For more than 130 years, New York's 92nd Street Y has brought the world's finest minds and most intriguing public figures to its stage. The roster of names includes world leaders, including Bill Clinton, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Lech Walesa; entertainers, including Larry David, Alec Baldwin Paul Newman, Meryl Streep and; musicians, including Paul McCartney, Rosanne Cash, Tony Bennett, and Billy Joel; writers, including T.S. Elliot, Allen Ginsburg, Tom Stoppard and Norman Mailer; scientists, including Eric Kandel, Roslyn Yarrow and James Watson; and business leaders, including Steve Ballmer, Meg Whitman and Jack Welch. On Monday, March 28th, John Mellencamp's name will be added to that distinguished roster of 92nd Street Y speakers as he discusses his life and varied career in music that has spanned more than 35 years.
Here is how 92Y is describing the event: John Mellencamp discusses his life and varied career in music that has spanned more than 35 years. During his career, Mellencamp has transitioned from pre-fab pop idol to one of the most highly regarded mature songwriters of a generation, releasing 26 albums with domestic sales exceeding 40 million units. He has been nominated for 13 Grammys, was a recipient of Billboard's Century Award, ASCAP Foundation's Champion Award, The Woody Guthrie Award and Q's Classic Songwriter Award and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Mellencamp has amassed 22 Top 40 hits and holds the record for the most tracks by a solo artist to hit #1 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart. The social activism reflected in his songs was one of the key catalysts that launched Farm Aid, the concert series and organization that has addressed the struggle of American family farmers for more than 25 years. The unique instrumentation of his band and overall approach is widely credited with being the forbear of the Americana/No Depression genre of rural-inflected music.
We came across a very interesting use of the theme of John's song "Minutes To Memories." The author provided us an introduction and then his full piece:
The great songs are the ones that can be brought to life. Like in “Minutes to Memories,” when that old man starts talking about his life and his times, it’s as if you were on that bus too. The song brings that bus ride alive. You know that man. You can see him.
And when we all share a common challenge, like the current move to silence a people’s right to bargain together for safe, fair, work, that’s when the great songs really come to life. In all their glory.
Like in this story. When a very young man meets an old man on a bus ride. And one of the truly great songs again comes alive.
Here is the full piece Roger wrote:
Boarding the night bus out of Chicago, north up Highway 94 to a 3:00 am St. Paul Minnesota where she’d be waiting. A gentle snow like a muted trumpet fanfare walking back to 509 South Snelling Avenue. Second floor front. Cracks on the plaster ceilings were secret maps to treasures we would find together. While I whipped off lines like Scott Fitzgerald’s “So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past”
How hard could that be, right?
She’d take pictures. She could see shapes and colors in walls and doors. She could hear music in architecture. See dancing in pottery. And I really did have an ancestor, A.W. Dow, who once taught Georgia O’Keeffe. So we were ready.
We’d get jobs. Of course we’d get jobs. Everybody got jobs. Didn’t really think about it that much. The real search took place in the sparsely furnished cupboards of the mind, looking for stories that had to be there somewhere. Pictures that were just around the corner. Jobs would come. It was life that mattered.
Candles flickering on a red-checkered tablecloth, the red gravy on the pasta from tomatoes that sang to the earth in joy. The garlic bread drenched in butter, the cheap wine like a magic fruit nectar, a walk back home to the little rooms with the radiators banging, second hand copies of Bellow and Algren tossed across the room as love closed the day, sang to unknown stars and lasted well on to the first lights of dawn.
Boarding the bus that night. Visions of being done with her dorm room at Macalester, a college much like the one I knew. Where living off campus was like some far away dream of being some new kind of grown up. Sure, I’d miss home. Miss Chicago. But we had talked it out. It was time for us to make a place somewhere different. Sometimes when you are twenty-one, you get this feeling that it’s time to be brave. And you don’t know what to do. So you leave. And besides, I wasn’t really leaving. Wasn’t really all that brave either. I’d been up to see her in St. Paul dozens of times.
Boarding the bus, enveloped by that bus smell familiar to anyone who’s ever ridden long distances by bus. It’s a potent cocktail of human sweat, fear, and failure wrapped in a plastic coating and sprinkled with the sense that somewhere something might be burning. Drenched in the seats and windows and walls so it never goes away. Leaving the old tired neon glare of the downtown Chicago bus station, it wasn’t long till we met the frozen farmland and the stars northwest of Chicago.
