John Mellencamp: Plain Spoken From The Chicago Theater Available on Netflix 2/1

[sharonc]

John Mellencamp’s self-narrated musical odyssey, Plain Spoken: From The Chicago Theater surpasses the confines of a concert film or documentary – it’s a portrait of one of music’s most celebrated songwriters. The cinematic film presents John Mellencamp, with his full band, performing at the landmark Chicago Theater on October 25, 2016,  just 250 miles to his home in Bloomington, IN.  The footage, serving as an undercurrent to his story, is blanketed with highly personal voice-overs from the man himself on his Midwestern upbringing, career, and his outlook on life. It’s more than watching John Mellencamp live – it’s experiencing John Mellencamp.

With special guest Carlene Carter adding to the set, Plain Spoken: From The Chicago Theater presents live versions of John Mellencamp’s cherished songs, as well as taking viewers on an intimate and personalized journey.

~AVAILABLE ON NETFLIX STARTING FEBRUARY 1, 2018~

To date, Mellencamp has been inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® in 2008 and recently nominated for The Songwriters Hall of Fame. In addition, he co-founded Farm Aid in 1985, which went on to raise over $50 million to support family farms nationwide by 2017. One of the most successful live concert performers in the world, John is also a recipient of the John Steinbeck Award, ASCAP Foundation’s Champion Award, The Woody Guthrie Award, Billboard Century Award, Americana Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Founders Award, the top honor assigned by ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
In addition to critical acclaim, Mellencamp has landed a total of 22 Top 40 hits in addition to earning the record for the “most #1 tracks by a solo artist on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks” chart. Recently, his 23rd full-length album Sad Clowns & Hillbillies featuring Carlene Carter -bowed at #1 on the Billboard Top American Albums Chart, #3 on the Top Rock Albums Chart (his best entry in a decade), and #5 on the Top Albums Chart. In addition, it became his fifth consecutive Top 20 album.

ABOUT JOHN MELLENCAMP
John Mellencamp’s career in music, spanning more than 35 years, has seen him transition from pop star to one of the most highly respected singer/songwriters of a generation. Mellencamp is incredibly acclaimed; a recent nominee to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, he is also member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Grammy winner for “Best Male Rock Vocal Performance” in 1982 with 13 Grammy nominations to date, a recipient of the John Steinbeck Award, ASCAP Foundation’s Champion Award, The Woody Guthrie Award and Americana Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award and more recently, the Founders Award, the top honor assigned by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. He is also one of the most successful live concert performers in the world. The social activism reflected in his songs helped catalyze Farm Aid, the concert series and organization that has addressed the struggle of American family farmers for more than 25 years. John Mellencamp’s upcoming full-length album, Sad Clowns & Hillbillies, featuring Carlene Carter, is his 23rd over the course of a remarkable career. Released on April 28, 2017 followed by a summer tour in major cities across the country. Sad Clowns & Hillbillies returns Mellencamp to the musical eclecticism that is, itself, a reflection of his wide-ranging musings on life and showcases a poet who has wisely used the years between youth and the present day to become an absolute master of songwriting and interpretation. That passion and experience resonates most beautifully in this showcase of his music. John also wrote the title song for the upcoming film, The Yellow Birds.

John continues to focus on another facet of his artistic expression: painting. His style has progressed over the years as evidenced by several gallery shows and published portfolios, and in recent years he has increased his output by completing over 100 new works. His pieces were shown in 2012 at the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville under the under the title “Nothing Like I Planned: The Art Of John Mellencamp” and, more recently at the Butler Institute of American Art in an exhibition entitled “The Paintings Of John Mellencamp.” “The Paintings of John Mellencamp” traveled to the Museum of Art-DeLand, Florida and John’s art was showcased at the ACA Gallery in New York. The unique instrumentation of his band and his poignant songs about everyday life in the American heartland, are widely credited with being the forbearer of the Americana/No Depression genre of rural-inflected music. An extraordinary collaboration performed by an ensemble cast of 15 actors and a four-piece live band, comprised of members of John Mellencamp’s band is The Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, a musical with music and lyrics by John Mellencamp, a libretto by author Stephen King and production by T Bone Burnett. Mellencamp continues his journey as the walking embodiment of heartland rock; passionate, plain-spoken, and a self-proclaimed rebel.

