John Mayer Performs Monumental ‘Search for Everything’ Show at Madison Square Garden [Review]
John Mayer brought his The Search For Everything World Tour to New York City last night (Apr. 5), and it seems the superstar has already found his wonderland in a sold-out Madison Square Garden.
Mayer brought a few surprises out for the new tour with what he calls a “dream screen, dream team and a dream scheme.” With seven albums and counting, the guitar icon brought a catalogue of hits to a show built around five different chapters.
Chapter 1: Full Band saw Mayer and his band take to the stage to perform "Moving on and Getting Over" and "Helpless" from his new album. The singer-songwriter also took a moment to tell the crowd how he and his band were prepared to play anything from his now-massive catalog. Letting it all sink in, he expressed: "This is better than it has ever felt in my entire life, if this is what getting older feels like then I love it."
A quick transition turned the stage into Chapter 2: Acoustic, which showcased the guitarist on stage with an acoustic guitar accompanied by only two background singers. The stage itself turned Madison Square Garden into a Japanese garden, complete with a small bridge and flower petals spewed on screen. Performing a few acoustic songs, including "Walt Grace's Submarine Test," "Emoji Of A Wave" and Tom Petty's "Free Falling," the stage transformed again for the biggest part of the show.
Chapter 3 brought a brief transition, with John Mayer explaining the aspirations he had in mind for the tour. For lucky show goers, myth became reality as John Mayer brought his legendary JM3 Trio back to life with Steve Jordan and Pino Paladino.
"The Trio was bigger than we ever thought, and people came up to us separately asking 'are you ever going to play as a trio again?' The Trio was a huge part of my musical career, it's a chemistry class," he said.
"Every time I play guitar with Steve and Pino, I come face to face with the music and spirit that I loved as a kid, and I always knew the trio would come back when it was time."
The trio began their build-up of heavy blues rock which led into Cream classic, "Crossroads." With a follow up of "Vultures" and Jimi Hendrix Experience's "Bold As Love," Mayer provided guitar solos that could only be reimagined by the skillful performer himself.
The show went back to its previous state for Chapter 4: Full Band Reprise, and the 39-year-old shredded through hit after infectious hit with "Who Says," "Stop This Train," "Queen of California." While strapping on his PRS guitar used for his shows with Dead and Friends, Mayer jammed to Grateful Dead's "Fire on the Mountain," followed by "Why Georgia."
The show then flashed into its fifth and final chapter of the show, Chapter 5: Epilogue, which brought two encores containing the superstar's biggest hits, "Love on the Weekend" and "Gravity," before bringing the show to a close with "You're Gonna Live Forever in Me."
The Search For Everything Tour may have started a few nights ago, but John Mayer may have already found what he's been looking for in the heart of the Big Apple.