John Mayer Sob Rock Tour – Seattle
Our tickets to the Seattle leg of John Mayer’s ‘Sob Rock’ tour were purchased four months in advance. We were super excited as we had last crossed the Canadian-US border before the onset of the pandemic. We began the two-and-a-half hour drive, passing through several miles of farmland and countryside until we eventually arrived in the city of Seattle. From here, we drove to the affluent neighbourhood of Queen Anne to arrive at our Airbnb.
Built in 1903, the Airbnb was tastefully furnished with a mix of vintage and modern pieces and immediately felt like a home away from home. We ordered dinner from Via Tribunali, a local Italian hotspot (the Verde pizza was delicious!), before freshening up and taking an Uber to Climate Pledge Arena.
The Climate Pledge Arena is undoubtedly the most impressive arena I’ve ever been to. Originally an arena constructed under a historic landmarked roof initially built for the 1962 Seattle World Fair, it is the first net zero carbon certified arena in the world. In addition to raising awareness about sustainability, the arena has a variety of food and beverage stores (including many vegan options) and is home to the Climate Pledge Living Wall – a backdrop of lush greenery that provides the ideal photo opportunity.
But it was only once the concert began that I truly appreciated how high-tech the arena was – from the impeccable sound and acoustics to the high quality screens. And of course, John Mayer did not disappoint and proved why he is undoubtedly a modern-day guitar legend. I loved how he added an extra dimension to his songs that night, such as the guitar riff of ‘Tom’s Diner’ (Suzanne Vega) that he included in ‘Neon’, resulting in a unique concert experience.
We were so immersed in the show that we could hardly believe when it drew to a close. John ended off on a high, rewarding concert-goers with two songs for the encore, including the Grammy award-winning ‘Your Body is a Wonderland’. We left the arena and after briefly taking in the Downtown Seattle sights, called it a night.
We began the next day with donuts and coffee from Top Doughnuts, aptly named as the donuts were some of the best I’ve ever eaten. After checking out of the Airbnb, we headed over to Kerry Park, which offered impressive views of the Downtown Seattle skyline. Cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and while admiring the neighbourhood architecture we spent time capturing photos of the beautiful flowers. For lunch, we filled our bellies at Toulouse Petit Kitchen & Lounge, an artsy local gem. The mushroom, butternut and homemade ricotta gnocchi with fried sage was sublime.
We couldn’t leave Seattle without visiting Pike Place Market. We wandered the various stores, peered at the Gumball wall from a distance, and somehow found room in our tummies to consume more decadent pastries. There were musicians and artists galore entertaining the crowds, but it was soon time for us to begin our return journey to Canada. As evening fell, we stopped at Panera Bread for some grilled cheese and creamy tomato soup, before resuming our travels, which was much more pleasant today thanks to the good weather. We filled our tank (taking advantage of the lower fuel prices in the USA), drove through the small towns and farmland once more until we returned home. Although short, it was indeed an amazing trip.
