Customer Reviews

John Mayer - Any Given Thursday

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If you love the eccentric, amazing, & personal things that are John Mayer, you have to buy this! I have watched and rewatched this DVD, and rewatched it many more times with the commentary by John and Scotty Crowe. The set (as only 'Room For Squares' and 'Inside Wants Out' had been released at the time) is very good and you should definitely see it if you like John Mayer. If, as a previous review suggested, you do not enjoy watching John live, then buy the live CD. I personally believe the music is quality, which is hard to find these days. John Mayer is totally live with no annoying lip-syncing, lengthy costume changes, overdone pyro, etc. It's refreshing to see an artist like this on stage. His unique "guitar faces" (as JM himself says on this DVD) and "dances" could be unpleasant to some I suppose. But appreciate the fact that it is a live show! No editing of the vocals has been done, etc. His guitar skills are amazing! I strongly suggest going to see John Mayer on tour, because you get to see even more impressive things than this. The DVD does do a good job of showing what he is like. He talks/rambles in the show which is extremely funny with his wit. He also (I believe) sings beautifully. He covers The Police's 'Message In A Bottle' and then Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'Lenny' before going into his older and unreleased song 'Man on the Side'. Make sure you listen to the commentary! His sense of humor is great, and it provides you with a greater appreciation for him as a person.

I'm an avid DVD concert collector. From certain forms of Jazz (Norah Jones to Harry Connick Jr) to Pop (you name it!) to Rap (Linkin' Park). I like music and enjoy watching and listening in general. But I have not experienced anything like this DVD. Take it for what it's worth... because tastes are very personal. Here goes...

I wasn't really a John Mayer fan. I've heard a few of his songs which piqued my interest. At the first viewing, I was half turned off and half amused by his unusual gyrations and facial expressions (like the others who have commented on the same thing). Just looking at his face, it seemed initially that he might have some sort of mental retardation. But since the music was great, I ended up listening to the DVD again... and again... and again! With each re-listening, I always noticed something new. And it is only with re-listening to the DVD that one will get the true essence of John Mayer. After a while, you see past those facial expressions and gyrations. To me now, its just like a pianist swaying back and forth with a slow tune or bobbing his/her head up and down with a fast one. You will notice those expressions/gyrations only occur when he is plucking or strumming out melodies and chords. His voice has great depth. I didn't and couldn't for the life of me make out the lyrics initially. But again they eventually ALL come out! And the lyrics themselves convey many things. So... from getting to know the singer through his monologues, voice and songs, to the wonderful and oftentimes soulful guitar playing (mostly very clean plucking and excellent strumming), to the wonderful overall performance and sound quality, I can't give this DVD anything but 5 stars!

I have become a big fan of buying concert DVDs as opposed to movie DVDs. Yes everyone should buy the 4 or 5 DVD version of Fellowship of the Ring because it is to date the masterpiece and standard for what DVD movie releases can be. But really how many times can you watch a movie? How many movies are even worth watching more then once? Isn't a good movie best seen in a theatre anyway?

Concert DVDs are a different story all together. They can be viewed multiple times, shared at friends' houses, used as background or foreground. They are by far the best value for your DVD money. And this DVD is one of the better concert DVDs I have seen. The track Covered in Rain is almost worth the price by itself, where John's musicianship really shines through. As a whole, this DVD displays his voice, guitar playing, his band, and his personality. There is enough just plain good music on display that you will hear something new every time you listen. If you have a halfway decent sound system, for sure by this DVD if you even like Mayer's music a little. If you like his music more then a little, no matter what sound system you have, this will be a fun acquisition. The extras are quite nice. I have yet to listen to the commentary but the interview was interesting and the photos are surprisingly well done. The photos are shown in slideshow presentation and are a combination of color and black and white. They are a lot of fun. For the price this is a great value that you will enjoy again and again. It is what DVD players where meant to play.

Boyish good looks go a long way, but its the "from the heart" performance and the buzz of the concert experience that carries John Mayer in his newly released concert DVD. Filmed in Birmingham Alabama on his latest tour, the DVD captures all cool things that make for a great concert... The cheering crowds, the kibbitzing between songs and of course JM's passionate, expressive and sometimes funky performance. Mayer who is known for his introspective lyrics and whispery voice comes through loud and clear in a style that's uniquely his own, but has been often compared to Dave Matthews and Jack Johnson. The DVD comes with bonus materials include a behind the scenes look at the concert, an interview with John and a collage of pictures put to his music. This is a MUST OWN for JM fans who I'm sure are all too familiar with his studio recordings. The renditions here carry far more punch and some fun and unexpected alternative lyrics. For hardcore JM fans the audio commentary that runs through the concert gives an added insight to his quasi philosphical, regular guy life. JM fans will absolutely NOT BE DISAPPOINTED and the uninitiated may discover a new passion.

