The John Mayer Concert- The Detailed Story

As most of you know I had the amazing opportunity to go to the John Mayer concert Saturday night in Washington D.C.  My husband, Brian, knows one of the band members, Sean Hurley, and was able to get us 4 tickets to the show and VIP backstage passes.  Ty and Ladybug were going to their fist concert in style!  I was so dang excited for many reasons but I was super excited to meet Sean, the bass player, I was pumped to see "behind the scenes," and I was lovin' the fact that I would get to see John Mayer in concert...up close.   I am just a little ole country girl who doesn't get to touch the fast lane very much.

We arrived at the Verizon Center in D.C. after about a 2 hour car ride.  After a quick phone call to Sean letting him know we had arrived, we found our seats and met Sean beside the stage.  He was so welcoming and put us immediately at ease.  It was like talking to a long time friend.  He took us to a family meeting room where we talked about our families and life in general.  He was so kind to include Ty and Ladybug in the conversation as well.  After chatting for a while he offered to take us on a tour of the backstage area.  We passed John Mayer's dressing room (but did not ask to meet him) and then we came to the band's dressing room.  First, Sean made sure everyone was dressed and then he invited us in.  We were pleased to meet the famous guitarists Robbie McIntosh (who just played live at the Superbowl half time show with The Who) and David Ryan Harris.  We also met one of John's backup singers but her name slips my mind right now.

 

 

 Sean asked if Ty would like to play one of Mr. Harris' guitars and Ty's eyes lit up!  Of course he would!  Ty sat down in one of the chairs in the dressing room and started playing.  We all thought it was one of Mr. Harris' old guitars, but come to find out it was actually a guitar that he used on stage that very night.  Ty was in heaven!  I had fun chatting with Mr. McIntosh about his horses and his wife's experience in hunt riding.  He is from England and I was in love with his accent.  Everyone was kind and welcoming.

After hanging in the dressing room, Sean asked if we would like to see the band's tour bus.  Um, OF COURSE we would!  On the way to the see the tour bus, we walked through the backstage area while the warm up band was playing.  It was so surreal.  You could hear the band, hear the fans screaming, the lights were pumping...it was just amazing.  I am at such a sorry lack of words to describe the sensory input that was happening.  Craziness...just pure happy craziness. 

We also saw all the tractor trailers that haul the equipment from city to city (including the tractor trailer that hauls the workout gym!)  We saw guitar cases lined up...television screens...I can't even remember what all was there.  Just mind boggling the amount of stuff that gets put up, torn down, and moved each time they move to a new city.

So we finally get to the tour bus.  Sean opens the door and who is sitting there but Charlie Wilson, the keyboard player!  He was hanging in the bus with some of his friends (or family, I am not sure).  He was really funny chatting to us about what life on the bus is like.

As we are walking through this amazing bus (house on wheels), we squeeze through the bunk section and we bump into Steve Jordan, the drum player!  He was rolling out of bed getting ready for the concert!  We end up in the very back of the bus where there is a sitting area and we all plop down and chat a while longer.  Sean offers the kids the band's candy (some kind of sour thing) and they were more than happy to have some.  The picture below is Brian and Ty sitting on the tour bus.

 

After the tour bus, Sean had to get ready to go on stage, so we found our way back to the stage.  Sean allowed us to hang back behind stage a few more minutes and take in the opening band's performance.  It was so surreal standing there (with people in the audience staring at you wondering who you are to get VIP passes and be with the band) watching the crowd go crazy and the band play just feet away from you.  We could also watch the "behind the scenes" people work the lights and speakers and tune instruments.  The picture below is when we first stepped from behind the curtains backstage and emerged onto the stadium floor.  The opening band, Michael Franti and Spearhead, was playing.  If you click on that link, you can see a video that Michael made that very night!  (We were able to say hello to him also backstage...nice guy!)  Look for the video that says Washington D.C.

  

Some of the guitars waiting for their turn in the show...stage crew will bring the correct guitar on stage to the musicians for certain songs.

This is looking out to the crowd...the stage is to the left.  The lady in the front (in purple jacket) is with the band Spearhead and was just about to take the stage.  I am sorry I don't know her name!

 

  

  The picture below was taken from our seats as Michael Franti and Spearhead were playing their hit song, Say Hey (I Love You).  They invited people up on stage.  You can see part of the performance on the video I was telling you about on their website.

Here is a video from You Tube of Hey (I Love You):



After that song, John Mayer and his band came out and rocked the crowd!  Here you can see Sean Hurley playing bass in the center of the frame.  In the foreground playing guitar is Robbie McIntosh.

  

John came out wearing a jacket, but that didn't last long!

  

After the first song, he took of the jacket and hes showed off his arms and tattoos in a black tank.

 

Check out the fans in the far right corner of this picture...is that swooning or what?

 

 

  

Why Georgia was his last song, but the crowd would not have it.  We screamed and he came out to do two more songs...Gravity and Who Says.  They wrapped the stage in mesh and projected live shots of him on all three sides while he sang.  You can see how small he looks in the picture below.  He is in the far right bottom corner with the spotlight on him.

  

Sean Hurley, Robbie McIntosh, and John Mayer jammin'!

 

You can say what you want about John Mayer, but no one can deny that fact that he can play a mean guitar. How sexy is it that he was on the floor rockin' it out!?!

 

Here is the complete setlist from the evening:

Heartbreak Warfare

Crossroads

No Such Thing

Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

Perfectly Lonely3x5 (tease)

Comfortable (tease) 

My Stupid Mouth (tease)

Wonderland (tease)

Neon (tease)

Waiting On The World To Change (w/ Michael Franti)

Belief

Assassin

Half of My Heart

Bigger Than My Body

Why Georgia

and the Encore:

Who Says

Gravity

I am completely, 100% sure that I am missing so much from this story.  

I will think about it later and be mad I forgot to tell you something.

There was just so much.  

Sorry the pics aren't that great, but they all were shot with a point and shoot.

I hope you enjoyed your look into our evening!

Thanks for sharing my enthusiasm for this once in a lifetime experience.

Hugs,

Tracey