Manpris and Tank Tops

Last night I went to see John Mayer at Cricket Wireless with a few of my girlfriends. I'm slightly embarrassed to admit, this was the fifth time I've seen John in concert since my sophomore year of college. That's not totally crazy though, right? Well, judge if you want, I know he's turned into a bit of a media whore/douche these days, but I still love his music and have a soft spot for him. Let me tell you though, this concert was above and beyond the most "unique" John Mayer experience I've had.

We were rockin the lawn seats, so naturally we couldn't see jack, but as soon as he walked on stage I turned to my friend's sister in confusion, "Is he wearing a tank top?" Don't get my wrong, I'm not totally opposed to a man wearing a tank top - especially when he has killer arms and a hot sleeve - but I'm really not convinced they should be worn in public (this goes along with a long list of other things I shall certainly discuss in a future blog). I was just about getting over the shock of the tank when to my further shock and slight horror I noticed that he had replaced his usual well-fitting jeans with...dum dum dum...manpris. I'm not sure if you're familiar with this fashion disaster but they are exactly what they sound like: man capris. These are generally worn by greasy Euro types, often with Diesel, Puma or some similar kind of trainer. Alternatively they are catching on with the gay crowd. In general, these are just not good fashion. FOR ANY MAN. Men are meant to wear shorts or pants. That is just the way it is. I know it's not fair, girls get to have all the fun, but trust me on this one. Scanning further down John's wonderland, some pretty major high tops. And I'm not just talking Chuck Taylor's. Oh no, no these were circa 1992, above the ankle, massive tongue hanging out, possibly Reebok pumps (anyone else remember those?) HIGH tops. Really, I kind of had to give him props for thinking he could pull off the whole look. And if I'm honest with myself, it did work, a little. The highlight where fashion is concerned? He was sportin a freshly buzzed hair cut: hot, hot, hot.

Oh, the music? You wanted to know about that? I'm sure you're thinking that I'm one of those girls who goes to John Mayer concerts repeatedly because of this silly crush that I have been harboring for him for years. Well, you're only half right. I'd like to think I have some credibility where music is concerned. I have a pretty eclectic taste and a fairly large amount of the artists in my music collection do not receive radio play or if they do it isn't on your top 40 station. That being said, I'm pretty convinced that John Mayer is highly underrated. His CDs are great, don't get me wrong, but they don't do his talent justice. He was trained as a blues guitarist which doesn't always translate so well into radio-friendly, chart topping hits. But it does show when you see him live. His 3 to 4 minute album songs are extended by his amazing guitar solos and interweaving of other songs from a wide range of genres (blues, hip hop, rock, pop). This doesn't always go over so well with his more mainstream fans, but it's always been one of my favorite things about his shows. You sit waiting to hear what he'll come out with next, what he'll introduce you to. He's also pretty hilarious and can come up with some pretty random shit. My personal favorite of the evening? The "original" lyrics to Vultures were "Tiny bananas, I really like them cos they're tiny bananas..." I'll be singing it for days. The highlight of the entire evening? In the encore, John Mayer does quite possibly the most rockin cover of Guns n' Roses Sweet Child of Mine full with John doing a pretty spot on Axl Rose impression. Priceless.

Dude was also clearly high as a kite. He's been pretty open over the past couple of years about his love for the green and that definitely showed last night. He was all over the place, which I'm not gonna lie, just makes for good entertainment. Who doesn't want to see JM strutting around like Mick Jagger?

My over all rating: killa!