Where the Light Is - John Mayer Live In Los Angeles

iTunes Review

Recorded on 12-08-07 at L.A.'s Nokia Theatre as John Mayer treated fans to a live triptych: his first set being solo acoustic, the second comprising The John Mayer Trio, and the third fleshed out with his entire ensemble. Mayer sets the tone with textured vocals and six-string virtuosity, opening with "Neon" from 2001's Room for Squares. A soulful take on Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" closes the set to a roaring round of applause. His trio kickstarts the middle set with two rootsy covers; first an ambitious take on Elmore James' "Everyday I Have The Blues," which begins like a steakhouse commercial before an amazing guitar solo tears the tune wide open. They then turn Jimi Hendrix's "Wait Until Tomorrow" into a Dave Matthews sounding jam replete with fretless bass slapping and Mayer's vocal gymnastics segueing from throaty bits to lilting falsettos effortlessly. The trio bookend the set with another Hendrix song, "Bold As Love" (this time staying closer to the original). The third set starts with Mayer's full band playing an exalting version of "Waiting on the World to Change," the first single from 2006's Continuum. They put some Texan tone into Ray Charles' "I Don't Need No Doctor" before closing with the Memphis flavored "I'm Gonna Find Another You."