Why it’s still worth seeing John Mayer live- even if you don’t love his new stuff.
Slow Dancing In a Burning Room.
This is beautiful. It’s always the nuance of his playing that really hits home with me. His embrace of new style seems to have opened him up to playing these older songs from a new place. And while it’s new, while it’s fresh, while it’s relevant to him it becomes dramatic to us. He’s never played this song this way before and that leaves one with the feeling that one is viewing a moment of true expression. It’s a little more tender still because this song is a rediscovery more than a discovery moment.When I talk about the nuance in his playing I’m talking about subtleties such as the new strumming pattern, or the jazzed up chords in the middle/solo section. My second favourite moment (number one comes later) is the 2:09 section chord that really builds the tension to resolve.
The improvised harmonies were just that: Improvised. And that really proves how in the moment he was here, and how much joy he got from it all was obvious at the end. Musicianship in it’s most gentle and touching form.
And listen- his voice sounds great again!
this is beautiful!
