just keep me where the light is

----This is a post I started on Sunday, but didn't finish until now----

Went and saw Mr. Mayer on Saturday. He was co-headlining with Sheryl Crow, but I definitely thought he would be playing last. Sadly, Aubrey and I were dismayed when John came out before Sheryl, which we were almost certain would mean we would get no encore performance from him (which is the best part!!). Unfortunately, we were right, but he still played a decent length set and was worth every penny.
I have a particularly unique bond with John’s music because I feel like as I’ve matured and made the slow transition into adulthood, his music has simultaneously done the same. I first saw him at the Greek in Berkeley back in August 2002, just as his catchy pop single “No Such Thing” was becoming big. Heavier Things came out in September 2003 and showed a more introspective and musically diverse side of John. Last year, a huge change in John’s musical repertoire was concurrent with a huge change in my life---getting married. The John Mayer Trio album was released in November 2005, and it definitely didn’t sound anything like the same guy who did Room for Squares. Anyone who has read articles on John knows that his passion is the blues. The album with his trio clearly exhibits this, and it sounds like he has found his home in a musical sense.
Then comes Continuum. For me, it’s been an acquired taste. However, this isn’t a bad thing—it demonstrates that John Mayer challenges himself to grow musically and the end result is truly rewarding. This is the most stripped down of his records, and this allows him to really bare his soul, talking honestly about the reasons for our generation’s apathy (Waiting on the World to Change), his fear of aging (Stop this Train), and the brokenness experienced in past relationships (Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, In Repair, I Don’t Trust Myself). Now it’s in my cd player non-stop and I enjoy soaking it in, one track at a time. And I realize as I listen that this is why I praise God for music, it’s ability to help me process life and all of its changes. And I look forward to what stage of life I'll be in when the next Mayer album is released.