Andy Cohen: Did you know Prince?
John Mayer: I didn't know him. I wouldn't say I knew him personally. But I had come into contact with him on several occasions. Never a dull moment. I almost think he chose to make all his interactions with people memorable. I don't think he liked to do anything but leave an impression where you weren't sure what that was all about. So as to make sure that sitting here years later that would be discussed.
Several times in my life he would be on the guest list. Prince is coming tonight. And then he wouldn't come to the show. Which I wonder if that was a way of being like, Hey always put these couple people on guest lists. I'm not going. But I just want to make sure that their reality gets a little strange.
[...]
AC: You know what I have sitting on my desk, which I've had since you gave it to me? Which is, John sent me for Christmas in 2017. And he made me the cutest little cowboy car—
JM: No, that's a vintage stationary from the 1950's or 60's.
AC: It's incredible. And he gave me the harmonica that he used to record "Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey." Which is one of my favorite John Mayer songs.
JM: It's the only harmonic that I thought to be like, Oh let me put this in a ziplock bag or something. So yeah I recorded Whiskey—that for sure did. Other ones I just, I'm a collector so I never—
AC: And this is on my desk, just so you know.
JM: And also what do you do with a harmonica. It's a paper weight.
[...]
[51:35]
Caller: I love, love, love Current Mood on Instagram, and I miss it so much. What are the plans for the show and what's on the schedule? I've been missing it.
JM: I think about Current Mood a lot. I love doing it. It's just that it is more of a time suck than anybody knows. It looks like it's just sort of a lucky shot each time that it works. But it's really just me—
AC: John puts thought into it, he comes up with bits. I mean he's not—
JM: My weekends are gone.
AC: Literally, he's like, "I have a show, I can't talk." I'm like, oh.
JM: So, I give myself until the Wednesday of that week. I'm one guy. I'm the only guy doing it. Wednesday I begin looking at guests and what could be the format of the show. Thursday I try to secure the guest. By Friday if I have a guest I get to put up that's what the show is.
Saturday I'm writing all day. And from the moment I wake up on Sunday I'm producing the show. Like, literally using Exacto knives to cut things.
AC: Right. He makes the sets! He makes the cards.
JM: And it's very, very intense.
[...]
So I really care about the show. And here's what I care about on social media: I call it a line of credit. When you go live, people go, "do I want to see that or not?" And you actually have a credit score. And the credit score is, "every time I click on him, do I get something that I like?" And if your credit score is low, and when it says, "John Mayer is now going live," you'll go, "well, I'll catch the next one."
So for me I think the reason so many people watch Current Mood, is because there's this little trust that what they're gonna watch has some kind of production or form to it, and to do that correctly, it takes up the energy I want to use these days for making music.
So the next time I'm in a break I would have all that extra energy to do a show, and one of these days I'll do another ten.
[...]
[55:40]
AC: Which presidents have you met? I'm sure you've met Bill Clinton.
JM: I've seen Bill Clinton in a room. I believe maybe I might have shaken his hand quickly. I might be in a picture with him. I don't remember. I hope that's not mean that I don't remember.
But I did meet President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama when I went to the White House. But I was dating Ms. Katy Perry at the time. And the reason I say this—
AC: Were you guest of Katy Perry at that White House visit?
JM: I was a plus one for Katy Perry.
AC: And so when you're going to the White House, and you're going as a plus one.
JM: Kind of going as the First Gentleman of Katy Perry.
AC: Is there any ego about that for you? You loved that?
JM: I know I'm good at what I do. I got no problem entering into someone else's world. It's her night.
AC: Was she performing that night or something?
JM: Well she was instrumental in some of those states going to Obama. So she would go perform in some of these swing states.
AC: So when you went to the White House with her was it for like a state dinner or something?
JM: It was the night of the inauguration. Yeah it was a party at the White House. We were dancing in the White House.
AC: Wow! How did I never know this? And what was this like? I'm assuming Beyonce was there?
JM: Yeah everyone was in that room. But I also was very deferential that this was not my night. I'm not the pop star here. But I enjoy that. That was actually kind of cool cause I do a different thing. We were two different sides to the same puzzle. Which is really good. Nobody stepped on anybody's feet.
AC: So when she performed at the Super Bowl and you were her date, you loved that?!
JM: That's why a relationship like that can work. Because I know where my bread is buttered. It's not like I was sitting there going like, I wish that they pick me for the Super Bowl. I'm never getting picked for the Super Bowl! I do a different thing.
I very much enjoyed the pop in, kiss during makeup, okay we're going upstairs, be great. I'm very good at being that.
[...]