Thank you my fellow Mellenheads and Club Cherry Bombers and I am grateful for all the kindness and thoughtfulness of our entire community. The kindness extended to me in the past from everyone has left me with a lasting hope in humanity. It is hard to imagine that 2005 and my Cancer is now 14 years ago. We have all had our own unique and connected journeys and for brief moments we were able to to share our lives together through various performances and appearances of John Mellencamp. There will always be tracks you would love to hear live once or twice but the time and place did not find you. I would have loved to have heard "Yours Forever" but I know that a single song from a movie (Perfect Storm) made in 2000 does not create high demand and if he has ever performed it live it would have been around the time it was released.

The amazing thing is how people such as you and I can become bonded by our common interest in the music of a troubadour from Indiana. I the think the fans whom I come to know are what have made going to John's shows in the past so special. I remember the Posters that we put up of that small John Painting as part of the street team and we posted pictures of them before the election in 2008 which were very cool. One of the posters I put up on an abandoned gas station stayed there for almost ten years and is only gone because they torn the gas station down. Nothing lasts forever but perhaps the faint radio waves and tv signals will travel into infinity making a small part of us to go on forever.

You will continue to be a very special group of people that will be in my heart until the day I die. As I continue with my struggles I will always be forever yours.

Hey I got my Tickets for the show yesterday. It going to be a movie that turns into live music.
Back in 1977 I saw Alice Cooper on "The King Of Silver Screen" Tour where the stage was like a hugh TV set. He would be on screen then jump out of the screen and then he was there right in front of you live on stage. It was as if he would jump out of the screen and as his body came through the screen it would disappear off the screen then later he would jump back into the screen and his image returned to the screen. The screen was made of long strips about 5 inches wide giving it the appearance of a solid surface which allowed him and the dancers ect... the ability to jump in and out of the giant TV screen. Well I don't expect John to jump out of the screen to suddenly be live on stage but it would be cool. It was B.T.O. (Bachman Turner Overdrive) that was the opening band on this Tour De Force show in 1977.
Brian

I got the "No Better Than This" album t-shirt today (American Made) and it feels great
and the CD will come tomorrow. I ordered the t-shirt CD combo. I looking forward to the Clowes Hall show in Indy. It been a couple years since I been to show but it has been 30 years since I saw John on top of Mike's shoulders when he was opening for The Kinks in 1980. I was along the front wall where the stage had a walkout that extended 15 feet into the front on the right side of the stage. There was no wall along the walk way and no chairs on the floor. I don't know if many of you remember the shows from the 1970's with no chairs on the floor. Sleeping bags and girls who could not keep their hands to themselves. Different times and a different kind of feel to the free wheeling style of live music. Where the drum solo was as special as the lead singer belting out the words that you could recite in your sleep. A time when some songs were first heard live long before they got radio play. I always said if it were not live it was jive. Seeing a Alice Cooper show was more than just music it was an experience!

I forgot about ticket sale until 75 minutes after the start but I managed to get two in Row L.
I believe that this is my first greater than 100 dollars for a regular ticket that I paid for. I got two gold tickets at Terre Haute in 2005 and I think they were 125.00 but my birthday is a week after the Clowes Hall show and it is far better than Hinkle  in terms of sound so I am pleased to be going to the one show. I will considered it my birthday gift. Will there be chances to win meet & greets like at CCB? I have yet to win but you never know. I have that Zepp song lyric in my head "Your time is going to come"  Brian


 

It great to know that there are people out there who care and take the time to think of me. I credit many of you for helping me hang in there when the sun did not shine much for me. It still amazes me all the kindness that so many of you shown me when the chips were down in my life. I still work at night at the hospital as I have for the last 17 and half years. The notion
of being retired in less than 10 years is dancing in my head. My father passed away at  the end of May in 2009. I spent four days with him before he died. I realize that we won't be here forever and I looking forward to doing what I want to do not what I have to do. It has been nearly 30 years of non stop children and the notion that I will not need to considered what is best for the kids will come to an end. My choices will soon allow me to follow my own path one that will allow me to follow my own dreams. I almost done with a very long more a year project so I will be able to make time for pictures on Facebook and other enjoyable activities
such as posting from time to time. Brian

Hello, I am Ottawa aka Brian and I am alive and well. I live in Indianapolis, IN. I have 5 kids and 3 grand kids. To all my fellow Club Cherry Bombers friends I am alive and doing as well as I can. I can't remember my last show but it has been a few years for sure. Much of my life is the same with the exception that my children are all older now. Jacob will be 18 next month and Rachael the youngest will be 17 in October. No more child tax credits :-( Well I may go to one of the Indy shows. Look forward to see those I know.