Charlie Worsham’s 2nd Annual “John Mayerathon” Rocks Nashville’s Basement East

You can’t go wrong with fantastic music, exciting special guests, and giving back to the community. This incredible trifecta made for the perfect evening at the Basement East on Monday July 17, and it’s all because of Charlie Worsham.

Worsham hosted his 2nd annual “John Mayerathon,” a tribute night to John Mayer’s music that featured many notable Nashville artists. The event was a part of Worsham’s “Every Damn Monday” residency at the Basement East. Proceeds from each show in the series go towards the Follow Your Heart Arts Program and Scholarship, which supports youth in Worsham’s hometown of Grenada, Mississippi, who are passionate about art and music.

An ever-humble host, Charlie Worsham didn’t spend a lot of time chatting between songs – it was all about the music, which the backup band performed flawlessly. Worsham played a Fender Stratocaster to emulate Mayer’s signature sound, and each guitar solo was similar to the original recorded version, enhanced by Worsham’s own twists and style.

Some of the most memorable moments from the evening were from Worsham’s extensive list of “very special guests,” who were allowed to pick their favorite John Mayer song to perform. Lindsay Ell, Seth Ennis, Devin Dawson, Steve Moakler, Jo Smith and Hunter Hayes were among the artists to take the stage, and the crowd particularly lost their minds when surprise guest Charles Kelley came bounding onstage to perform “Vultures.”

Songs ranged from John’s pop hits such as “Your Body is a Wonderland” (performed by Seth Ennis), “Who You Love” (Ennis, Lindsay Ell), and “No Such Thing” (Worsham), to sophisticated deep tracks for the truest Mayer fans in the room, including “Who Did You Think I Was” (Hunter Hayes), “Neon” (Abe Stoklasa) and “Assassin” (Devin Dawson). Although the younger audience reacted more to their favorite singalong pop songs than mind-blowing guitar solos and blues jams, each song was carefully chosen and truly showcased John Mayer’s incredibly diverse catalog. With all of the smiles, pats on the back, high fives and general excitement, it was very evident that the artists all had a damn good Monday night.

Charlie Worsham’s “Every Damn Monday” series, benefitting the Follow Your Heart Arts program, continues with “Bluegrass Night” next Monday, July 24 at 7pm at the Basement East.

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