John Mellencamp Community

 I have seen john probably about 4-5 times now, since the first time. lonesome jubilee Tour, at Kemper auditorium KCMO, until the last time, on the Trouble no More Tour at the great Midland Theater in KCMO.
               First, is the set list static, or are songs changed in & out thru out the Tour?  Seems to me, that this is pretty much almost the same set list from the last Tour. Don't get me wrong, it's a great set list.  john has written allot of great song's.  There are only so many song's you can play in 90min set.  John has his song's that he wants to get across, then there are the hit's that people always want, and pay to hear.  Personally for me, I could miss hearing Paper n fire, or Jack and Diane for the million time. I'd prefer that john go a little deeper into the catalog and play an obscure When Jesus Left Birmingham, off Human Wheel's, or the great Love and Happiness, Now More Than Ever, combo off Whenever We Wanted.  These song's are just as relevant today, as when they were written.
                                                    It is my sincerest hope, John will consider this, and possibly add one of my recommendations to the set list, and at least play's it in KC in February.

John is playing around 100 minutes on this leg. We will see what changes he implements to the show, usually there are some over the course of the tour, for example he played ROCK at South Bend but has elected to switch to Authority Song (in more of a classic style) at the last few shows.

An artist like John is going to have to play the hits to satisfy the majority of the crowd, it's generally about half of his show. However some of those hits have come and gone over the years, been updated. Cherry Bomb is back, it wasn't there for much of the last tour. Jack and Diane is total fun as an acoustic sing along (last tour most of the time it was more of a country two step style).

New to this tour is Lawless Times, Troubled Man, Isolation of Mister, a revised Human Wheels, a revised Full Catastrophe, a full band/rocking Small Town (been a long time since done like that), a full throttle Stones In My Passway, fully rocking Authority Song, never before played Away From This World and Tear This Cabin Down plus the new Overture.

There is more different/changed than you think. This show does not come across as having as much of a mellow component as the No Better Than This tour.

 Well if I remember, right.  The Midland show in KCMO was toward the end of the No Better Than This Tour.  It has been a Few Years, so I can't exacacly remember what the set list was.  I didn't right them down.  I'm not at all complaining about what John is choosing to play this tour. He's the Artist.  Though, John has allot of hit's.  I have always felt at all the John Mellincamp show's I have attended.  It's missing that surprise element.  That makes a fan go, Wow! I can't believe he's playing this song.
                                                                             P.S.  The more layed back set list of the No Better Than This Tour was great as well.   No matter what he plays. His talent as an Artist/Entertainer always shines thru.

OK, I was needing to get my bearing's of JM song's.  Full Catastrophe, off Mr Happy go Lucky. Is a good choice. There are some older albums with some good off the beaten path song's as well.

Thanks Tony B!

I have tickets for the April 26th show in DC. I'm really looking forward to the date and will be keeping up with reviews and setlists.

I'm pretty much happy with whatever he chooses to play. Maybe he's played a lot of these same songs before but we still enjoy hearing them live. Besides, for the people who haven't seen him before, it's special to hear the old favorites.

Just as I said, It's always easy to please the regular fan who want's to hear the hit's. Personally I look at Lawless Times, Isolation of Mister, and Troubled Man. As the current face of John's Artistry, The song's he enjoys and want's to get across the most. All I'm trying to say is, Throw the Hardcore fan's a bone, The ones who have every JM album, and know the catalog well. Full  Catastrophe, is a great start. Just throw 2 or 3 of those type song's  in, to change out here and there thru out the Tour is all I'm saying.

Just realized Minutes to Memory's is  a great old tune as well. Hey JM's catalog is vast. It's hard to remember them all.

As a hardcore Mellenhead, I'd love to hear his rarities, but I have CDs for that. Most importantly, he needs to please himself with the songs he chooses. You have to accommodate and I think his set list does just that. Like I said, not everybody going to see him this tour has seen him before. They want to hear the old favorites, and so do I. Nothing beats the classic songs. I for one am thrilled to see The Authority Song on the set list.