Post your Chicago presale questions or issues here and Mellencamp.com will reply!

Since the website for jm changed a couple of weeks ago I have been searching for reasons to post the positives about it. I guess my expectations may be too high but it just doesn't seem to match the stature of JM; especially after his latest release which I think is absolutely great! It's 6:00 central my time and it's the release date of his album and website shows nothing special at all to promote and celebrate the release! Disappointing since I read quotes where the changes were going to be up to the standarts of JM. It's my conclusion he has little to do with this website and that's a shame! I guess I am frustrated because I am a huge fan of JM but have always been frustrated and disappointed by his website; this update including. Other artists I really enjoy seem to be so much more involved with their websites. Namely Bryan Adams, Steve Earle, Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty. Since his release today I put JM above all of the aformentioned artists and thats why I am venting!

Feeback is always welcome.

Perhaps you have missed some of the updates we have posted to the site today, it's possible if you didn't do a hard refresh on the home page you may not have seen the note about the album being released and a few others. Additionally, the NEWS section has been getting a steady stream of album reviews for the past few days, we are nearing 40 reviews post of the album. The entire first page of the news is new from yesterday and today.

Make sure you check out the story on the home page detailing John's visit to Tavis Smiley including a peek at the setlist for the rest of the week.

You seem to imply you were expecting some other new content to mark the release of the album. We have posted most of the in the weeks leading up to the album. But hopefully there will be a few more things to surprise you in the coming weeks. For now all of John's performances on Tavis will have to suffice.

The site itself is pretty much the same site as the old one with a new look, content system and message board. We plan some additions in the "About" and "Media" sections, but they will be rather modest in nature and probably will come in time for the TOUR. We are so deep in activities for the new album and tour on sale a few things have to wait for their moment.

John does not have very hands on approach to the website, although he supervised the design change. The entire motif was his idea and direction. John is a busy guy and prefers to let his work speak for himself rather than treading into the twitter era of over communication. He has a team of us who over see his online presence as well as his public relations presence and he lets us do our job.

John has, on occasion, posted messages and content through his site directly for his fans, probably at the same frequency as the peers you mention.

Visit http://www.mellencamp.com/news.html?n_id=917 for a report from the first night of John's visit with Tavis Smiley, including an exclusive Mellencamp.com picture previewing tonight's performance!

Thanks, Paula.  I figured out the shading and the blue news pretty much, and I think I got the same impression as you on those. 

However, I think there needs to be a better way of backing out and getting to the new posts. In the old board, if I went to a thread, the first post I saw was the first unread one of each topic, then I'd just hit index, I think it was, to go back to the previous choices.  A lot faster.  I just think this will become a major issue with long lasting topics, like when we had 800 beautiful man pages.  (That might not be that much of a problem, lol)

Just below the message board navigation (HOME HELP SEARCH) is a path for where you are:

John Mellencamp Community > MELLENCAMP.COM ANNOUNCEMENTS > Tech Support > Post reply ( Re: Question )

If you click on them you can quickly get back to the main page or the sub board or thread you are on.

Also I take advantage of a few links:
1. The Show Unread Topics link - This is right below your user name after you have logged in and arrived in the community:

http://www.mellencamp.com/forum/index.php?action=unread

2. After I am sure I have read everything I intend to read on the board's main page at the bottom right is a link that says Mark All As read, this makes all of the unread blue icon's go away until there are new posts.
http://www.mellencamp.com/forum/index.php?action=markasread

3. Recent Posts: I read most of the board this way, it doesn't work that great because it shows the very newest posts first, typically I click back a page or two and then read forward:
http://www.mellencamp.com/forum/index.php?action=recent;start=0

Picked up my copy today, only got to listen to about 1/2 of thus far, but liking it.     
Best Buy had a nice little promo pic up of John today, of course love to see that.  And I would say they had at least 20 copies of the new release.

Can you snap a picture of whatever the promo pic was? Or can you describe it more? It was something physically in the best buy store?

As I just posted in the Street Team Sub-Forum:
http://www.mellencamp.com/forum/index.php?topic=157.msg816#msg816

There are a number of helpful things fans can do right now with the album out fresh is the following:

FAN REVIEWS - Log onto iTunes, Amazon.com and other music sites and post your review/comments on the new album. Be honest, you don't have to say you think it's Johns best album ever if you don't feel that way, but post your comments, educate readers about the project and encourage them to check it out. Most importantly make sure you vote/rate the album.

