Dawns on me I have to do some editing. Edited stuff surrounded with "*".
I'm home now and I've had a lot of time to think.I went to the John Mayer concert last night at RPI.
Wow.
I don't know what to say now that my ideal concert fantasy was completely fulfilled. *It was fun, I really enjoyed the show. I stuck around afterwards for an hour and a half in the cold to see if he'd come out.*
I called myself on my cellphone and recorded parts of "Covered in Rain" and "Something's Missing." I was about 15 feet back from the stage and it was incredible. *I was happy that he played all the songs I wanted to hear, including the previously mentioned ones. I screamed a lot and lost about a gallon of sweat or something but it was worth it. Being there with my friends just before we went home for Thanksgiving break made it more meaningful.*
But I had some sort of startling revelation last night as I stood there watching John play. I kinda felt like I'd been at his shows before (and in a way, I've downloaded so many live mp3s that I sort of already have been).
I didn't quite know what it was until I waited outside in the cold with Lydia, Cathy, Kevin and Kristen for John to come out. I met his guitarist, Michael Chaves and we spoke for a few minutes. Cool guy. Me likey.
It struck me as I saw the hype over John Mayer during and after the show. The screaming girls saying they wanted to have his babies and a girl I knew yelling that she loved him. *Just to be clear, I was yelling too, it was more of a screaming yell than any intelligible words. Yet, I was completely silent once he sang "Comfortable" because I knew that if I sang along I would cry. It got the best of me. Very intense and emotional.*
There was a moment of Zen for me because I lost myself in the music and was able to watch someone else (John) vocalize all the shit I've been through in his music (melodies more than lyrics). I just let everything go for that hour and a half he played. *I have to say that I have never felt more connected to someone's music than I did during his set. My mind was able to just let go of everything that has been bothering me for the last three weeks; mono, exes, roommate, health... For my first real social outing in three weeks, this one is burned in my memory as a great way to get back to myself.*
I started wondering if John had any idea how much his music truly affects people. I don't think I'll ever know the answer to this and I don't want to. His head would probably implode if he actually thought about it in that perspective.
I saw something last night that I haven't been able to see in him through pictures online, his voice streaming through my car stereo, or mp3s on winamp.
I saw a very lucky man making music. Let me elaborate. I saw an ordinary guy who just happens to have this extraordinary vocal and instrumental talent. He's just a guy. Beautiful, but just a young man making a living off his natural talents. *I think Fruvous gets credit for this one...well, the band and my now defunct friendship with Jian. Throughout the course of the last three years, I was able to see that these are just four regular Joes trying to make a living. A year after I've seen any aspect of the band perform, I've come to realize that musicians in general are the same as me. Human. We are on the same level...They've just got more money than I do.*
I don't know if this entry makes any sense to anyone who reads it...but I guess what the bottom line is is that I only have one regret about going to the concert last night: it has eliminated the fantasy of my first show.
It's not a bad thing, that's not what I'm saying...it's just a thing. I just realized that he's human. He is no different than you or I.
John Mayer is just a man and I think I respect him more after going and seeing him perform than I did before last night.
So it is a good thing.
*I don't mean for this entry to sound as though I've got a superiority complex, I'm better than other people or that I'm a bigger fan because I'm saying this stuff. I'll still get nervous should I ever get the chance to meet John Mayer. Because, in spite of everything I say, I'll still get intimidated by his double whammy of talent and charisma. By no means am I immune to it ;-).*
