John Mayer Gives Secret Concert in Philly [AUDIO/VIDEO]

In final preparation for his 4th of July performance in Philly and an impending tour, singer/songwriter John Mayer played a hush-hush show for a small crowd Tuesday at Temple University.

The concert, not open to the public and consisting of radio industry execs such as myself, was billed as a final tour rehearsal, took place inside the Liacouras Center on the Temple U campus.  But it didn't appear to me that Mayer or his band needed to work out many kinks.  The entire set, which last a little over an hour, sounded extremely tight.  Reworkings of songs like 'Half of My Heart', which appeared on John's album Battle Studies, and a testing of new material like 'Paper Doll' were so sonically perfect they seemed to cut through the arena air space like a knife.

I wish he'd have delved deeper into his catalog of hits and broken into 'No Such Thing' or 'Bigger Than My Body', but maybe Mayer is saving those moments for the actual Born and Raised Tour, which kicks off Tuesday in Cincinnati, OH.

John recently announced his new album Paradise Valley, his first since being sidelined by throat surgery to repair vocal chord damage.

In addition to his performance along the Ben Franklin Parkway Thursday for Philadelphia's 4th of July Welcome America celebration, Mayer has two area dates this Summer of SoJO, August 23 at Susquehenna Bank Center along the Camden Waterfront, and September 1 at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa.

Boy is he tall!  Cute too, but shy.