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John Mayer | 03.01 | Milwaukee

March 9th, 2010 | No Comments

Word by: Cal Roach
| Images by: Derek Dysart

John Mayer :: 03.01.10 :: Bradley Center :: Milwaukee, WI

John Mayer :: 03.01 :: Milwaukee, WI

You have to keep your appreciation for music separate from your opinions about the musicians, even when those musicians are doing everything possible to frustrate your efforts. It’s a slippery slope, and if you’re not careful, you’ll wind up having to throw out all your Beatles and Led Zeppelin records. Still, when a fan passed John Mayer a big cardboard sign that read, “MUSICAL NAPALM,” at the end of his set Monday night, it drove home just how difficult it is lately to ignore his offstage antics. But aside from that moment, it was pretty easy to forget the media shit-storm and enjoy Mayer and his crack rhythm and blues band playing a set of well-oiled American rock and roll.

I’ve always felt that Mayer uses a bit too much of a Dave Matthews-ish raspy affectation to make up for the lack of depth in his voice, but his natural vocals aren’t bad and he doesn’t overreach or make his singing the focal point of the show. Some of the best moments were his harmonizing with backup singers Julie Delgado and Melanie Taylor, particularly on “All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye.” Bottom line: You don’t get the impression that he’s up there faking it; there’s soul buried under the sheen.

The Mayer catalog is essentially split between girl-baiting sensual oozers and smooth blues, resulting in a largely tame but undeniably classy performance. He’s not up there humping the mic stand or blowing kisses; he’s making awkward faces as he wails on his guitar in loose-fitting gray pants. He arranged the set in perfect stylistic balance to please almost any stripe of fan. Although any diehard holdovers from his acoustic troubadour beginnings may not have been satiated by a mere two-song interlude, it was a particular treat, as he debuted an untitled tune he’d just written (“Everything you’ll ever be/ You already are to me”) and played a truly engaging arrangement of Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire” with his own “3X5″ sandwiched inside.

John Mayer :: 03.01 :: Milwaukee, WI

Those unfamiliar with his material got plenty of kick-downs, as Mayer led the band into a portion of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” at the end of “Half Of My Heart” and ended the set with a fierce “Message In A Bottle” jam that bled into “Why Georgia.” However, it was tough to get your head around his rendition of “Crossroads.” It’s a blues Holy Grail that Mayer hasn’t earned the right to sip from, particularly in this hair-gel glossy arrangement and with a super-cheesy LED “psychedelic” backdrop. Still, Mayer’s guitar solos were scorching.

Mayer’s instrumental chops are admittedly derivative, mimicking Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan most blatantly, but he’s not just another pretty guitar-solo face – the guy can play. A couple of sharp duels with David Ryan Harris and ex-Pretender Robbie McIntosh (who also provided some outstanding slide work) proved to be highlights of the set, but there was no question as to who was the star at any point, and mutual admiration beamed from all their faces. He saved his best stuff for the final song of the night, “Gravity,” leaving no doubt that once the pop pinup/tabloid bull’s eye gig dries up he’s got a lot to offer as a guitar hero. The performance was enough to make me believe that deep down, that is what he’s really after.

Michael Franti & Spearhead opened the show and positively made the most of their hour slot. Franti was among the audience for a good third of the show, whether strumming an acoustic from the stands or bringing all the kiddies (and a few somewhat older kiddies) onstage for the sing-along finale of “Say Hey (I Love You).” This guy knows how to get a crowd pumped up and feeling like part of the show. I’d only caught a couple of disruptive guest appearances by Franti before, so this was an eye-opener of a set. Brimming with positivity and charisma that more than made up for the somewhat run-of-the-mill tunes (except the aforementioned “Say Hey;” that thing deserves its hit-single status), Spearhead is a party with a message that the world can use right about now.

