John Mayer returned to the stage over the weekend for his first full-band performances in three years. After concluding his Sob Rock tour, Mayer toured the world playing solo acoustic arena shows and performed with Dead & Company on the band’s final tour and Dead Forever Sphere residency. He also joined Mark Lettieri Group at the PRS Guitars 40th Anniversary Party at the House of Blues in Annaheim, CA earlier this year and has been accompanying Matthew McConaughey on his Poems & Prayers Revival Book Tour, but Friday marked his first public performance with his full band since 2022.
Those wondering about the lineup of Mayer’s touring outfit got a preview of the band at a private show benefitting Mayer’s Heart and Armor Foundation for Veterans Health, where he was joined by Aaron Sterling on drums, Sean Hurley on bass, Isaiah Sharkey on guitar, Greg Phillinganes on keys, Lenny Castro on percussion, and Tiffany Palmer and Carlos Ricketts on backing vocals. Only 100 supporters and veterans attended the show at Hollywood’s Henson Recording Studios on Thursday, September 18th, which served as the launch for a new campaign to support University of California, San Francisco’s research into the role of sleep in veteran health.
The band then made its public debut on Friday, September 26th, headlining the two-day Y-Live 2025 at Wean Park in Youngstown, OH. The audience was a mix of devoted fans and people just looking to enjoy a Friday night out, but Mayer had no trouble winning the whole crowd over by the end of his set, which would also be true of the following two nights.
On Saturday, Mayer opened for country star Zach Bryan at Michigan Stadium, a.k.a “The Big House,” in Ann Arbor at what would turn out to be the largest ticketed concert in U.S. history with 112,408 ticketed attendees. Bryan welcomed Mayer back to the stage during his set to sit in on “Friend of the Devil” by the Grateful Dead, who held the same record for over 45 years until it was broken by George Strait in 2024. In an Instagram post, Mayer said, “What [Bryan’s] accomplished is truly phenomenal, and to share the bill with him was a real honor.”
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Finally, on Sunday, Mayer and his band headlined Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival in Franklin, TN. The performance echoed the casual nature of his solo acoustic shows in the way he spoke candidly to the crowd and responded to song requests presented on cardboard signs, supplementing the setlist which was otherwise consistent with the previous nights.
“It was great to take the stage in Youngstown, OH and Franklin, TN this weekend,” Mayer reflected in a social media post. “It’s been three years since my last show with this brilliant band, and it felt great to play these songs again. And what great, love-filled crowds.” He went on to hint at plans to record new material, adding, “Two more shows next weekend, and then it’s back in the studio.”
Check out fan-shot footage of John Mayer and his band below.
The only 2025 dates remaining on Mayer’s tour schedule are a pair of festival appearances at Palm Tree Festival in Montecito, CA, and Rise Festival in Jean, NV. He also just announced a run of solo shows in Bahrain, Mumbai, and the UAE in January 2026. Find more information and tickets here.
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John Mayer – “I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You)” – 9/26/25
[Video: John Mayer France]
John Mayer – “Slow Dancing In A Burning Room” – 9/26/25
[Video: John Mayer France]