John Mayer turned his final tour rehearsal in Columbia, South Carolina, into a free concert for a few hundred lucky fans last night at the University of South Carolina. Fans had been gathering outside the venue where the recent Rolling Stone cover star is preparing for his his two-year long Battle Studies world tour, and Mayer rewarded them by posting on his Twitter, "USC students: come watch us run the show tonight. Free." About 150 tickets were quickly scooped up for the impromptu Carolina Coliseum show, the college's Daily Gamecock reports, but eventually about 400 fans were let into the venue.

Check out photos from Mayer's Rolling Stone cover shoot.

Fans didn't just witness a rehearsal, they saw a full-fledged preview of what Mayer will be bringing on the road when his tour kicks off tomorrow in Sunrise, Florida: a live camera feed projecting the performance on a giant video screen, full pyrotechnic and light displays, a fog machine and, of course, the opportunity to hear Mayer's new Battle Studies live. Mayer and his band did a run through of the set list they expect to perform during the world tour, a mix of new songs and hits, and even asked the crowd for advice regarding some of the elements of the show.

Check out Mayer's most outrageous moments, from his Borat mankini to impromptu jam "Bare Ballin'."

As he demonstrated in his Rolling Stone cover story, Mayer doesn't hold his tongue, and his banter at USC ranged from "condoms, not doing his laundry and cartoons having sex," the Daily Gamecock writes. "We will hopefully see you at one of the area concerts, or we'll have to do a show back here," Mayer told the crowd. "We'll see you soon."

Last night's test run set list, courtesy of fan site Try JM:

"Heartbreak Warfare"
"Crossroads"
"Vultures"
"Perfectly Lonely"
"Assassin"
(Steve Jordan solo/jam>)
"Waiting on the World to Change" ->
(keyboard solo -> jam )
"Half of My Heart" (with Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" interpolation)
"I Don’t Trust Myself"
"Say"
"Edge of Desire"
"Why Georgia"
"Gravity"
Encore:
"Who Says"
"Body is a Wonderland" (John and Robbie only)
"All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye"

Related Stories:
• John Mayer in His Own Words: Bonus Q&A From Our Cover Story
• John Mayer's Dirty Mind & Lonely Heart: New Issue of Rolling Stone

• 
  MUSIC 100 Greatest Debut Albums
• 
  MOVIES 'Great Gatsby' Is a Crushing Disappointment
• 
  TV Why You Should Watch 'Happy Endings'
• 
  POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix

Song Stories