John On T.V. and in Print

-John has his own column in the new issue of Esquire magazine where he talks about people's fascination with celebrities and 'shares' some of his last purchases on his American Express card.

-The new issue of Rolling Stone magazine includes an article on why artists must sell merchandise at their concerts. It includes a few quotes from John, as well as a description of the new handsigned limited edition t-shirts and a picture of the new 'signed' John Mayer Ipod cases that have been sold at his recent shows.

John Mayer Tries Hip-Hop With Help From Roots' ?uestlove
Singer hopes 'Clarity' will be second single from upcoming album, Heavier Things. by Corey Moss

LOS ANGELES "The first version of Heavier Things had Pharrell [Williams of the Neptunes] on every song," John Mayer deadpanned backstage Thursday at the Staples Center. "But there were too many parentheses."

The always playful Mayer was joking about the idea of recording an album of collaborations to follow up his triple-platinum Room for Squares. It turns out, though, there is one special guest from the hip-hop community on the album. The Roots' Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson plays drums on the opening number, "Clarity."

"It was really fun for me because I think he kind of came like, 'All right, who's the white boy who sings the song about making love to the girl? What's this all going to be about?' " Mayer recalled. "And I think when he heard it he was like, 'OK, I'm kind of interested in this, I kind of like where this is going.' And so it really turned into this kind of a hip-hop tune that breaks into an acoustic song in the middle. And his playing on it was just the jump up-and-down factor in the control room. When he plays it's just, it's serious."

Just as the music to "Clarity" was a stretch for Mayer, the singer/songwriter pushed himself lyrically to come from a different, more optimistic angle.

"A lot of songs that I write are about not knowing and being lost and feeling cornered," he explained. " 'Clarity' is about a feeling that doesn't even last as long as a song does. [About] every once in a while, when everything lines up ... you know, 'I got extra on my paycheck, I got Monday off, and this girl loves me.' It's kind of like waking up to that for a minute. I'm an a--hole because I don't have enough fun with myself. I take myself too seriously a lot of the time and so 'Clarity' is my reminder to myself 'Dude ... you don't even say "dude" enough. Just say "dude" every once in a while and don't worry about it.' "

Mayer is hoping "Clarity" will be the second single from Heavier Things, due September 9, but for now he's focusing on the first, "Bigger Than My Body." And no, he's not obsessed with bodies.

"I knew when I wrote that song that damn, I'm gonna have to explain another 'Body' song," Mayer said of his follow-up to the Grammy-winning "Your Body Is a Wonderland." "It's dumb luck. And it wouldn't have been as good a song if I had changed the title, believe me, I thought about it."

The former student at the Berklee College of Music wrote "Bigger Than My Body" after going to a Coldplay concert and feeling inspired to not only make music equally as moving, but to explain that feeling in words.

"I was trying to explain that feeling you get when you listen to really great music," he said. "I remember saying to somebody, 'It's like wanting to be bigger than your own body and wanting to get out.' That's what good music is. That's what Pearl Jam did to me when I was in high school and that's what Stevie Ray Vaughn did to me in college. ... It just makes you go, 'Why can't I get this out? I'm not as good as that and I want to be.' I started a song that really made me feel that again, and so the song is called 'Bigger Than My Body.' "

Mayer described the single as "just one big promissory note."

"Everyone thinks that after winning a Grammy and selling a butt-load of records, you've arrived. [It's like,] 'Oh, you've made it. Oh, go be John. You're in orbit,' " he said in a variety of voices. "But that really is off of one record. ... It's like, 'No, hold on a minute.' ... I don't feel at all like I've gotten to where I'm gonna get to. And it's a feeling that all artists have when they listen to other artists' music. They go, 'I'm nowhere.' And 'Bigger Than My Body' is all about not being close to the mark. Sometimes the most frustrating thing as an artist is not hitting the mark and having everybody around you going, 'Target hit! You got it. You got it.' And sometimes it's just about trying to get even more on target. I feel like this record for me is for where I am at the moment a lot more on target."

Musically, like much of the music on Heavier Things, the single relies on Mayer's electric guitar prowess rather than the jazz-influenced strumming on Room for Squares (see "John Mayer Leaves Wonderland, Gets Heavy On New Record").

"I feel like I need to use the adjectives people use in cologne ads. It's got a woody kind of treble," Mayer joked. "No, uh, it's a heavy groove kind of up-tempo rock song. ... It's supposed to be a drive-fast song."

"Bigger Than My Body" will hit radio and video outlets in late July or early August. In the meantime, Mayer can be seen on tour with the Counting Crows and Maroon 5 (see "John Mayer, Counting Crows Bring 45-Degree Metal To Los Angeles"). The trek next stops in Selma, Texas, on Thursday.

This report is from MTV News.

http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1474672/07232003/mayer_john.jhtml

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John Mayer, Counting Crows Bring 45-Degree Metal To Los Angeles by Corey Moss

LOS ANGELES "I'm not here," John Mayer said, flashing devil horns backstage Thursday at the Staples Center.

