John Mayer continued his solo summer tour in Chicago this week with a two-night stand at the United Center, and the guitarist also kept up his recent tendency of slotting some Grateful Dead covers into his setlist on both nights.

Just as Dead & Company announced a batch of fall tour dates, Mayer honed his Dead chops with a cover of “Fire On the Mountain” on Wednesday and “Deal” on Thursday. The “Fire” performance opened with some airy guitar improv from Mayer, followed by psychedelic images projected on the screen behind his band (including, in true Grateful Dead spirit, skulls and dancing bears).

The two nights also featured Mayer staples like “Gravity,” “Love on the Weekend,” “Waiting on the World to Change,” “Your Body is a Wonderland” and choice covers like Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’,” Pete Townshend’s “Let My Love Open the Door” and Beyoncé’s “XO,” plus his usual encore closer, “New Light.”

Below, check out both setlists, along with fan-shot video of “Fire On the Mountain” and a clip of one of Mayer’s solos during “Deal.” Mayer is off the road until he plays Colorado’s JAS Labor Day Experience at the end of this month. See his full tour schedule here.


John Mayer
United Center – Chicago, IL

Wednesday:
Set I: Belief, Clarity, Who Says, Something Like Olivia, Waiting on the Day, Love on the Weekend, I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You), No Such Thing, Let My Love Open the Door> The Age of Worry, I Guess I Just Feel Like

Set II: XO, 3×5, In Your Atmosphere, Heartbreak Warfare, Moving On and Getting Over, Stop This Train, Queen of California> Fire On the Mountain, The Beautiful Ones (intro)> Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, In the Blood, Edge of Desire, Gravity

Enc: Wheel, New Light

***

Thursday:
Set I: Helpless, Vultures, Who Says, Wildfire, Love on the Weekend, Dreaming with a Broken Heart, Whiskey Whiskey Whiskey, Changing, Waiting On the World to Change, Deal

Set II: Walt Grace’s Submarine Test January 1967, Your Body is a Wonderland, Free Fallin’, Edge of Desire, Rosie, Why Georgia, If I Ever Get Around to Living, In the Blood, The Beautiful Ones (intro)> Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, Still Feel Like Your Man, Half of My Heart, Dear Marie

Enc: Gravity, New Light

Source: setlist.fm