ABOUT REPUBLIC RECORDS
A division of Universal Music Group, the world's leading music company, Republic Records is home to an all-star roster of multi-platinum, award-winning legends and superstar artists such as Ariana Grande, Aminé, Black Sabbath, DNCE, Florence + the Machine, Gotye, Hailee Steinfeld, James Blake, James Bay, John Mellencamp, Jordan Smith, Julia Michaels, Keith Richards, Kid Cudi, Liam Payne, Marian Hill, Of Monsters and Men, Post Malone, Seth MacFarlane, Stevie Wonder, and more. Founded by brothers and chief executives Monte and Avery Lipman, it is also comprised of innovative business ventures, including American Recordings (The Avett Brothers, Towkio), Boominati Worldwide (Metro Boomin), Brushfire (Jack Johnson), Casablanca Records (Giorgio Moroder, KUNGS, Tïesto), Cash Money (Drake, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj), Hollywood Records (Sofia Carson, Zendaya), Lava Records (Greta Van Fleet, Jessie J, Lorde), Monkeywrench (Pearl Jam), XO (The Weeknd), Roc Nation (Belly, Justine Skye, The Dream), Tuff Gong (Damian Marley), Victor Victor Records (D Savage, Ski Mask The Slump God), among others. Republic also maintains a long-standing strategic alliance with country powerhouse Big Machine Records (Taylor Swift), and Universal Music Latin Entertainment (Luis Fonsi, J Balvin). In addition, Republic has expanded to release high-profile soundtracks for Universal Pictures (Fifty Shades of Grey, SING), Fox TV (Lee Daniels' STAR), and NBC TV (The Voice), as well as other notable film and television franchises.
 

[shakeyjrc]

Entertaining show, I just hope the blu-ray from Eagle Rock has an option to turn John’s post production commentary off. I don't like to complain but the commentary is a distraction from the show. I had such high hopes for this release, I loved the Plain Spoken tour show and I was excited for John's first concert video release but John's endless commentary during the whole show over the music makes this release only watchable once. I am really disappointed, they should have made John's commentary a optional track or bonus interview.

[hoss13820]

 Agreed! Very distracting.

[Sk8ingMellenhead]

Any idea if this will be shown on PBS Soundstage?
I was there, such a fabulous show!

[CherryNJBomb]

Entertaining show, I just hope the blu-ray from Eagle Rock has an option to turn John’s post production commentary off. I don't like to complain but the commentary is a distraction from the show. I had such high hopes for this release, I loved the Plain Spoken tour show and I was excited for John's first concert video release but John's endless commentary during the whole show over the music makes this release only watchable once. I am really disappointed, they should have made John's commentary a optional track or bonus interview.

Oh man, I enjoyed the commentary...  His songs and writings are familiar to us all - yet he takes us one step closer to why he wrote them and what he was feeling.  I liked hearing what he had to say.  He's intense.  Or as Wayne & Garth say "Intensity in ten cities" lol

[Aeroplane2]

Well Everyone,

I believe John has a read between the lines message even in all that commentary.  We're never going to really know all about him, as he said the artist leaves the shadow persona visible to the public; but maybe he's trying to quietly convey 'here's as much as i'd like you to know about me or remember me by'.  

He says he's 65 at the time of recording the narrative and so maybe this is it or maybe his touring days are like how he ends singing "Small Town".  You think the song is over maybe, then he counts "1,2,3,4.."; and there a few more bars and a couple more minutes to savor listening to John and the band play.

Was the summer of 2017 his band's and his last tour? Anyone seen or heard of 2018
concert dates for John? Is that the tease or the clue?  

[TonyBClubManager]

Well Everyone,

I believe John has a read between the lines message even in all that commentary.  We're never going to really know all about him, as he said the artist leaves the shadow persona visible to the public; but maybe he's trying to quietly convey 'here's as much as i'd like you to know about me or remember me by'.  

He says he's 65 at the time of recording the narrative and so maybe this is it or maybe his touring days are like how he ends singing "Small Town".  You think the song is over maybe, then he counts "1,2,3,4.."; and there a few more bars and a couple more minutes to savor listening to John and the band play.

Was the summer of 2017 his band's and his last tour? Anyone seen or heard of 2018
concert dates for John? Is that the tease or the clue?  

John has no plans to stop touring. He will tour in the future. It is possible he will not tour at all in 2018, that is unclear at this time, but he has toured extensively since 2015.

[shakeyjrc]

Plain Spoken Live At The Chicago Theatre will be released as a blu-ray/cd set on 05/11/18, it includes an option to turn off John’s commentary!