Hanging With My Rock Star

The above video, found on UTube, was shot Sunday night at a little club in Hollywood, at an impromptu show given by John Mayer! They have become very popular, hard to get into and are used by JM to work out the kinks in the new material he is working on. These shows are seen as symbolic although not for the same reason. To some, they may be symbolic of the ego maniac they perceive JM to be! To others, they are seen as a sign of his giving back to his fans as not only are the shows very intimate, they are cheap! When else would you see a major music star for $5?

I was at dinner in Woodland Hills when I got the Tweet than John was playing at the Hotel Cafe in a couple of hours! I paid my portion of the bill, got my car out of Valet and took off! I think the tweet was maybe 20 mins old when I saw it and figured it was early enough in the game to get in! It was ...barely! After about an hour, I walked into the packed club! I excused my way up to the front and wasn't much farther from the stage than the person that shot the video!

That's me saying "he says he's on his way", in response to a Tweet reference by Mr. John Mayer! I think the fan interaction that is possible in a tiny club with 75 or so people is what makes these Hotel Cafe shows so popular! There is no way you would get that intimate in an arena w/20,000 people! You just can't! Something about the small, dark atmosphere of the Hotel Cafe lends to a comfortable environment you don't get elsewhere!

The music was stellar! John played a few faves like "Waiting On The World To Change" and "Neon" and debuted some new stuff that I imagine are songs on the new record. "Friends, Lovers or Nothing" was good as was "Heartbreak Warfare". My moment was when John asked what to play and amidst hormonal yellings for his more sappy stuff I jokingly yelled out "Purple Haze"! I was so surprized when he launched into a funky 4-minute version of the Hendrix classic! He put his spin on it and it rocked!

Tiny club shows, tweets, blogs, cruises! These things keep John close to the fans and vice versa! Add to that an lethal songwriting/guitar playing talent and you have someone that is going to be around awhile. It is going to be interesting to see the musician he becomes as I believe his best work is a head of him. That is, if he doesn't die of starlet dating exhaustion. I have faith in his ability to work it all out and continue on the path to greatness. It will be worth the wait.