‘A really big show’
Canadian rapper Drake inspires John Mayer to enhance his live shows
John Mayer never relied on multicoloured lighting, confetti and pyrotechnics during his live shows, like some of his peers.
But the singer-songwriter-guitarist wanted to step up his game, and he said watching Drake perform live encouraged him to beef up his stage production and take more risks during his concerts.
Mayer, 39, is currently on the second leg of his Search for Everything World Tour (the lone Canadian tour stop is Aug. 29 in Toronto). The new live shows have been a departure for the Grammy winner, who now performs with a colourful and futuristic L.E.D. wall and floor.
“I wanted to have a really big show. I want to be competitive. I want to be in the world where people are creating bigger and better shows,” Mayer said. “I think there’s a healthy competition involved in it. I went and saw Drake’s show and … real artists say, ‘Wow!’ And then they go, ‘(Expletive).’ Right? Because you see something that wows you and as an artist yourself you go, ‘I want a little of that.’”
Q The production level for your new live shows has changed. What’s that process been like?
A We have an L.E.D. wall and a L.E.D. floor. In a way it’s really minimal … but from there you can go anywhere you want to go. It can be abstract. It can be superminimalist. It can also be super real. … I have an idea maybe next year to do like a 2.0 version of it where it really goes down deep into my dream, but that’s a lot more trucks and buses. I’d go broke from that tour but it would be incredible. It would almost be Broadwaylike.
I want to be modern day and I want to play by modern-day rules and excite people, but I also want to do it the way I would do it.
Q Your album The Search for Everything was released in April and it’s been four years since your last release. Why so long?
A When I turned 30 (in 2008), I looked at my 30s that were coming up and I said, “I want to make as much as I can in my 30s,” so I started to. … The Search for Everything would have come out — and I haven’t done the math on this — it would have come out in 2015, but then this beautiful opportunity of Dead & Co. showed up. … I’ve never pressed pause on a solo career before, but I knew that this was worth pressing pause for.
Q What have you learned from performing in Dead & Co.?
A It seemed to me almost like taking a break to go back to school, right? It was like, “Take a break from this solo thing and go back to the university.” And I’m getting my degree from Grateful Dead University. That’s all I ever wanted was musical experience that equated to becoming a better musician. … It’s a little boring to be a solo act for like 50 years. For me personally, I’m way too fidgety.
Q Who else would you like to collaborate with?
A My next collaboration, I think, is going to be more on the producer side than on the artist side. I’m very interested in and intrigued by the idea of working with certain producers. … I also like the idea of the ensemble record ... And it’s a thoughtful, artistic response to the industry going the way it’s going, which is like supergroups. … So I see that working, too, like “John Mayer Presents …” where I’m a little less the singer and the upfront guy, and more the guy making tracks and saying, “I really can hear this voice here.”