John Mayer brought his Sob Rock tour through Philadelphia, PA’s Wells Fargo Center on Friday night and brought with him a welcome reprieve from the last few years of quarantine.
With COVID-safe protocols still in effect for both the audience and the media, John had the capacity crowd swaying, singing, and somehow asking him when he’d be getting a haircut. Although John was stuck on this aspect through the duration of the show—and informed the crowd his next one was taking place this Sunday—it was a key indicator of the easy-going happiness and excitement John shared with the Philadelphia audience.
After a lively opening set by Alexander 23, Mayer and his band pulled from every corner of his expansive catalog. Classic hits like “Your Body is a Wonderland” and “Belief” were interspersed with the new cuts from Sob Rock, including the soothingly synth-y “Last Train Home” and bluesy, relationship-mourning “Shouldn’t Matter But It Does”.
Related: John Mayer Introduces New-Look ‘Sob Rock Tour’ Band Lineup [Photos]
Backing guitarist/vocalist David Ryan Harris delivered an incredibly enjoyable cover of “The Beautiful Ones” by Prince, while percussionist Lenny Castro got to dip his toes back into his archive with a quick, percussive nod to “Africa” by his group, Toto. Mayer paid tribute to his friend and comedian, the late Bob Saget, during his performance of “I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You)”, with Saget’s face drawn in neon lines adorning the bedroom wall on the CGI screen behind him.
Mayer’s genuine appreciation for the continued popularity of 2009’s Battle Studies, which he thought was a somewhat ordinary record, with the lovesick anthem “Edge of Desire”. Raw, real, and honest, the moment was a prime example of the connection that has built him a dedicated audience over the course of two decades.
Perhaps the most moving moment of the night was the guitar solo during “Changing”, a cut from his 2017 album, The Search for Everything. It’s rare to see such mastery of an instrument live in full display, but Mayer takes the solos to new heights and depths. The words fall away and the emotion pours from the guitar as he plays, reminding you that sometimes, the best way to express complex emotions is to let them live through the strings.
Below, check out a full setlist, a selection of videos, and a gallery of photos via photographer Adam Barnard.
John Mayer will continue his Sob Rock tour on Sunday and Monday with a pair of performances at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. For a full list of upcoming tour dates, head here.
John Mayer – “Shot In The Dark”, “Waitin’ On The Day”, “Wild Blue” – 2/18/21
John Mayer – “Your Body Is A Wonderland”, “Changing”, “Trust” – 2/18/21
[Videos: Jim Powers]
Setlist: John Mayer | Wells Fargo Center | Philadelphia, PA | 2/18/21
Set: Last Train Home, Belief, Queen of California, Love on the Weekend, Shot in the Dark, Waitin’ on the Day, Wild Blue, Who Says, Still Feel Like Your Man, Your Body Is A Wonderland, Changing, I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You), Edge of Desire, Carry Me Away, The Beautiful Ones (Prince), Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, Shouldn’t Matter But It Does, New Light, Waiting on the World to Change
Encore: Dear Marie, Gravity