John Mayer is an unassuming performer and awesome entertainer. I have viewed this DVD several times and realize he is totally engrossed in what he does best and that is making music. His guitar solos are reminiscent of great guitarists of the past and he shamelessly honors his favorites with notable riffs or complete cover songs. He is a likeable fellow in his commentaries and his sense of humor on this collection lets the listener know he hasn't let any of his popularity go to his head. He has the ability to poke fun at himself and in my opinion, he is living life right, by not taking things too seriously. He makes a point to shed light on his band mate's abilities, when it would be really easy to keep the focus on himself. He is not that way at all. I'd be surprised if you do not emerge a huge John Mayer fan by giving your eyes and ears this musical treat any given Thursday or for that matter any day that ends in "Y".

I would highly recommend "Any Given Thursday" to any John fan, or music fan for that matter. In a world full of Britneys, with their elaborate sets and costume changes, it's very refreshing to watch and listen to John. Clad in a t-shirt, guitar in hand, John delivers the best tracks off of his debut "Room For Squares", as well as a handful of extra (amazing) songs such as "Man on the Side" and "Covered in Rain". In my opinion, John really shines live on stage. I think nearly every song he plays far surpasses the studio version on his album, and it's fun to watch his boundless energy and crazy facial expressions. What makes concert DVD's so nice is that you can watch the show all the way through, or jump right to the songs you want to listen to. So whether you have 2 hours or 2 minutes, you'll have plenty to keep you entertained. John's "morning after" interview is nothing too spectacular, but it's interesting to hear his reaction to the night before (and see how he reads USA Today- the boy's funny!). This DVD is simply amazing; a great addition to anyone's collection.

Keeps his audience captive. MAN you have to play it with the commentary on, it's hysterical. John on John is the best.

Then you can keep up with the rest of us fans, talking about hee-haw dancing and stolen walkmen.

Buy it! You WILL NOT regret it.

The DVD features live versions of songs from "Room For Squares," and "Inside Wants Out" -- as well as previously unreleased new material.

Recorded live at the Oak Mountain Amphitheater in Birmingham, Alabama. The music will also be available as a 2 CD collection.

SET LIST
1. Program Start
2. 3x5
3. No Such Thing
4. Back To You
5. City Love
6. Something's Missing
7. Lenny/ Man On The Side
8. Message In a Bottle
9. Love Song For No One
10. Why Georgia
11. Your Body Is A Wonderland
12. My Stupid Mouth
13. Covered In Rain
14. 83
15. Comfortable
16. Neon
17. Credits

BONUS FEATURES
--an AUDIO COMMENTARY by John Mayer (revealing the many facets of himself and his music._
--Any Given Soundcheck
--The Next Morning
--Photo Gallery

Picture if you will a beautiful song being sung by one of the best singers/song writers to come out in the last 10 years. Just sit back and relax. <pause> Nice isn't it? Nothing better after a long, difficult week than to ... AAAAAHHHHHHHHH YEEEE HAW! What was that? Did someone in the audience sit on a duck? Back to the music <pause>... hard to believe that such a young guy can write such ... YIPPIE KY YEA!!!!!!!!! OK, well may be this crowd is "excited" because this is the first and second songs on the DVD. Let's see, track 4 ... As I was saying, this is such relaxing ... WE LOVE YOU JOHN!!!!!!! <Repeat experience over about 20 tracks and you get the idea.>

It is like Girls Gone Wild at a mellow concert, without the nudity. It is obnoxious and out of place. Completely expected at New Kids on the Block, N'SYNC, and Backstreet Boys concerts, rodeos, prison riots and Def Jam Comedy, but a John Mayer DVD?

By this DVD and you'll ask the question: Did the audio guy actually mic a band of underage drunken female hillbilles? It ruins the entire DVD to hear such great songs and then scream after random scream. I really wanted this DVD to be good, but please don't do what I did; don't by this DVD. But if you insist, I am selling mine up there in the right hand corner. Or how about this, buy John's CD Room For Squares and for $2 a hour I will come to your house and scream at random during the songs!

If you're thinking about buying this DVD, I assume you've already heard John Mayer's music...therefore I'm not going to spend any time reviewing the music itself.

The quality of the Audio and Video is outstanding. The audio is crisp; the video is top-notch and clear. Other people have complained about audience noises, but I think they're forgetting that this is a DVD of LIVE music. The audience sound levels, in my opinion, were not too high. If you don't harp on it, you won't even notice the audience.

The special features were a nice suprise, especially for a low cost DVD.