Lainey Wilson brings out John Mayer for first live 'Phone, Keys, Wallet'
Lainey Wilson brought John Mayer on stage as a surprise guest in Los Angeles on Sept. 17 for the first live performance of their duet “Phone, Keys, Wallet.”
The moment came during Wilson’s set at the Novo, as part of All For the Hall, the benefit concert for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Mayer walked out guitar in hand. The pair then sang the collaboration together in public for the first time, Billboard reported.
Wilson told the crowd how the song started. She said it was written in Los Angeles at Chaplin Studios. She then played an early version for Mayer through a mobile phone speaker before he joined the record.
The song arrived with radio momentum. It sat at No. 15 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, the chart that tracks plays on country radio stations, at the time of the show.
Wilson’s set ranged beyond the duet. It included her songs “4x4xU” and “Wildflowers and Wild Horses.” She then performed “More Than Friends” with Lukas Nelson and covered “You Can’t Make Old Friends,” the 2013 Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers collaboration, as a tribute to Parton.
The evening featured a wider lineup. Jelly Roll and Lukas Nelson were also billed as performers. Students from Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles sang “I’ll Overcome,” a song written through the Museum’s Words & Music program, which brings songwriting into classrooms.
All For the Hall launched in New York in 2007. It raises money for the Museum’s education initiatives. The Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organisation whose stated mission is to collect, preserve and interpret the evolving history and traditions of country music.
For fans, this was the first chance to see Wilson and Mayer sing the song in the same room. Wilson’s official store lists a “Phone, Keys, Wallet” 7-inch vinyl for $15.00 USD. Mayer has his own history with the series, having met Parton at an All For the Hall event in Nashville in October 2010.
