He is a college drop-out who worked in a gas station, obsesses over The Police and A1 Sauce, and draws his inspiration to play the guitar from Back to the Future. He's also about the best white-boy to play the blues since Stevie Ray Vaughan, all the while retaining a humorous wit that keeps pace with his fingers on the fret-board.
"That was a good response and I'm not going to ask you to do it again. There's nothing I hate more than going to a concert and the guy says 'You having a good time?' and you scream your head off and then the guy says 'I can't hear you!' and I'm like 'The fuck you can't!' I absolutely hate it when guys do that. So I promise you I'll never make you do that. If you scream respectably the first time anyway."
His initially monumental success caused some backlash sentiment, with some labeling him as a Dave Matthews rip-off, or simply one of those guys, always with a ready guitar and a ballad to spew at young females. While his repertoire definitely includes the occasional love ballad, it is rounded out with some mean blues, folky political diatribes, and of course the live covers of Bobby Brown songs, The Police, and Super Mario Brothers. Despite a medical history that includes cardiac arrhythmia and panic attacks, John seems to remain the least self-conscious popstar in town.
"I don't mind making sissy rock... I'll rock your ass sensitive-style"
For any celebrity-magazine-type readers out there, John thoroughly enjoys Japanese food and the movie Good Will Hunting. It was of interest to me, however, to learn that John's favorite John-song is 3x5, as that is also mine. Listen to a live version of just John on the guitar to experience the complexity and nuance of the piece.
"This is a song about talking to the person that you haven't even met yet. You know, maybe they're rolling around in the hay with someone else, but they're not as good as you'll be. You've just got to wait your turn. She's out there/he's out there; they're just learning what to contrast you against."