John Mayer to play charity gig to raise money for veterans
Written by worldOneFm on September 13, 2023
John Mayer will be playing a one-off show in Los Angeles next week to raise funds for a veterans charity.
The 45-year-old musician has booked a gig at The Wiltern venue in the city on Tuesday September 19 and all the proceeds will go to the Heart and Armor Foundation – the charity he set up to help war veterans through scientific research and is focused on improving the lives of servicemen and woman who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
He explained in a statement posted on Instagram: “To celebrate the start of the upcoming fall SOLO tour, I’ll be playing a special concert at @thewiltern in Los Angeles next Tuesday, September 19. All proceeds will benefit @heartandarmor, a foundation to support veterans’ health … Tickets are on sale this Friday at 10AM and can be accessed with your unique code – the link? It’s in the bio.”
Speaking about the charity’s launch, John shared his reasons for setting up the organisation. In a statement posted on the charity’s website, he explained: “I am about the same age as the first wave of Iraq and Afghanistan military veterans. I have felt gratitude and discomfort about the disproportionately large burden that military service members carry in our society, and I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out the best way to ‘support the troops’ with real action instead of platitudes.
“This foundation is the culmination of eight years of research, conversations with veterans, and pilot work … I think few reasonable people would argue that we have an obligation to long term health of these men and women. And Heart and Armor will certainly do its part in meeting those obligations.
“But I also hope this foundation helps people look a little closer; we can all do a better job of sharing the burden. Listening. Exploring. Risking. Participating. Serving one another, even when it’s inconvenient and tedious … I am so grateful to veterans for carrying so much of our burden, and I hope you join me in trying to share a little of theirs.”
John’s ‘Solo’ tour kicks off in Hollywood, Florida on September 27. The trek will stop in cities including New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Nashville and Tampa before concluding at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on November 10.
He will then head to Europe for dates in early 2024.
