I'm Back! With Concert News And More!

Fuuuuuuck I'm back after like a year or two long hiatus! I already feel quite nostalgic. I can't remember if I had friends here but if I did then did anybody miss me!? *giggling* I left because I was on board in a different forum for a lad from England named Elton John, who stole my heart from John for awhile. Shame on me!

A lot has happened to me since I last posted here; whenever that was! First off, I went to my 3rd John Mellencamp show last October! (Some theater I can't remember the name of LOL) on October 21st, 2016 in Toledo, Ohio. It was INCREDIBLE. For those of you who either don't remember me or don't know me, I'm only 18 so that's why it's only my 3rd show. Believe me, my little tush would've been to at least 50 of John's shows right now had I been born earlier.
Anyways, this concert must've topped all the ones that I attended! First off, I got a brilliant idea from a friend to give John a rose. I had bought VIP tickets and got in the 4th row so I knew he would see me and all. Plus John's shows are very relaxed and chill, so I knew I'd have no issue getting up to the front of the stage. Hell, I'd been front row at all the other Mellencamp shows I saw lol!
I did in fact make it to the front sometime when 75% of the show was completed, and I waited for John to walk over to my side of the stage when he didn't have is guitar in his hands anymore. I think he remembered me. I'm quite often the youngest at his shows and sometimes the most enthusiastic, except for my friend who goes to the shows with me and is also obsessed like I am. I don't know though. But I made it up there and John came up to me and blew me a kiss with a wink!! I felt quite special after that; you know that feeling when you're all-time idol talks to you and you're ready to swoon and fall over? It was like that for me, but a million times more intense. I dare to ask: Who here on this entire forum can actually say they've gotten a kiss blew to them by John Mellencamp!? Ask any of the hundreds of people there. It happened. And I'm glad to say I wasn't dreaming!
And I did give him that rose that I spoke of earlier. I was shy but gave him a weak smile as I handed it to him, and he gave me the cheesiest grin I've ever seen come out of that man's face as he took the rose very kindly from my trembling hands and walked off with it! He put it it in Mike Wanchic's mouth first, then he put it in his suit pocket for the rest of the show! I cried! It was incredible and they made me feel so wonderful. His shows are so personal, it's like having him play in your own living room, I swear.

After that concert, I went to a record store in Toledo. I can't recall what I bought. I think I bought some Elton John LPs and a Warren Zevon CD. But I do remember buying couple of John Mellencamp cassettes. They had them at 50 cents, I'm thinking, "Well fuck, at this low of a price, I might as well buy them all" so I bought every cassette of his there LOL.
Later on a few months later I was able to go to some more record stores. I actually finally made my first trip ever to Indiana! Sadly, I was too far north of Bloomington or Seymour. Either way, I was still in Indiana and I ADORED my trip there. I fell in love with the state instantly- I loved the people there and the whole friendly Hoosier atmosphere. They have great icecream there, by the way. I felt so comfortable and happy and now I understand competently why John wants to live there for the rest of his life. It was happiness like I never experienced it before.
I also went to several record stores while I was there. I was sporting my Mellencamp sweatshirt although sadly nobody seemed to say a word (must be sick of all the outsiders thinking every person living in Indiana is a Mellencamp fan! LMFAO!) But I freaked out at the prices of his records. His is very, very expensive there! They had nearly all of his LPs there for outrageous prices like $35! Now granted, they were new/mint condition but please, I'm poor, I don't have money to spend like that, haha. So I got some of the cheapest things there, but I was still happy to have it because it's the real deal.
I have all of John's music on CDs but it's something very different when you hold an actual record. I come from a time when records and cassettes didn't "exist" so to speak, so it was awfully new and incredible for me to experience his music on a record. It sounded very different, but very pleasant on vinyl! I enjoyed all those crackles and pops, it made me feel like I was going back in time to the 80s when John was very huge and still so young. I only have his music and a couple of pictures/videos to help me picture what those times were like! I was like a kid in a candy store when I picked out those records and brought them home. They can be happy knowing that they won't be tossed out ever again as their new owner will always love them- there's always a Mellencamp tune playing in my room!

Before I conclude this, I also want to mention that last month I went to another record store and came across some John Mellencamp tour books there! Decent prices too, all $13! I can't remember which tour books there were. I know one of them was from 1999, the Rural Electrification Tour. I should've flippin' gotten it since 1999 is my birth year but I don't know why I didn't! Chances are, it's still probably there so next time I go back I'll be sure to get it. I don't know what the other tour book(s) were. I just remember being completely shocked because that stuff is slightly rare, and these were in excellent condition. I couldn't believe my own local record store had them. I'll be back for sure to pick up my babies lol!!

Lastly, I finally took note of all of his music that I bought these past few months to help my collection grow:

Cassettes
Kid Inside
Whenever We Wanted
Dance Naked
Mr. Happy Go Lucky
John Mellencamp

45s
Rain On The Scarecrow/Pretty Ballerina
Crumblin' Down/Golden Gates

LPs
John Cougar
Nothin' Matters And What If It Did
Scarecrow