John Mayer’s “Sob Rock” Tour to Begin in February 2022

John Mayer’s “Sob Rock” tour will begin February 17 at Albany’s Times Union Center in New York, and then on April 29 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

Mayer’s eighth studio album debuted in July of 2021, and features ’80s-inspired synth-rock singles, like his 2018 single “New Light.” Channeling the angst and yearning reminiscence of John Adams’ “Summer of ’69” and Phil Collins’ “One More Night,” Mayer previously said the album allowed him to seep into the nostalgia and comfort of ’80s music—a much-needed change from his current sound. 

This will be Mayer’s first return to the live music scene in five years. This tour follows his worldwide album tour “The Search for Everything” which toured his emotional, post-breakup reflection album.

Challenging the monotony and repetition of everyday living and creating during the COVID-19 crisis, Mayer told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe that he doesn’t want to just make the same songs over and over again.

His inspiration for Sob Rock, while coming from a place of nostalgia and adoration of ’80s sounds, emerged from a deep need for change and the desire to just create something that wouldn’t abide by the rules of popularity. When finally gifted the freedom to put that experimentation into hands-on practice, Mayer said his approach to Sob Rock was to challenge listeners’ idea of what’s “cool,” borderline encouraging them to think “this is shit.”

He added, “What I would love other people to understand is that there is no more reason to have to adhere to any given idea of cool. Especially post-pandemic, which for the first time in anyone’s lives stopped the clock on the hyper modern-day trade of culture.”

Check out the full list of dates below. And check out Mayer’s ballad version of his single “Last Train Home.”

Sob Rock Tour Dates:

Thurs. Feb 17 – Albany, NY – MVP Arena
Fri. Feb 18 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Sun. Feb 20 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Mon. Feb 21 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Wed. Feb 23 – Washington, D.C. – Capital One Arena
Fri. Feb 25 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
Sun. Feb 27 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
Tues. Mar 1 – Belmont Park, NY – USB Arena
Fri. Mar 4 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Sat. Mar 5 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Fri. Mar 11 – Las Vegas, NV – The Grand Garden Arena
Sun. Mar 13 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
Tues. Mar 15 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
Wed. Mar 16 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
Fri. Mar 18 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
Sat. Mar 19 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
Tues. Mar 22 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Wed. Mar 23 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Fri. Mar 25 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Arena
Sun. Mar 27 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Sat. Apr 2 – Sunrise, FL – FLA Live Arena
Tues. Apr 5 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
Fri. Apr 8 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Sat. Apr 9 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Mon. Apr 11 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
Wed. Apr 13 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Wed. Apr 20 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
Thurs. Apr 21 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
Sat. Apr 23 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Sun. Apr 24 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Thurs. Apr 28 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Fri. Apr 29 – Chicago, IL – United Center