dear john,

this isn’t what you think, i promise. taylor already wrote you that kind of letter, so don’t worry, that isn’t what this is. it’s actually a thank you letter. i feel like you might not receive enough of these. so here goes nothing.

first of all, thanks for not choosing accounting or dentistry as a career. i mean, you seem to excel in most things you do so i’m sure you would have been successful in both of these realms, but you also make incredible music so thanks for taking this career path instead. the music world would definitely be lacking without you in it.

thank you for your heavier things album. i still remember the exact date that it was released -september 14th, 2003. this collection of ten songs quickly became the soundtrack to my freshman year of college. it accompanied me on drives along PCH, in the wee hours of the morning while cramming for midterms and writing papers, and it certainly provided comfort when homesickness set in around november. even ten years later, when my workload seems arduous or my stress levels run high, i turn to this album to soothe me. to remind me of a simpler time in my life, when the only worry i had was making it to humanities class on time.

thanks for “daughters” and “i don’t trust myself (with loving you)” and your rendition of “free fallin’.” oh and that entire live album from birmingham, AL (roll tide).

thank you for finally cutting your hair, too. i mean, i get it, you have great hair, so i can see why you’d want to keep it long. it also kind of gave you this whole different hippieish-i-live-off-of-the-land-and-in-a-log-cabin image -a far cry from the previously clean-cut playboy vibe you had been sporting for upwards of a decade, but really, you look best with a shorter ‘do. just sayin’.

and finally, thank you for putting on a really great show on friday night. while i had seen you perform live twice before, after a three-year tour hiatus, it felt as though i was being reintroduced to an old friend. and maybe that’s because you’re kind of different, john. you’ve seem to come full circle. from humble to not so humble to humble and grateful and just genuinely glad to be living out your dreams in real time. maybe it’s katy, or maybe it’s age, or maybe it was that time you spent in montana, but you’re not the same john that used to brag about bedroom adventures with jessica simpson and wear wife beaters to show off your impressive tattoo collection (i didn’t realize how extensive your ink was until that time i saw you in concert at the verizon theatre in irvine, also, you were crazy ripped then. nice work). you’ve softened. and humble looks good on you, john. it really does. i used to have to somehow justify my love for you and your music, “i know he’s kind of a jerk, but he makes awesome music, so i stay a fan despite his ick factor.” but i don’t really feel that way anymore. i was particularly impressed with your use of analogies on friday. aside from the music itself, this moment where you likened your staying power in the industry to a piece of clothing might have been my favorite.

“i could have been a von dutch hat (also, thank you for this reference. holy nostalgia), but instead, you’ve made me a white v-neck tee.”

and you also played my favorite song off of your newest album, paradise valley (which i love, btw), and it was perfect.

i don’t know if you’ve seen this, but a guy from the union tribune (or the “UT” as we’re supposed to be calling it these days) wrote a really nice article about you. it was a beautiful synopsis of your time in san diego.

Friday’s concert was all about the music — an evening filled with many songs that showcased his signature vocally tense delivery. If you were expecting a production, though, you were out of luck. The stage was simple, devoid of any high-tech gadgetry that’s become the norm for many stadium and arena concerts. Performing in front of a simple screen that projected images of starry skies and desert landscapes — in some cases, cheesy images that seemed like bad CGI — Mayer was in control all night, setting a laidback tone for the evening and for his eight-member band, which included strong backup vocals by Tiffany Palmer and Carlos Ricketts.

anyway, keep doing what you’re doing. you’re really good at it. and also, i’d keep katy around for a while. not only is she stunningly beautiful and crazy talented (both of which i’m sure you’re already well-aware of), she seems to be crazy about you, too.

xoxo,
a loyal fan,
shawna