THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2002
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 5
Similarities abound between John Mayer, Dave Matthews
By Jordan Tucker Jayplay writer
Let me set a scene for you. You're in your kitchen, grabbing something or another when, wow, you hear this new Dave Matthews song coming from the TV in the other room. "But wait," you think to yourself. "I don't remember Dave Matthews being this bubble-gummy and bland." You enter the TV room only to be confronted by a dark-haired Zack Morris singing his new hit song, "No Such Thing." But wait, that's no Zack Morris... and no Dave Matthews either. That's John Maver.
It happened to me. It can happen to you.
Dave Matthews Band
Vitals Male Caucasian with a last name beginning with MA. First name one syllable, last name two. The eponymous singer of his own band.
The Music Acoustic guitar-driven pop/folk/rock with the added charm of soprano sax and the sharpest drummer in the biz.
The Look—Hey, it's the guy from the bar last night that was sitting in a puddle of his own melancholy. I swear to God.
Major Musical Influences — A single malt scotch and a girl to obsess over.
Female Situation — He's flanked by overly artsy college girls armed with Birkenstocks and sun-dresses.
What Really Hurts — That odd little shimmy he does when playing live. Hey, Kid 'n Play called, and they want their Roger Rabbit back.
Who Gots His Back — A 6' 5" fiddle player that's cut like a friggin' minotaur.
John Mayer
Vitals — Male Caucasian with a last name beginning with MA. First name one syllable, last name two. The eponymous singer of his own band.
The Music — Acoustic guitar-driven pop/folk/rock with the added charm of Paul from the Wonder Years on bass. (Check the video.)
The Look — Hey, it's the guy from the movie classics An American Werewolf in Paris and Dead Man on Campus. I swear to God.
Major Musical Influences — The thought of teenage girls thinking he's "hot." (Mayer claims Stevie Ray Vaughn as his influence. Stevie is rolling over right now, tortured by the lyric "run through the halls of my high school" and a subsequent falsetto shriek.)
What Really Hurts — The lyrics, "Your body is a wonderland/Your body is a wonder (I'll use my hands)." Now that's corny. Hey, buddy: A handful of people this side of Barry White can get away with singing that, and you sure as hell aren't one of them.
Female Situation — He was flanked by Jennifer Love Hewitt armed with her singing voice.
Who Gots His Back—An army of angst ruiden kids from the rough and tumble streets of Suburbia and an extra batallion of faux-hippies too blasted to notice it's not Dave Matthews they're listening to.
Now I'm caught up in the thought of minotaurs and faux-hippies clashing in mortal combat. Oh, and doing the Roger Rabbit.
Contact Tucker at jayplay@kansan.com.
Heard on the Hill
What do you think of John Mayer? By Mandalee Meisner
"His first song was pretty good, but the rest make him sound like a worse
Dave Matthews."
Derek Mahlburg, St. Joseph, Mo., freshman
"Any guy that dates Jennifer Love Hewitt has to be pretty cool."
Scott Jablonski, Overland Parkjunior
"His songs are like stories,with meaty lyrics. But the stuff on the radio is so
generic." Becky Bliss, Prairie Village sophomore
"I met John Mayer last October...but he was a nice guy." Meghan Brozanic, Omaha. Neb., sophomore
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