I was recently lucky enough to attend a company trip (not my company, but Alex’s) to Lake Tahoe, which included – among other cool things like banquets, boat cruises, gambling, and swag – a private concert by Mayer Hawthorne.
I’d heard of Mr. Hawthorne before, mostly because Alex and I were involved in a year-long search for his heart-shaped single “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out,” which finally ended when we found the 45 at a record shop in LA.
Anyway, most people seemed pretty ambivalent prior to the concert, but Mayer totally delivered. His vintage Motown-inspired songs were so upbeat, you couldn’t help but dance when you heard ’em. And the setting was awesome: a stage underneath the stars, with the beach right behind us, and unlimited food/drinks/s’mores. Needless to say, it was a great night.
The best part is that Mayer’s music is classic soul/Motown, but then you look at him and he is just a white nerd with glasses. And he’s totally cool with it. Case in point:
Some more favorites:
Dreaming. Not a fan of the creepy singing animals, haha.
The Walk. This video is pretty ridiculous also.
Your Easy Lovin’ Ain’t Pleasin’ Nothin’. More happy Motown. How can you not love it?
Flip the Record 