Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

John Mayer: Where the Light Is Blu-ray Movie Review

Blu-ray proves yet again that it's the best format for live concert performances.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 30, 2008

I think that's the greatest thing about being in a band, is trying to impress one another, musically.

My receipt of John Mayer: Where the Light Is on Blu-ray for review served notice as to just how far out of the popular music loop I am. According to the description on the back of the box, Mayer is a "multi-Grammy® award winning, platinum-selling singer/songwriter." I've never heard of him. A bit of research tells me that his Grammy was earned for "Best Male Pop Vocal Performance" for his hit, "Your Body is a Wonderland," a song that doesn't appear on the track listing or the concert, oddly enough. I played the 30-second preview clip of that song on iTunes and it did not ring a bell, although my wife had heard it somewhere before. I wasn't all that impressed with what I heard on the clip, so I did all I could: I forged ahead, popped this Blu-ray disc into my machine, and sat back to take in the performance.

John Mayer mesmerizes audiences with his first-rate guitar playing.

After a "get-to-know-you" introduction to John Mayer as we ride with him in his Mercedes, the show gets underway with several acoustic selections performed solo by John Mayer, and accompanied only for the final two selections, "Daughters" and "Free Fallin'." The second act, the "John Mayer Trio," which features Mayer on guitar and vocals, Pino Palladino on bass, and Steve Jordan on drums, was by far my favorite set. The performances pick up some steam and pizzazz, and to my ear, this style of blues was the most entertaining of all the selections. "Everyday I Have the Blues" is a nice song to lead off the segment. It wasn't my favorite, but I enjoyed it a great deal more than anything I heard in the acoustic segment. "Wait Until Tomorrow" has a Stevie Ray Vaughn feel to it when performed by the Mayer trio, even though it was originally performed by Jimi Hendrix. The third set, featuring Mayer accompanied by a full band, is described by Mayer as his favorite of the three styles because of "the comfort and being able to go up there and play and know your friends have your back, musically and otherwise." It's a fun set, worth a listen, but for my money, the Trio was far and away the finest segment on the disc, and alone is worth the price of admission.

John Mayer fans are in for a treat as the film takes on a documentary-style approach in places, generally between acts. Mayer discusses various aspects of his life and career as he drives around town, at one point stopping at a men's store for a suit fitting as we see the paparazzi photographing him from outside and another, creepier individual hiding out in his Prius, following Mayer around town. We are also taken backstage in between sets which will likely be as much a fan favorite as the performance itself. As for that aspect of the disc, Mayer is a fine performer. We won't bother to compare him to the vivacious Shakira, whose act is a thing of wonder and energy all its own, but a comparison with what I saw on the Chris Botti disc is a bit more apropos. Mayer is a fine musician, but he simply doesn't have the stage presence of Chris Botti, whose concert I greatly enjoyed on Blu-ray. Botti exudes an energy and uniqueness all his own, whereas I found Mayer a bit stiff and less entertaining. Of course, the musician's music is the real star of the show, and although I enjoyed Botti's style of music more than Mayer's (although the Trio session was excellent), that's not influencing how I viewed them as performers. Botti, for live events anyway, is my choice as better performer of the two, although Mayer's talent as both a vocalist and a guitarist is undeniable. I also found the camera work seen in John Mayer: Where the Light Is to be a notch below what we saw in both Shakira and Chris Botti. Like the music itself, I thought the camera work picked up a bit during the final two sessions, but the acoustic portion of the show seemed wholly repetitive with the same few mostly boring angles presented over and over again.

John Mayer: Where the Light Is Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

John Mayer: Where the Light Is comes to Blu-ray in a 1080p, 1.78:1 framed transfer and is a consistently excellent disc in visual appearance, looking a bit better in some places than in others, but is always an upper-tier image. The introductory section of this disc offers an excellent, lifelike video reproduction. From the beginning of the program, we're treated to some nice visuals of everyday objects that really stand out, including the interior of Mayer's Mercedes, the hair on his dog, and the wear on his jeans. The opening shots of Mayer sitting outside of Hollywood on a remote hillside show off some incredible long-distance detail and the scene is breathtaking in its reality, and I don't think it could have looked any better had I been standing there myself, the only thing missing was a nice, cool breeze and the turf under my feet.

