In July 2021, American blues-rock guitarist John Mayer—at the peak of promotion for Sob Rock (2021), marking his return to 80s soft-rock vibes after The Search for Everything—delivered a virtual concert for Small Stage Series, a joint SiriusXM and Pandora exclusive intimate session series during the pandemic. The 30-minute performance, captured in high quality in a Los Angeles studio with a minimal band, embodied the promo climax, where technical Fender Stratocaster solos merged with emotive vocals on tracks like "Last Train Home", "Wild Blue", "Shot in the Dark", and "I Guess I Just Feel Like" to evoke nostalgic resonance for millions online. This show highlighted his mastery of retro pop-rock, turning virtual space into an 80s portal.