Scott Fitzgerald again:
“ When we pulled out into the winter night and the real snow, our snow, began to stretch out beside us and twinkle against the windows, and the dim lights of small Wisconsin stations moved by, a sharp wild brace came suddenly into the air.”
And that’s when the old man, my seatmate, began to speak.
“Come Janesville,” he said, you can be stretching out for the rest of the ride. I’ll be getting off.”
“Oh. Well. Thanks!”
“Got a seven o’clock shift at the Chevy Plant. Yep. Sure do. Gotta be fresh.”
The old man wore a faded red flannel shirt. His sleeves rolled up. Wiry forearms. I could see the strength in his hands. The stories in his eyes. I started asking questions.
“How long you been working at the Janesville Plant?”
“47 years son.”
It had never occurred to me that jobs lasted that long. That ANYTHING lasted that long. This was a man even older than my parents!
“What kept you going over all those years?” I asked. Having no clue as to the answer.
“Oh it was never one thing. Be careful of folks who tell you that ANYTHING is cause of one reason. They are always missing something.”
“Well, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?”
“My family. Pretty much the first thing that always comes to mind. Had to take care of my family. I gotta son. He’s going to college. And you know what? I got a daughter, she’s finished college! She’s a social worker in Milwaukee now. Not really sure what that means. Something about helping people I guess. Her Mom, she likes that. I like when we went to visit? She took us to the bar in the Pfister Hotel and I had the beer in the big tall glasses.”
“So your family was first. What else?”
“I guess I couldn’t have done what I done without the union.”
And when he said that, my newly minted college brain came forth and I told him I didn’t believe in unions.
I thought he’d get mad. I wasn’t trying to be rude. But where I went to college, we were supposed to speak up when we disagreed.
The old man smiled just a touch and said, “Well, why’s that son?”
“Two reasons. First, it seems like they’re not efficient. I mean how do they help productivity? If two groups want to work something out, like labor and management, shouldn’t they just do it directly? Why do they need someone in the middle?”
“Well son, let me ask you this. Do you think that’s a fair fight?”
“I’m sorry?”
“A fair fight. Both sides have equal power? And even if they did. Do you think that the two groups would know HOW to work things out together? And what if you put those two pieces together? One group has no power? The other doesn’t know how to make a deal where everyone wins? What do you think is gonna happen?”
“I guess,” I said, it could be a mess. I guess someone’s gonna get hurt.” But I had taken an economics class, so I pressed on. Don’t the unions hurt the shareholders of the company?”
“Sure. Sometimes. When they’re not doing their job in the negotiation. Their job is to make sure that everybody wins.”
“What about public unions? What good are those? Why, if you think about it, they could hurt taxpayers! If their job is to fight for public employees, then the taxpayers are going to have to pay for it all right! And if me and my girlfriend get jobs up in St. Paul, I think we might have to pay taxes too!”
“Boy, “ the old man chuckled. “You’re talking about a negotiation the way a lot of folks see it. It’s a game called, ‘I win if I crush you into the ground.’ And that’s not a negotiation. That’s a war! When real negotiators do their work, what happens is that they see the full picture of both sides. They work in the MIDDLE of the problem. Not from one end or the other. And they make something that everyone can live with.”
“But what about the money? Isn’t this all about the money?”
“Hah! Don’t let anyone ever tell you that. Unions are not about money. Unions are about taking care of each other. Unions are about my kids in college. The food on my table. The cars that we make. See here’s the thing son: “You make a world with no unions and you know what you got? You got a world with no ‘US’. A world with no “Us.’ You understand what I’m saying?”
“I think so. It’s like, if you got a bully on one side of a fight and a tiny little guy on the other---you gotta have someone in the middle to make sure that everybody wins. Even the bully. Because if the bully just stomps his foot and wins every time, that’s just not. . .what’s the word I learned in econ. . .that’s not sustainable. With a union standing in the middle of the discussion, that’s the only way everyone can win.”
“Now you said you had another question?”
“Oh yeah. I heard a lotta union guys are crooks. That true?”
“I don’t know. But I’d guess it is true.”
“So why do you like unions?”
“Because, son I see crooks everywhere I go. Don’t make it right. Maybe some of the union folks are crooks, maybe they don’t know how to do their jobs. Maybe a little of both. But son, “just because something isn’t always done well, doesn’t make it a bad idea.”
He nodded his head. I did too. And then as the bus cut through the Wisconsin night, he fell asleep.
