By Delia Paunescu

Madison Square Garden has been the location of many basketball games, hockey matches and boxing bouts. So it came as a bit unusual to see thousands of girls entering the famous venue: Teenage girls with their fathers, college girls with their friends and even middle-aged girls with their daughters. All entered the building to see one man.

Opening act Mat Kearney tried very hard to imitate the guitar act that has gained Mayer so many fans. Unfortunately, all of Kearney’s songs have the same jingling guitar and arpeggiated vocals found on his single “Nothing Left to Lose.” And while the released single is certainly nice in the same sappy genre that made “Bad Day” such a hit, an entire concert-worth was a bit trying.

After a pleasantly short break, the man of the evening emerged. Although it’s tempting to write Mayer off as another hack of a heartthrob, he proved once again to be an excellent guitar player. Opening number “Good Love is on the Way,” from his collaboration with the John Mayer Trio was a truly amazing display of his mastery of the instrument.

Elevated far past that of his opening act, Mayer continued the evening by incorporating his recent album Continuum-for which he won several Grammys-with well-loved songs from his past body of work. The real treat came when Mayer took time between songs to give his witty, off-beat insights on life, love and the inspiration for the songs.

After a one hour set, Mayer left the stage only to re-emerge in the very center of the Garden where a small, square stage had been set up for him. There, he continued the concert sans band, making the evening that much more intimate.

The show’s final song “Gravity” is one that Mayer himself seems to love. Though it was the one he chose to perform at the Grammy awards, many fans questioned what is most likely to be his newest single. However, that was all about to change. During the final half of the song, when Mayer’s guitar skills worked over-time and the comparison to Eric Clapton was stronger than ever, we heard a woman’s voice. Thinking nothing of it, the audience went back to focusing on John who was, at that moment, introducing Alicia Keys to the stage. The soulful singer/pianist provided a richness to the song that Mayer’s vocals would never have been able to.

The evening certainly ended on a high note (though it was sung by a female) and the female fans, and their sparse male counterparts, spilled onto the streets of midtown that much more excited.