"I'm not here," he said, bending his pinky and index finger into a fist.

"I'm about here, 45 degrees," he said.

And so is the point of Mayer and the Counting Crows' co-headlining summer tour a concert for half-metal signs, a show somewhere between the Justified and Stripped Tour and Ozzfest.

With Ozzy, Lollapalooza and the Vans Warped Tour outlasting the Horde Festival and Lilith Fair, the best option for fans of the more sensitive side of rock is an outing like this, with a few of the most popular performing full sets.

Mayer, who played last Thursday, a few weeks into the tour, entertained the near-capacity crowd by taking the favorites from his breakthrough debut, Room for Squares, and subtly rearranging them with additional choruses, guitar solos and music and lyrics from songs including "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."

All the action in the songs, carried by Mayer's easy-on-the-ears baritone voice and his Stevie Ray Vaughn-inspired guitar workings, kept fans on their feet, which made his hilarious between-song banter just icing on the cake.

"This song is an excuse," he said, before breaking into "My Stupid Mouth" early in his set.

"This song is responsible for exposing my sexual inadequacies to millions of people," he explained, introducing the popular "Your Body Is a Wonderland." "I'm glad I did that."

And when it came time to play a few tunes from his upcoming Heavier Things, Mayer said, "You're probably pretty parched, so feel free to get a drink while I play a new song. ... No, no, never mind. Just stay; I think you'll like it."

Mayer was right; the crowd did like the new material, cheering during an extended jam and learning the catchy choruses as he sang them.

Before Mayer, the Counting Crows played an equally long 75-minute set, a mix of hits such as "Mr. Jones" and "Rain King" and songs from last year's Hard Candy. Highlights included a cover of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi," which turned the Staples Center into a choir, and "A Long December," which featured Adam Duritz on piano and additional accordion backing.

"And it's one more night in Hollywood," Duritz emphasized, causing an outburst of screams and raised beer cups.

Toward the end of the Crows' show, Duritz invited the group's family and friends from the side of the stage, including openers Maroon 5, to join them singing and dancing to the party starter, "Hangin' Around."

Maroon 5 received star treatment for an opener, with Duritz introducing the group, Mayer joining them on "This Love" and a nearly full arena enjoying their 35-minute set.

"We're from Los Angeles, and not in the, 'We moved here a few years ago to be an actor or a model' way," singer Adam Levine declared. "This is a special show for us, to play where the Lakers call home!"

Levine, whose voice blends the best of Jamiroquai's Jay Kay and Justin Timberlake, poured loads of energy into each song, dropping to his knees or jumping off monitors à la David Lee Roth. Now that's 45-degree metal.
http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1474250/07182003/mayer_john.jhtml

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John Mayer Leaves Wonderland, Gets Heavy On New Record by Jon Wiederhorn

Poppy, strummy singer/songwriter John Mayer is putting aside acoustic love songs and confronting weightier subjects.

His album Heavier Things, due September 9, will be driven by electric guitars and will expand upon the lyrical introspection of his triple-platinum Room For Squares (2001).

The Grammy-winning artist recorded the 10-song album during five weeks at Avatar Studios in New York in April and May, then another month at Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles in June. Jack Joseph Puig, who mixed six songs on Room for Squares, produced and mixed Heavier Things. Puig's list of credits include Sheryl Crow, No Doubt and Hole.

The album's first single will be "Bigger Than My Body." A video for the song was shot on June 29 by Nigel Dick (Britney Spears, Guns N' Roses). In the video, Mayer plays alone on a street corner, and a crowd of people ignores him as it passes in a great hurry to get to a giant stage. In their haste, the people fail to realize that the music emanating from the speakers onstage is coming from the street musician they paid no attention to. The clip will hit in August.

Other tracks on Heavier Things include "Daughters," "Come Back to Bed" and "Something's Missing," all of which Mayer has been playing in concert.

Mayer began a tour with the Counting Crows in Englewood, Colorado, on July 7. Dates run through September 2 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

This report is from MTV News.

http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/1473709/07102003/mayer_john.jhtml

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This was an article/advertisment for the upcoming July 8th, 2003 show in Utah.

"...New on the music scene is the boy next-door John Mayer. A welcome divergence from the over-produced pop of the last few years, Mayer is a real musician. He writes his own music, plays the guitar and even sings lyrics he's written. Room for Squares, his first major lavel album has been a stunning success and the latest release, Any Given Thursday, a live album recorded in September 2002, gives us a true taste of what the live John Mayer show is all about. Mayer's unique voice, thoughtful lyrics and sparse, acoustic sound are the key to good albums and good performances. Like the Counting Crows, Mayer will be around for years to come.

Everyone knows that two is always better than one. In the case of the Counting Crows/John Mayer show, ticket holders will be treated to one of the season's best two-in-one concerts." Written By:Sarah O'Leary