Inside John Mayer’s Private Concert Supporting New Research on Veterans’ Sleep: “Science Will Eventually Catch All of These Wounds”

On September 18, 2025, John Mayer brought a small, dedicated audience to a soundstage at Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood for a private concert raising funds and awareness for veteran health. The event — attended by roughly 100 guests including veterans and supporters — launched a new initiative in support of University of California, San Francisco research into how sleep affects veteran wellbeing.

Before the performance, Mayer joined a panel of clinicians and researchers to discuss sleep’s critical role in recovery and long-term health for former service members. Heart and Armor Foundation leaders noted that roughly 60% of veterans report sleep disturbances (about three times the rate among non-veterans), a figure that climbs to approximately 93% for veterans living with PTSD. The foundation emphasized links between poor sleep and increased risk for heart disease, neurodegenerative conditions, and mental-health challenges.

Explaining the foundation’s mission, Mayer reflected on the human stories behind medical statistics and the hope that rigorous science can shorten the duration of wounds like PTSD, insomnia and traumatic brain injury. Gerard Choucroun, Heart and Armor’s executive director, described the campaign as an investment in research that aims to deliver measurable improvements in veterans’ health and quality of life both immediately and for years to come.

Following the discussion, Mayer delivered an 11-song set that blended fan favorites with selections from his most recent studio record, Sob Rock (2021). He performed two of his best-known Hot 100 singles — “Waiting on the World to Change” and “Who Says” — alongside four Sob Rock tracks: “Last Train Home,” “I Guess I Just Feel Like,” “Wild Blue,” and “New Light.”

As the evening progressed, Mayer encouraged the crowd to move with him; what had been a mostly seated room soon became a spontaneous dance area near the stage. That kinetic energy carried into the closing number, the 2006 favorite “Gravity,” when the audience swayed together, some linking arms in a communal moment.

Mayer thanked the attendees for an evening that, he said, had restored his faith in people after hearing powerful personal stories shared throughout the night. The intimate guest list included director McG — with whom Mayer purchased the Henson lot in 2024 — and Sugar Ray frontman Mark McGrath.

He also reflected on his recent run with Dead & Company: after residencies at the Sphere in Las Vegas in 2024 and 2025, Mayer joked that some of his solo material now feels “fun-size” compared with the Grateful Dead–style epics he’s been playing with the band.

Looking ahead, Mayer is scheduled to open for Zach Bryan on September 27, 2025, at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor — the largest stadium in the United States, with a capacity of 107,601 — a dramatic increase in scale from the night’s intimate gathering.

Setlist — Heart and Armor Benefit, Henson Studios (September 18, 2025)

1. Queen of California
2. Last Train Home
3. Who Says
4. Love on the Weekend
5. Belief
6. I Guess I Just Feel Like
7. Waiting on the World to Change
8. Slow Dancing in a Burning Room
9. Wild Blue
10. New Light
11. Gravity

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