John Mayer airs some Roxy (Pink) music with three Sob Rock songs live on TV

John Mayer - New Light (Live on the Today Show) - YouTube John Mayer - New Light (Live on the Today Show) - YouTube
Watch On

With listeners still digging into John Mayer's new album Sob Rock and all its 80s production detail, the musician and his band have been airing some more of it live – namely three songs across The Today Show, plus The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.

New Light (above) is actually relatively old for a new album track - it was released as a single in 2018 – but Mayer and the band ace it. Unsurprisingly.

In the lineup we spy Sean Hurley on bass, with Isaiah Sharkey and David Ryan Harris on guitar. Mayer himself had a backline of Fender Super Reverb, a Dumble and a Two-Rock guitar amps behind him and his new Roxy Pink PRS Silver Sky

Shouldn't Matter but It Does (Live From The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon) - YouTube Shouldn't Matter but It Does (Live From The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon) - YouTube
Watch On

He's in a melancholic troubadour Mayer mode with a Martin acoustic guitar on the second performance of genuine newie Shouldn't Matter But It Does. Anyone else notice how the keyboard coda in the outro nods to Mister Mister's Broken Wings?

John Mayer - Last Train Home (Live on the Today Show) - YouTube John Mayer - Last Train Home (Live on the Today Show) - YouTube
Watch On

And of course there's the Toto vibes of Last Train Home above – see how the pink building background complements his PRS. Mayer really is meticulous across the board! 

John Mayer - Shot in the Dark (Official Video) - YouTube John Mayer - Shot in the Dark (Official Video) - YouTube
Watch On

Classic interview: John Mayer – "It has never changed that joy and passion and chemistry of just picking up the guitar and playing. In fact it's made it more important." 

Rob Laing
Guitars Editor, MusicRadar

I'm the Guitars Editor for MusicRadar, handling news, reviews, features, tuition, advice for the strings side of the site and everything in between. Before MusicRadar I worked on guitar magazines for 15 years, including Editor of Total Guitar in the UK. When I'm not rejigging pedalboards I'm usually thinking about rejigging pedalboards.