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Seven-time GRAMMY® Award-winning singer/songwriter/guitar player/producer John Mayer will kick off his “Battle Studies” North American tour February 8 and will perform at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Saturday, March 27. The concert, scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., will feature Mayer along with special guest Michael Franti & Spearhead.

In November 2009, Mayer released his fourth studio album, Battle Studies, a confessional, relaxed and liberated album which incorporates the warmth, melodies and simplicity of ’70s and ’80s California rock and pop. The album was recorded in a private home in California where Mayer lived and worked over the course of six months prior to wrapping at the famed Capitol Studios in Los Angeles. The album was co-produced by Mayer and Steve Jordan, a prominent producer in his own right, and was released on Columbia Records.

The consistency with which Mayer combines word craft and melody has earned him rarefied status in popular culture as a genuine and respected songwriter and musician. Since his acclaimed debut in 2001 with Room For Squares, each subsequent release has earned Mayer additional accolades. Through 2003’s Heavier Things, his work with John Mayer Trio in 2005, CONTINUUM’s 2006 release and now, Battle Studies, Mayer has established himself as a musician and collaborator who exceeds genre boundaries. The guitarist, vocalist and songwriter has not only earned seven GRAMMYs, but also has sold nearly 12.5 million albums worldwide.

In May 2007, Time placed Mayer on its list of the 100 most influential contemporary thinkers, leaders, artists and entertainers. Additionally, for two consecutive years Rolling Stone featured the popular musician on the cover of their annual “Guitar” issue – first as part of the February 2007 “Guitar Heroes” round-up featuring Mayer with peers and icons alike, and then in the May 2008 “Living Guitar Legends” issue.

One of Mayer’s many defining traits is his ability to pair with celebrated artists from rock to blues, as well as hip-hop, jazz and country. These well-known individuals include Eric Clapton, BB King, Buddy Guy, T-Bone Burnett, Herbie Hancock, Dixie Chicks, Jay Z, Alicia Keys and Taylor Swift. In 2005, Mayer famously toured and recorded with Pino Palladino and Steve Jordan as John Mayer Trio. Their live album TRY! featured a combination of blues and rock.

The Bay Area-born Michael Franti has always dared to say big things through his exceptionally powerful and deeply felt music. He has performed a wide range of genres for more than 20 years which has included a range from the intense punk rock of the Beatnigs to his joyful and meaningful modern soul music with Spearhead (now Michael Franti & Spearhead). Franti also has released an impressive series of recordings including his latest album, All Rebel Rockers. The album is not only the highest Billboard Top 200 Album Chart debut of Franti’s career, but it has remained on the chart longer than any of his previous releases. The smash hit “Say Hey (I Love You)” was certified digital platinum in 2009.

Franti also has appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Jimmy Fallon show and other national television outlets which have served to drive the more than 3.1 million YouTube views for “Say Hey (I Love You).” His critically hailed live performances have been tabbed as “some of the best the industry has to offer today.”

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