When the driver called out “Janesville!” He woke up. I told him I was impressed about being able to sleep on the bus. He laughed. And as I let him out into the aisle to stand and grab his bag from the rack, he stopped for a moment. Looked at me and said, “Young fella. Just remember. Like it says in the song by that John Mellencamp guy from Indiana.
“An honest man’s pillow is his peace of mind.
So suck it up, tough it out, and do the best you can.”
What a night! I sat in the front row of the John Mellencamp show in Lowell, MA because I was randomly picked for a seat upgrade for downloading my free MP3 download of No Better Than This.It was awesome! Here is a quick review of the show and a picture of me next to the stage!
The historic Lowell Memorial Auditorium was the place to be on Thursday night when John Mellencamp and his band came to town on this cold night. This was the opening show for the 2nd leg and the crowd was lively from the beginning. After the opening movie, there was a brief intermission before the concert. During the two hour concert there were many highlights including some cool rework of his hit songs. For most of the night the crowd stood and they allowed the fans to move right up against the stage where there was great crowd interaction with John. The setlist was similar to the first leg with a few changes like What If I Came Knocking replacing Human Wheels.
To all the Mellencamp fans that I met, see you at the next show.
The Waterbury concert was AWESOME. John and the band R O C K E D!!! The theater was a great venue for the concert. Every seat in the house was great. I can't believe I was picked for the front row upgrade. What a great promotion with the front row seat raffle using the MP3 download codes.
The music was great. John mixed his classics with his new releases. The sound was clear and the performance flawless. The band was super tight and stayed that way for the entire 2+ hrs. What a night.
Sorry for the delay.
I have included some phone pictures of us up front, the people in the pictures are me Rich D. (glasses) and Tim K. I blew Tim away when he found out he would see John Mellencamp 5 feet away. Still getting calls this week thanking me... and thank you in turn Mellencamp.com! Mellencamp & Co. made a night for the books. Best wishes, and rock on.
My name is Michele Berke, and I’m addicted to John Mellencamp. There is no 12-step program for this, no treatment center, and quite frankly I don’t want to ever be cured of this addiction!
John and his music have been a part of my life for over 25 years now and no matter what direction he goes, I follow. There are few artists whose career has lasted as long without sacrificing their creative expression and not “selling out” to the record company evil empires. You may not like his political opinions, his “I don’t give a shit” attitude, hell even his smoking, but you cannot deny that this man puts on one of the best rock and roll shows each time he steps on the stage.
I was lucky to work at MTV in the 80’s (when they actually PLAYED music videos!) and heard about a special they were going to produce on John. I spoke to everyone involved and due to budgetary reasons, they said I could work on it, but the network couldn’t pay for my travel. Well that wasn’t going to hold me back so out came the personal credit card and in a few days this 22 year-old was off to Bloomington, Indiana and standing at the front steps of John’s former home & art studio. Out walks John and we are properly introduced by Chris Connelly who was conducting the interview (and apparently knew John already). I was very polite and shook his hand (when I really wanted to jump out of my skin!) and off we went.
He showed us some paintings, joked around a bit, smoked A LOT and took Chris back to the main house while we setup for the taping. I stood in the background as the questions began, pinching myself every few minutes to make sure this was actually happening. Once we finished, Chris came over to me and mentioned John asked who that “gal” was – referring to me – and when he heard I paid my way to work on this shoot, he offered to pickup my expenses (which he did)! If THAT wasn’t awesome enough, I somehow found the courage to pull him aside and ask him in jest “so when do I get to be painted by you?” His reply, “if you want to spend the night, I’ll paint you in the morning”…GULP!!!
I spent the night in the art studio, he in his house. The next day I sat for John and he indeed painted my portrait (which he sent to me and currently hangs in my bedroom). I can remember every detail as if it happened yesterday. Absolutely an incredible experience.
Fast forward to 2011 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. I got front row seats (through the Mellencamp.com Pre Sale) and lo and behold, just when I think my Mellencamp history cannot get any better, John pulls me up on stage to sing the finale: “R.O.C.K. in the USA”! Now I’m almost 45 years old but the same “please pinch me” feeling came over me. I’m not one to be shy, so I just gave it my all and had the absolute best time singing and dancing with him and the band. As he escorted me back to my seat, I whispered in his ear about our meeting almost 25 years ago, and while I don’t think it was as vivid in his mind as it was in mine, he sure seemed to share in the fondness of my memories.