TELL THE WORLD - Post to your Facebook/blog/Twitter letting the world know the album is out and that people should check it out. There is a promotion coming in a few days that will let people listen to the full album online!

Peer marketing is the most successful way of getting people to check this album out. Tell people they NEED to hear this album and why. Also be thinking of people who like other genre's of music that maybe John would not have appealed to so easily as in the past. For example my wife's parents are real old school country fans. They like the album very much.
You never know who might be the right "fit" with this album!

Push them to watch John's interview and performances on Mellencamp.com from Tavis, those will serve as a great introduction to the album!

REQUEST - Please continue to request the song & album at the stations / radio formats mentioned in this thread: http://www.mellencamp.com/forum/index.php?topic=8.0

As was hit on by WildNight in their post there are a number of helpful things fans can do right now with the album out fresh is the following:

FAN REVIEWS - Log onto iTunes, Amazon.com and other music sites and post your review/comments on the new album. Be honest, you don't have to say you think it's Johns best album ever if you don't feel that way, but post your comments, educate readers about the project and encourage them to check it out. Most importantly make sure you vote/rate the album.

TELL THE WORLD - Post to your Facebook/blog/Twitter letting the world know the album is out and that people should check it out. There is a promotion coming in a few days that will let people listen to the full album online!

Peer marketing is the most successful way of getting people to check this album out. Tell people they NEED to hear this album and why. Also be thinking of people who like other genre's of music that maybe John would not have appealed to so easily as in the past. For example my wife's parents are real old school country fans. They like the album very much.
You never know who might be the right "fit" with this album!

Push them to watch John's interview and performances on Mellencamp.com from Tavis, those will serve as a great introduction to the album!

REQUEST - Please continue to request the song & album at the stations / radio formats mentioned in this thread: http://www.mellencamp.com/forum/index.php?topic=8.0

Hey gang,

We have a quick and easy way you can help John & Mellencamp.com out by taking a few notes when you go out shopping in the next few weeks.

We have a simple survey we would like folks to fill out about buying the new album!

http://www.mellencamp.com/forum/index.php?topic=147.0

Several of the people who submit checks will be picked for an autographed item! Full details on the link above.

Thanks in advance for your help!
TonyB

survey completed

(do you want us to post each time we complete one?  i had already been out this morning before i saw this, but i will continue to check and submit)

Sure feel free to post each time you enter a new report. In fact it would help your chances of being pulled for a prize pack

[We are going to pick three people out of those who post that they completed the survey and send them an autographed Mellencamp item in a few weeks!]

We are looking for retail reports from fans who have visited a retail store since the release of No Better Than This. We have a short survey for you to fill out about your experience.

Complete the survey and then make a post in this thread below to confirm that you filled the survey out. Feel free to tell everyone about your experience in your post!

You can fill the survey out as many times as you want, so if you keep visiting more stores swing back in and enter it in and post below.

We don't have any amazing new autographed items, just posters and CD's for John's past albums. We appreciate any checks you can submit but please don't exhaust yourself.

We are going to pick three people out of those who post that they completed the survey and send them an autographed Mellencamp item in a few weeks!

Having trouble with the form below? Here is a link to take it online: http://www.impressity.com/Survey/sl.aspx?SurveyLinkId=ixefgkhytatjiivazlei

I am sure I just missed this but when do we get the merchandise that comes with the premium ticket package?  Thanks!

You will get an email in about a week with redemption instructions. You should receive your shirt, poster and other items around the time of your concert depending on production time.

[online real time]

As of 10:28 it keeps saying "technical difficulties seats not available online."

I got 2 tix in 3rd row at the $125 price level on left side. COOL!!

I am STUNNED at how well that went, that Mellencamp actually does this w/o charging to be in fanclub any more, and that Tony is actually online real time helping with any problems, real or imagined.

THANKS! GREAT JOB! 3rd row rules!

It's possible your presale password timed out, I just put the password in fresh and had no problem pulling up 4 tickets.

THANKS FOR YOUR APPRECIATION!!!

As you can tell, we try hard!

anyone know orchestra seating set up what is a good row?

Click their link for the seating chart, then click the link on that for detailed seating chart. They have a GREAT chart that actually shows the seats and rows! Gotta love that.

My bad. But it is past 10 am and I still cannot pull up any tix.

Looks like they went up a few minutes after 10am. I just pulled up 2 front row tickets in the right, which I have released.

enter the password in the promo box and then request tickets and it will work.