I'm outing myself as a John Mayer stan. I think he's fucking amazing and one of the most talented people ever.
My mom and I saw him in Birmingham on Tuesday night and we were both floored. The show was so good I came about thisclose to throwing out some money and going to see him again in Nashville the next night.
The day after my show, of course, was the day where his comments to Playboy hit the fan, and the Nashville show was where he broke down during "Gravity." A kid in my religion class was at the Nashville show and said the entire show was awkward. I'm sad. I wish I'd gone now, just to support my boy.
I know a lot of people think John's a douche, and he does come off that way a lot of the time. There's no excuse for some of the stuff he's said, especially in this interview, other than being a douche. Do I think John the person is a douche, though? Not especially. I think, like he explained, John the media presence needed to push the envelope and be that douche. And I don't think that's who he is, not at all. I think he and I have a lot in common, but most specifically I think that he and I both have that pressure to put yourself out there so far to deflect reality.
I don't think douchebaggery is terminal, though. He's got this, if he really wants to turn over a new leaf. I think everyone's going to make mistakes and hurt people sometimes, sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. The lessons you take from these things is a testament to me on whether or not someone is a good person or a bad one.
John Mayer saved my life in 2002. I'll spare you the details other than that to say without him I probably would not be around right now. He got me through some hard times and I'm willing to support him through his hard times, too.
Birmingham setlist:
Heartbreak Warfare
Crossroads
Bigger Than My Body
I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)
Perfectly Lonely
Assassin
In Your Atmosphere w/Something's Missing (acoustic; said he wrote it on the bus in Birmingham and that he didn't remember the words - he did)
Free Fallin' (acoustic)
Say
Edge Of Desire
Half Of My Heart w/Dreams (Fleetwood Mac)
Why Georgia
Waiting On the World To Change
Who Says
Gravity w/You Can't Always Get What You Want
Before "Say," he said there was a girl on the front row who was "the cutest girl he'd ever seen" and that she knew all the words and he kept flailing over how cute she was. During "Say" they put her up on the screen - she was about 10, maybe 11, with braces and knew every damn word of the song (they put her on the screen several times after that and she damn well knew those songs too). He sang in her general direction for the better part of the night and gave her a setlist. It was presh.