KEY POINTS:
Well I have to say, John Mayer, I'm a little offended. All this time I thought you thought my body was a wonderland. You've obviously changed your tune.
Omitting his biggest hit from his set on Sunday night isn't the only thing Mayer has changed since he last graced a New Zealand stage 2 1/2 years ago. He has new songs that, aside from hit single Waiting on the World to Change, have little in common with his early, girl-pleasing hits. He has new hair, all the better for hiding behind. He also appears to have new stage presence.
For the first few songs, he doesn't smile - he simply shuts his eyes as if transporting himself somewhere else, and plays as though there's no one else in the room. He doesn't even dance like he used to. He must have grown up.
Perhaps it's not surprising Mayer has become a more reticent performer. After the huge success of his first two albums - and that sensual single that had women everywhere thinking about his hands - he's made it clear he's not entirely comfortable with the ladies' man tag. An association with Jessica Simpson probably hasn't helped things.
Instead, he opens his set by losing himself in the bluesier end of his repertoire. He is undeniably a talented R&B guitarist, and his band - though not all of them the coolest looking musos - are as much a presence on stage as Mayer himself. But after a few minutes of what feels like a session of his side project the John Mayer Trio, the crowd are getting restless. They came to see the sophisticated singer-songwriter who provided the soundtrack to their second serious relationship. This feels more like a lesson in how clever Mayer can be, rather than a genuine attempt to connect with his audience.
It's not until halfway through he appears to relax, inviting the crowd to join in on Waiting but not really caring when we stop singing along. The mood also lifts when he plays Continuum's more emotional material: Belief, Dreaming with a Broken Heart and Vultures, even if the latter calls to mind soft 80s pop. Old favourites like No Such Thing feel a world away from the new Mayer but they do show a lighter side to a man who seems intent on proving his depth.
Who: John Mayer
Where and when: St James, Sunday
