38 minutes in....still waiting for ticketmaster to show Grand Rapids Premium Ticket option... *hoping*

should i give up grand rapids? still no premium option as of 10:49am

Premium tickets are now available for Grand Rapids (including front row) using the seat selector thing.

found em! is orchestra as close as you can get? or are there PIT seats?

38 minutes in....still waiting for ticketmaster to show Grand Rapids Premium Ticket option... *hoping*

should i give up grand rapids? still no premium option as of 10:49am

any word on grand rapids? they aren't even showing an option for the $250 tickets.

Grand Rapids has some available, I just pulled the $90 tickets up.

yes, but the premium $250 tickets aren't even showing up as an option

When the premium tickets show up as an option, the box just below the password presale on the main ticket page they will be on sale. That box was there a few minutes ago for me but is gone right now.

i noticed the box disappear as well. and they were listing premium packages as $125, but pulling up seats pretty far back

any word on grand rapids? they aren't even showing an option for the $250 tickets.

Grand Rapids VIP didn't go up with the other tickets, keep checking they should be up shortly.

thanks tony....i keep refreshing the page!

still no premium packages listed though

any word on grand rapids? they aren't even showing an option for the $250 tickets.

Grand Rapids has some available, I just pulled the $90 tickets up.

yes, but the premium $250 tickets aren't even showing up as an option

any word on grand rapids? they aren't even showing an option for the $250 tickets.

grand rapids is not showing pit tickets!!!

I saw that we don't need a password if we are buying the premium packages. BUt it looks like the websites are asking for a password. Are the premium packages on sale at the same area as all other tickets?

This was the seventh show I had seen on the No Better Than This Tour (the first six were in Indiana and Chicago during the first leg of the tour)...and I definitely felt this to be the best show I had seen!!!

Adding John Cockers to the set list was such a highlight for me! That song came to life in its own mysterious way as John channeled the serious blues men of the first half of the 1900s! This song and so many like it that he performs (If I Die Sudden, Right Behind Me, Don't Need This Body, Scarecrow, etc) are an experience in and of themselves....the music and words get inside your head until they've reached down and grabbed your soul and made you feel as if you're living the words of the song yourself!

During "If I Die Sudden" You ARE the one preparing others for your death.
During "Right Behind Me" You ARE that person, fighting daily with the devil.
During "Don't Need This Body" You ARE the one coping with your impending death
During "Scarecrow" You ARE that scarecrow, dying in the rain.
During "Longest Days" Grandma is there, sharing her advice with YOU
During "West End" You ARE that land of broken promises

The list goes on and on.....

John never fails to embody each and every song he performs, making the listener feel everything his characters have lived and felt.

What an amazing night I spent living INSIDE the words and music of John Mellencamp and his band!

Loved Death Letter live! When he flipped up his collar and did his dancin' moves we all went nuts!

You and me both! If that's not FEELING the music you're singing, I don't know what is!

[WOW]

About Saturday's show:  All I can say is WOW!! And of course, my most over-used word on this tour "AMAZING"

I can't help it....John knows how to put on a great show EVERY single time I've seen him

I've been blessed to watch the show a few times from the pit on this tour and can't get over how incredible the show is and really feel that John's band is (as most critics have already stated in the press) one of the greatest touring bands out there!! WAY TO GO Troye, Mirium, Dane, Andy, Mike, & Jon!!!!

The one thing I will say that irritates me (and from reading other fans' posts, I can see I'm not alone) are the amount of RUDE people who feel the need to yell out as soon as the show turns to a song they don't happen to care for. Some of us saved up our money for a long time to be able to afford these tickets because we are SERIOUSLY into John's music and we enjoy AND respect the music, regardless of it being a new or old song! I'm confused about the guy who was in the front row and spent almost the entire night drinking and standing with his back to the stage, just leaning up against it while he chatted to his girl through every song! Next time you're that bored, go to the back of the venue and trade with someone who deserves to be in your seat!!

ANYDOODLES

I could go on for days about the show, the music, John, the band.....EVERYthing about Saturday's performance was spectacular.  Years from now I will look back on the shows from this tour the way people look back on shows from the 50s & 60s that were put on by Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Elvis, etc.... to me, this tour was a little piece of America's Musical History!

The shows on this tour have all meant the planet to me

[AMAZING]

Let's hear everyone's thoughts on the first show in Chicago!!

I thought it was an AMAZING show (of course)!  John seemed to be in great spirits the minute he walked on stage (despite the cold he's battling).  I enjoyed what his cold added to the more bluesy songs though (sore throats make for some awesome, RAW vocals)!!!

The crowd here was better than a few shows I had seen in Indiana (where people insisted on sitting most of the show).  Last night's crowd danced the night away and I loved it!

It was great to see a young group of kids in the front row as well-it shows that Mellencamp has an effect on ALL generations!

Another awesome night of Mellencamp!

[SHOW SOME LOVE]

I was in the first row behind the pit (the furthest I've been from the stage so far on this tour) and it was interesting to take in the show from this different view.  Being at the foot of the stage really allows you to connect to the music and feel like every song is being sung to YOU personally. Regardless, any seat in the house is better than no seat at all!

I too had issues with the ushers constantly telling us to sit down (of all the shows I've been to, this one appeared to have way more people in the pit that weren't your typical "hard-core" fans and chose to sit for the majority of the concert, which then led to other people in the theater to sit down).  I feel it is our right to stand (as I enjoy doing so during most of the songs).  If you were on stage performing would you rather look out and see your audience standing up, dancing along to your songs or see them sitting there, barely moving in their seats?? SHOW SOME LOVE people, get up and dance!!

Hope to meet up with some of you tonight at the show!!

[AMAZING]

"AMAZING" doesn't even sum up the show I saw in Bloomington Friday night!! My two fave LIVE songs were played ("Rain on the Scarecrow" & "If I Die Sudden") and I can now add "Right Behind Me" to that list. As long as I can hear one (or any) of those three songs at every concert I go to, I will be satisfied!  Needless to say, once I had heard those three songs last night, my night had been made....and then I was pulled up on stage by Mellencamp and my wildest dream had come true!! Can't be more thankful for the ULTIMATE concert experience

Here are links to my photo album and slideshow from the concert!

http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/RO8hcnQA/1/4885974

http://albums.phanfare.com/slideshow.aspx?i=1&db=1&pw=RO8hcnQA&a_id=4885974

ENJOY