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John Mayer
John Mayer
John Mayer
John Mayer
John Mayer
John Mayer
John Mayer
John Mayer
John Mayer
John Mayer
John Mayer
John Mayer
John Mayer
John Mayer
John Mayer
John Mayer
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Michael Franti & Spearhead

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Chris Berry Trio with Kimock | 03.01 | Ukiah

March 6th, 2010 | No Comments

Words by: Zack Sampsel | Images by: Rob Burgess

Chris Berry Trio with Steve Kimock :: 03.01.10 :: Ukiah Brewing Company :: Ukiah, CA

Kimock & Berry – CB3 :: 03.01 :: Ukiah, CA

The Chris Berry Trio returned to the certified organic confines of the Ukiah Brewing Company once again, this time with guitar legend Steve Kimock in tow, and gave the Redwood Empire crowd a lesson in feel-good fun and psychedelic exploration.

The evening began with a solo set from Steven Bates on acoustic guitar, who at first struck me as a woodsy version of James Blunt mixed with the voice of Bob Dylan. As the crowd packed in, Bates utilized a strong catalog of covers to raise the temperature on a damp Monday night. Launching into a strong rendition of The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life,” Bates evoked some Phish-y thoughts and a sing-along from the eclectic and equally colorful crowd. Bates also showed off his mandolin skills with a heartfelt rendition of Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” that immediately had this Widespread Panic fan thinking of John Bell and the Marley raps he peppers throughout versions of “Stop-Go.”

Previously when CB3 visited Ukiah last summer, Berry brought with him longtime friend and Panjea member Michael Kang of String Cheese Incident fame, but the revolving door of CB3 guest musicians had turned and with it came Steve Kimock. Throughout the nation, and the West Coast in particular, Kimock has made guest appearances with a plethora of bands and brings with him a legion of loyal followers – for good reason, too. Kimock, Berry and Aaron Johnston and Jesse Murphy, both of Brazilian Girls (though Murphy is no longer an active member), took the stage to show Ukiah just what they had up their sleeves.

Kimock – CB3 :: 03.01 :: Ukiah, CA

Opening with “Come Away,” Berry wasted no time in getting out his unique mbira and filling the Brew Co. with its xylophone-meets-organ sound, and the crowd loved it. From Kimock’s upstroke guitar riffs to the bouncy, rolling tones of the mbira, the inimitable sound of CB3 was locked in and the kettle was starting to boil. I’ve come to expect that the soundscapes Berry and the band create can often be so rich that they’re almost visual, and this show was more of the same.

The previous CB3 show in Ukiah featuring Kang kept with a mostly island-like, calypso groove, but Kimock brought an entirely different flavor. With a row of effects pedals in front of him that looked like he could launch rockets, Kimock did just that. Following the opening verses of “Start Over Again,” Berry said, “Take it, Stevie,” and the ensuing solo dipped into an inspired jam that resonated through the room leaving mouths agape. Creating an almost Egyptian feel, Kimock took the jam into the depths of world beat downtempo before igniting the crowd with his fluid style of searing electronica and spacey interplay. Johnston and Murphy kept the first set flowing with a quick drum and bass solo as Kimock’s nimble fingers danced up and down the fretboard over the top. From there, the band uncorked a track that sounded like something from The Disco Biscuits‘ catalog thanks to the flavorful combination of guitar and pedal magic.

If CB3′s first set was all about structure and composed rhythm, then the second set was an experimental free-for-all with Kimock let loose on almost every track, stirring the crowd like a bowl of psychedelic soup. While Berry made up lyrics on the fly about the sky splitting Redwood trees of Mendocino County, the crowd stayed engaged as they fist pumped in unison. As the set drew to a close, Berry was in typical madman form onstage, multitasking between the bongos and mbira while keeping up with the vocals the whole time. With one track left, Kimock and Berry squeezed out the last of the crowd’s energy with a huge jam that touched on elements of jungle, calypso and some old fashioned rock & roll. As the jam reached its final crescendo with Kimock’s guitar placed in his lap, a good friend turned to me and gave a colorful conclusion about the show: “Steve Kimock is the Doctor Digital of the lap licks on guitar.” I think that about sums it up.

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