Thank you, John, for all the music. You make my heart smile each time I hear your songs, and I don’t want to “hold onto 16 as long as I can.” I, and the rest of your adoring fans, will take you at 60 any day as it truly gets no better than this.
Any night spent in the presence of John Mellencamp is a great night, and tonight in Ottawa was no exception. Having gone to many gigs over the years in larger venues and arenas, I was looking forward to seeing John play at Southam Hall at The National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The intimacy this show promised made me giddy with anticipation. To make things even sweeter I was getting yet another chance to experience the magic of a Mellencamp show with my two sisters.
I’ve long admired John’s art, and when I arrived at the venue I was delighted to see that there were five of John’s paintings on display in the theatre lobby. Four of the works of art can be found in the photo gallery of John’s art: Cain and Able (image #25); Skeletons (image #41); image # 35; image #46.
I made sure that I arrived early enough to watch the whole documentary by Kurt Markus, It’s About You. It was a lovely look at the making of the No Better Than This album, and the history and context of the locations John recorded at. The live footage in the documentary was a wonderful opening act for what was to come.
In the staid environment of Southam Hall most of the time the audience feels the need to remain in their seats. That lasted about 15 seconds when John walked onto the stage, which made me grin widely. Being on a budget and having to buy three tickets, we ended up sitting up on the fourth level, with no one behind us to disturb if we wanted to get up and dance. There were a few other brave souls who got to there feet in the balcony, braving the four story view down to below, something definitely not for those uneasy with heights.
With a more stripped back version of “Authority Song” the show was underway and I knew this was going to be a special musical adventure. At times it felt more like a countrified gypsy party around a campfire than a concert, and the stage lighting and backdrop helped reinforce the feeling. It was so dark in the venue I needed to open my cell phone to get enough light to write the set list out.
While telling us about his adventure’s on the World’s longest skating rink, The Rideau Canal, John mentioned an encounter with a fan who asked him to play “Cherry Bomb” at the show. It wasn’t going to be on the set list, but we got an impromptu first verse and chorus much to the thrill of the room.
The intimacy of the show was reinforced when “The Longest Day” was started on the wrong chord. After a chuckle, it was restarted with such little aplomb that it really could have been a song being played at a small party. John is a master at being able to translate his presence so intimately that you feel he is talking directly to you no matter how far away you may be.
The new version of Jack and Diane fitted very well with the music surrounding it but the different tempo made the phrasing of the verses a little more awkward to sing along to. Having heard the original for so long it’s going to take a little while for me to fully embrace it.
I’ve always loved to rock out to John’s song and we got plenty of that with “Rain on the Scarecrow,” “Paper in Fire,” “The Real Life,” and “What If I Came Knocking.” I’m not sure what it was like for those on the main floor, but all the way upstairs the sound was a bit muddy on these big numbers. What sounded the best, and the highlights of the evening for me were the acoustic numbers. I’ve never heard “Jackie Brown” sound better, and both “Small Town” and “Save Some Time To Dream” were stellar.
After 130 minutes the finale chords of “Rock in the USA” sounded and John waved goodbye to the full house, and another amazing show was over. As I reflect on the night I count myself lucky that I had the honour of getting to spend such a special night with such a special artist. Thank you so much John.
Set-list:
Authority Song No One Cares About Me Death Letter John Cockers Walk Tall The West End Check It Out Save Some Time To Dream Cherry Bomb - first verse and chorus only, just John Don’t Need This Body Right Behind Me Jackie Brown Longest Days Easter Eve Jack and Diane Small Town Hymn Rain On The Scarecrow Paper In Fire The Real Life What If I Came Knocking If I Die Sudden No Better Than This Pink Houses Rock In The USA
Long time fan of Mellencamp, been to two concerts since 80’s and this was the best I have experienced. Simple sets allowed me to focus on what I came there to see: a still sexy and alive John and a very well casted band. Mellencamp's ability to deliver an orchestra of rock embedded with lyrics that reach through generations., was produced as a show which will never be replicated on a simple you tube experience. Playing for an entire 2 hrs and only standing out on one song which was a highlighted , as the audience tried to even begin to appreciate the incredible talent of Miriam Strum. Favorite moments of the show: when the John Cougar I remember called out a rude male fan, the acoustic sing along of CherryBomb, the absolute evolution of Mellencamp heard in the new compositions, and finally the classiest encore I have ever experienced. John embodies what it means being an American, imperfect but evolving and this I think any music lover can relate to. If you want you’re an experience and a value add – go to the No Better than This tour and go early.
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