, “Why Georgia”, “Neon”, and “Waitin’ on the Day” before offering the tour debut of “83”. A pairing of “Split Screen Sadness” and “Driftin'” then gave way to a second tour debut, “Something’s Missing / In Your Atmosphere” with a “Wherever I Go” outro.
Mayer delivered an impressive whistle solo in “You’re Gonna Live Forever in Me” and added a new intro and lyrics to “Changing” during the piano portion of the show before returning to acoustic guitar for a few more songs including “Stop This Train”, “In the Blood”, “Who Says”, “Your Body Is a Wonderland”, and “Walt Grace’s Submarine Test, January 1967”.
Breaking out the double-neck acoustic guitar for the final portion of the show, Mayer kept the promise he made to a fan more than a week prior in Pittsburgh to play “A Face to Call Home” in Atlanta. He was taken aback by the fan’s request to play a particular song at a future show in a different city and had vowed to honor the unusual request:
“I’ve seen a lot of signs in my life. I think this is the first time that I’ve seen a sign of someone asking for a song at a future tour stop, which is actually incredible negotiating skills because it’s so patient,” he said, pointing out a sign that read “Face 2 Call Home In ATL.” “That is crazy levels of planning and like weird psychology to get me to be like, ‘It’s not even for right now?’ Yes! I promise you “A Face to Call Home” in Atlanta. Can ya mark it? Can ya mark it that we’ll do “Face to Call Home” it Atlanta? That’s an incredible psychological—that’s a psy-op right there, and I love it.”
According to a comment on social media, the request was made by a fan who went to the Pittsburgh show by himself just to request the song to surprise his girlfriend, who he brought to the show in Atlanta.
John Mayer Responds To “Face 2 Call Home In ATL” Sign In Pittsburgh – 3/18/23
[Video: Experience Wonder]
He finished the double-neck portion of the night with “If I Ever Get Around to Living” and “Edge of Desire”. He then returned for a quick two-song encore comprised of “Shouldn’t Matter but It Does” with a “Forever Young” outro and Tom Petty‘s “Free Fallin'”, which has become his standard show closer after appearing earlier in the set at the the beginning of the tour.
Check out fan-shot videos via NoahhRN and a gallery of photos from John Mayer at State Farm Arena courtesy of photographer Emily Butler below. Mayer’s solo acoustic tour continues tomorrow, Wednesday, March 29th at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO. He just added new dates to the tour, which include encore performances at many of the same venues. For more information click here, and for tickets visit John Mayer’s website.
John Mayer – “Slow Dancing In A Burning Room” – 3/27/23
Setlist: John Mayer | State Farm Arena | Atlanta, GA | 3/27/23
Acoustic: Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, Emoji of a Wave, Heartbreak Warfare (performed with 12 string acoustic), XO (Beyoncé), January 16, 2002: “Room for Squares” Interview, Why Georgia, Neon, Waitin’ on the Day, 83, Split Screen Sadness, Driftin’, Something’s Missing / In Your Atmosphere (With ‘Wherever I Go’ outro)
Piano: New Light > You’re Gonna Live Forever in Me (with whistle solo), Changing (new intro with new lyrics)
Acoustic: “Continuum” Interview, Stop This Train, In the Blood, Who Says, Your Body Is a Wonderland, Walt Grace’s Submarine Test, January 1967
Double-Neck Acoustic: A Face to Call Home (with harmonica, requested by a fan in Pittsburgh), If I Ever Get Around to Living, Edge of Desire
Encore: Shouldn’t Matter but It Does (with “Forever Young” outro), Free Fallin’ (Tom Petty)
Note: Whiskey Whiskey Whiskey was on the printed setlist but not played.
