2023 is off to a strong start for John Mayer fans. The guitar pro announced a solo acoustic arena tour on Thursday (Jan. 26), featuring 19 stops across North America this spring.
“I began my career on stage with only a guitar and a microphone,” he shared. “A lot has changed since then, but I knew one day I’d feel it in my heart to do an entire run of shows on my own again, just like those early days.”
It was unclear what was to come for the artist after Mayer announced his departure from Columbia Records after 21 years in March 2022. The only thing that was clear was that John wasn’t calling it quits, sharing at the time that “I love music more than ever, and I believe some of my best work still lies ahead.”
This run of shows marks Mayer’s first solo endeavor since the departure, with attendees having “acoustic, electric and piano” picks both new and old to look forward to on the special tour.
While he can rip up an electric solo like no other, some of his best lyricism and guitar work shine on his acoustic tracks. This was made abundantly clear during several stops of the 2022 Sob Rock tour, when Mayer pivoted to an acoustic-heavy format after several of his band members tested positive for COVID-19.
Could those set of shows have been the inspiration for this stripped-down trek? Of the 20-plus years of songs in his catalog, here are 24-ish songs we hope to hear on the solo tour, with a focus on the acoustic and piano favorites.