Inside the concert hall, detail is slightly less impressive. This lack of detail, notably during the acoustic session, seems effected by the lighting. In contrast to the Chris Botti concert, which was oftentimes bathed in differing colors, the first third of John Mayer's Blu-ray disc debut is very dark with a a few bright white lights lighting the background and the performer. Nevertheless, black levels are not excellent — they're prefect! Throughout the entire disc, we're treated to deep, inky blacks that rival the finest I've seen yet, and they may very well be the finest. The fantastic black levels definitely aid in creating a sense of realism to the visual presentation that, as much as any other visual aspect, firmly places the home audience inside the concert hall. All three acts are decidedly dark in nature, each successive act a bit brighter than the previous, but viewers will find themselves continually bombarded by dark edges and backgrounds that allow the performers to stand out and us to focus our attention where it should be. Once the John Mayer Trio act of the performance begins, the lighting becomes a bit more pronounced and exciting compared to the decidedly less-than-interesting light accompanying the slower tempo acoustic act. Both lighting moods do suit the performances well, however. Detail is generally solid here, too. The guitar used by Mayer in parts of the Trio session (as well as later on in the band session) is incredibly worn and well-used. I admire that. It instantly reminded me of how I feel about my old baseball glove, so worn in and broken down it is that it lacks the polish, freshness, and maybe even durability of newer models, but it is a sentimental favorite that still works very well. Mayer's guitar has that look as well. I don't think this disc looks quite as good as Chris Botti and Shakira, but it's no slouch, and fans should be pleased with the results.

John Mayer: Where the Light Is Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

John Mayer: Where the Light Is provides listeners with two high definition audio experiences: a full 5.1 Dolby TrueHD track as well as a PCM 2.0 track. Both sound marvelous, but the TrueHD track, with the additional channels, offers audiences a richer, fuller, more lifelike concert experience. Dialogue reproduction is a bit louder than the rest of the program, at least in those scenes where Mayer is talking to us from his car. As expected, however, the musical portions of the concert are first-rate. There is a solid, all-encompassing crowd noise when they make their presence known, and is enhanced by the extra channels of the 5.1 lossless track. When Mayer speaks to the crowd between songs, there is a nice reverberation of his voice and slight rear-channel presence as it echoes behind us that places the Blu-ray home theater audience in the middle of the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. The audio is impressive and revs into a higher gear during the "John Mayer Trio" segment. Pino Palladino's bass is true and mesmerizing, presenting listeners with just the right rumble in the gut and in the seat of the pants to keep us fascinated with every strum. Steve Jordan is equally impressive on the drums, and John Mayer's guitar playing is a fantastic exercise in wonderment. The third set featuring the band is probably the most impressive segment, sonically, on the disc. Every note from each instrument couldn't sound better if the band was playing live in our living rooms. Mayer's vocals are consistently strong and reproduced with an amazing lifelike clarity. Sonically, John Mayer: Where the Light Is is another in a growing list of fantastic live concert presentations on Blu-ray.

John Mayer: Where the Light Is Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

John Mayer: Where the Light Is offers only a few extras. Of note is that the disc comes in a digipak-style case rather than a traditional Blu-ray case. Also included is a ten-page booklet that contains mostly behind-the-scenes photographs. The first special feature is Slow Dancing on Mulholland Drive (1080p, 3:26). Here, Mayer offers a brief recap of the event and performs a piece high atop Hollywood, in the same location as seen during the film's introduction. Steve/Pino Cam 'Who Do You Think I Was' BonusView (1080p, 4:18) allows viewers to watch the song from alternate angles in a rather large picture-in-picture box. Set Select is nothing more than another chapter selection. Once you click on one of the three sets, you may choose to play the entire set or select individual numbers. Finally, this disc is BD-Live (profile 2.0) enabled, although I experienced an error and was not able to gain admittance to this feature.

John Mayer: Where the Light Is Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

John Mayer: Where the Light Is is a fine disc in its own right, but sadly it is the least-impressive of the three concert discs I've reviewed so far. Like Chris Botti, I came into this review with absolutely no biases towards the artist as I had never even heard of him before, let alone formed any sort of positive, negative, or neutral opinion. Unlike Botti, whose show, music, and personality blew me away and left me as an established fan, I leave John Mayer: Where the Light Is feeling neutral, neither a fan nor in dislike of the artist or his music. The "Trio" session definitely shines and, for my ears, was far and away the best of the three sessions. It will hold some replay value for me and earns this disc a few extra points. Of course, music is like movies, some will love this far more than I do, and some will not. For those who love Mayer, this Blu-ray disc is certainly a worthy addition to your library. With an impressive video quality and the expected excellent audio presentation (with two high definition options to boot), not to mention a few supplements to keep fans happy, John Mayer: Where the Light Is should be at the top of your wish list if you happen to be a fan of this musician.