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John Mellencamp in Concert
John Mellencamp has been bringing his brand of American heartland rock to fans since the late '70s, when his raw, rootsy sound set him apart from the arena rockers in vogue at the time. The Midwestern twang that adds to his signature vocal style also informs his songs, as he details the ups and downs of the everyday working folks he grew up among. The rough-and-ready roots-rock sound he perfected on milestone '80s albums like ‘American Fool’ and ‘Scarecrow’ has remained a crucial touchstone for Mellencamp's concerts, regardless of where he falls in the roots–rock spectrum at any given phase. And when he delivers classics like "Jack & Diane," "Pink Houses," "Small Town," or "Hurts So Good," he digs deep for a gritty, from-the-gut delivery that connects with his audiences in an immediate, visceral way. From his 2017 Sad Clowns and Hillbillies tour with guests Emmylou Harris and Carlene Carter to his 2018 Other People's Stuff tour, Mellencamp's latter-day outings have shown that the veteran road dog only gets tougher and more determined.
John Mellencamp Background
John Mellencamp was born in Indiana in 1951, and worked with a series of bands throughout his teens, but in the mid '70s he managed to hook up with David Bowie manager Tony DeFries, which led to his first record deal, under the name Johnny Cougar. He scored his first hit, the rocking "I Need a Lover," in 1979, but it was his 1982 album ‘American Fool’ that really broke him through to the big time. The massive hits "Jack & Diane" and "Hurts So Good" made him a bona fide rock star. On subsequent '80s albums like ‘Uh-huh’ and ‘Scarecrow,’ Mellencamp (finally working under his own surname) developed the sharp, sociopolitical side of his lyrical sensibilities. On songs like "Pink Houses," "Small Town," and "Scarecrow," he sang of and for the working people who are the heart and soul of America, and Mellencamp became an American icon in the process. But despite his Grammy award, his mega-Platinum record sales, and his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame membership, Mellencamp has never lost sight of the people who put him where he is, and they're still the focus of his music.
Mellencamp and his band were awesome. John sounds AMAZING and he looks GREAT. John still R.O.C.K.'s In The USA!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a must see show.
Great energy! Looked great! LIked his new music -his lead guitarist is amazing-the band put a twist on alot of the old tunes but it still was good. John seemed to enjoy performing and played for over 2 hours! The Ryman is the best place to hear music!
The best part of the show was 2 1/2 hours with Mellencamp and he sounded great. The unfortunate part of the show was the set list selection. I thought the new songs were good but I felt they should have comprised a much smaller portion of the show. I find it ironic that he said he's not really nostalgic yet a majority of the songs were about the way things used to be and the influence people like his father and grandmother had on his songs. Even the energy in the crowd was noticably different during th older songs. Again, he sounded great and he was very energetic but I would have preferred a 70/30 split of old to new rather than the other way around.
Jack and Diane was butchered. Not many old songs. Mid-way through the show the songs became dark and depressing. Felt like John did not want to be there. NO ENCORE! Still love him regardless.
he performed 2 hours straight....no breaks....he's was just awesome!!
Best concert that I have ever seen at the Ryman. Mellencamp still puts on an awesome show
I have been waiting for years to be able to see him in concert and I wasn't disappointed. The songs from his new CD sound great he showed that he can still sing all the ballads and dance like a 20 y/o. Then he rocked the house with nostalgia. Loved it.
I was so happy to see John Mellencamp at the beautiful Ryman! John Mellencamp was Awesome! Great mix of old and new. One of the things I wanted to do in my life was to see John Mellencamp. I was not disapointed at all! Loved it!
This was my first time to see Mellencamp and my first time at the Ryman, loved both. John's show isn't the old John but part of the show is made up of his past hits which he and the band did a great job. I would love to see him again.
Great show, great crowd, great performance, timeless music!
Everything about the show was amazing. The stage setup, the band, the music, the performances. I loved how the stage changed with the moods of the performances; I loved the talent of the violinist, the guitar solo player, the drummer. I loved how Mellencamp performed his classics acoustically. They were heartfelt, which is hard when he has had to play those songs thousands of times. I loved how he changed the delivery of his classics from their originals. I loved how he saved his rocking out to the finale. It was the perfect show. I only wish I had called earlier for tickets so that we weren't on the back row of the balcony. That part sucked because we weren't allowed to stand up and dance during some of the show.
John Mellencamp's mix of blues and rock made for a great night at the Ryman. I actually enjoyed the change up style when he played Jack and Diane. Also his new songs, while a change from his past, were well done in the classic Mellencamp style.
John and band were top-notch, as usual. Sound was great and I really enjoyed the venue and that it allowed John to be personable with the audience and interact more than usual. Marginal fans that expect to hear the classics as they've heard on the radio for years will be disappointed, they've all been reworked a bit.
In short, the concert was fair at best. The venue was great, but the mix of songs did not meet our expectations.
As with any aging rocker, he put a bit of a different twist on some of the older, more popular songs. I was a little shocked that he didn't play longer given that there was no opening act. I was also shocked at no encore. Overall I would recommend this show to a Mellencamp fan but I would not pay to see this show again.
8:30 start time and he was on stage at 8:30 sharp. No opening act. Made for a great evening. This is the way every concert should be. Who cares if he didn't come back for an encore. That is cheesy anyway.
well planed concert to cover alot of songs.i was truely intertained.
Great show by Mellencamp and his band. He gets better every year.
The Nashville show at the historic Rymen was a once in a life time experience and will go down in my book as on of the best shows I have ever seen. John and his band were Magical !!!!!
Awesome concert. Beautiful set. Subtle concert choreography, lighting. Loved how you could hear each instrument. Incredible sound. Small intimate venue and the laid back style in which he chose to perform was absolutely perfect. Saw him at a big venue rock style concert in the 80s -- fabulous. Now, 30 yrs later he performed gracefully, many new thought provoking songs and gave us several of the old classics we hoped to hear. Absolutely fantastic.
