John Mayer w/ Paramore
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Aug. 19, 2008
Pics coming soon!
The Deal: John Mayer showcases his guitarwork, brings along Warped Tour favorites Paramore.
The Good: Paramore opened up the night with a strong set of rock that usually targets a younger crowd. No doubt their high-energy set won over some new fans. There was no sign of "Your Body is a Wonderland" or "Daughters." Mayer instead showcased his blues side and a few covers, as he continually shredded guitar solos and riffs. Most people probably think of Mayer as a pop-rock, radio-friendly singer, but Mayer has been doing all he can recently to shed that image. He tore through a version of Eric Clapton's "Crossroads," found time to thrown in a Hendrix verse and ended the night with a strong version of Paul Simon's "Boy in the Bubble" in the middle of his encore. The last handful of songs were heavy on the hits that left concert-goers satisfied.
The Bad: Paramore singer Hayley Williams has a "bullring" in her nose not attractive. As a friend said to me, mid-set through John Mayer - there's something odd about a shirtless man playing the blues. About three songs into his set, Mayer stripped off his long-sleeved shirt. Long sleeves?!? It's the summer! Of course, the ladies loved it. The faces Mayer makes while peforming are as entertaining as they are distracting. I'm not too crazy about his version of Tom Petty's "Free Falling." There wasn't a huge crowd and a surprising number of people were seen leaving shortly after 10 p.m.
The Verdict: Mayer's continued guitar prowess will get noticed more and more as time goes on and he'll slowly shed his pop image.
Paramore setlist
Pessimist
That's What You Get
Here We Go Again
Crush,crush,crush
Let the Flames
When it Rains
Decoy
Pressure
Hallelujah
Misery Business
John Mayer setlist
Bigger Than My Body
Belief
I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)
Crossroads
Wheel
Free Falling
Good Love is On the Way
Mercy
Vultures
Find Another You/Stitched Up
No Such Thing/ Why Georgia
Waiting on the World to Change
Gravity
Encore
Who Did You Think I Was
Boy in the Bubble
Say