1969 was a big year. The moon landing and Woodstock are two touch-points that come to mind without much flipping extensively through the mental rolodex of things that happened in such a remarkable year.
One thing that did happen in that year which may often be forgotten (unless you were a fan of music at that time), is the release of The Beatles song “Don’t Let Me Down”. Credited to John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the duo worked their magic to treat their fans.
Could such a duo team up to delight audiences again?
Well, of course one can!
And where better for such a momentous power-duo than at the Crossroads Guitar Festival? When instead of Lennon, another John by the name of Mayer, and an Australian country/rock legend named Keith Urban teamed up to perform the favorite Beatles song.
With a full-fledged rock band behind them, these two legends bring the heat!
Needless to say, their rather large audience couldn’t be more excited to see this marriage of two of the era’s most notable guitarists.
When Keith sings, he lends his country-meets-rock charm.
With big power in his voice and punchy rock attitude, he brings the 1969 song roaring into the present day. Urban is known for three things:
- His hairstyle which hasn’t changed since 1998.
- Wearing oversized watches and bracelets.
- Singing with the guts of a rebellious cowboy.
And boy, does it seem like he’s having fun!
Not afraid to get a little bit loose on stage, he chuckles along with the background singers as he gets chummy with them.
It’s not just Keith having fun with it though!
John Mayer too is living his best life while thrilling their enthusiastic audience. Mayer holds nothing back during his part in the song, lending his own brand of intensity.
It’s a contrast to Urban’s style, but one that works.
John Mayer is probably more known for his smooth, crooning style of contemporary rock, which alongside Keith Urban’s country edge acts as a perfect complement.
And it wouldn’t be a team-up, without a show-down.
What, you mean you’d expect a performance between two of the top guitarists of their own genres and NOT expect a little friendly showmanship? Inevitably, they take a moment to play their guitars, almost at each other.
Stand back, Keith is gettin’ HOT!
Another inevitability at a guitar festival is a slick guitar solo. As Mayer takes the rhythm guitar part and leads with the vocals, Urban steps up with his fancy finger-work and gets the audience even more riled up with a guitar solo that just won’t quit…
…Not even for a lost strap!
Just as Keith is getting warmed up, his guitar strap becomes disconnected and he has to reach around for it to hook it back into the peg. With a quick hand, and momentary assistance from Mayer, they are back playing in no time. I challenge you to even hear a break in their guitar though!
As the song comes to a climactic peak, the two reach rock-top!
…That’s the opposite of rock-bottom, and you only get there by being the best at rocking. As you can see watching the video, these two did not come here to play. Well, they did come to play guitar, but not games! They came to blow their audiences minds, not only in person but to the more than fifteen million viewers on YouTube.
Watch the full video below to enjoy this ultimate power-duo!
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