Mellencamp Newsletter: Farm Aid 30th Anniversary Coming to Chicago, IL Sept 19

FARM AID 30TH ANNIVERSARY COMING TO CHICAGO, IL!
Farm Aid announced today that its annual benefit concert will head to Chicago, IL on Saturday, September 19th, taking place at the at FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island in Chicago, IL.

Farm Aid 30 will feature Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews (performing with Tim Reynolds), along with Imagine Dragons, Jack Johnson, Kacey Musgraves, Mavis Staples, Old Crow Medicine Show, Holly Williams, Lukas Nelson & the Promise of the Real, Insects vs Robots, and Blackwood Quartet!

Public tickets will go on sale Monday, August 3rd at 10 AM CDT via Live Nation, the venue box office and by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Mellencamp.com will be holding a pre-sale starting Thursday, July 30th at 10am ET until Sunday, August 2nd at 10 PM CDT. Please watch our TOUR page for complete details and updates.

Farm Aid will be holding their own pre-sale for members of their site, also starting on Wednesday, July 29th, and additionally they will offer concert experiences and premiere tickets. Learn more at FarmAid.org or their 2015 Concert Page.

Read the complete press release on Mellencamp.com by clicking HERE.

FARM AID 30 PRE SALE TICKET DETAILS

We will be offering a limited number of tickets, including covered reserved seats, non-roof covered reserved seats and general admission lawn tickets in a Mellencamp.com free member pre-sale on Thursday, July 30th beginning at 10 AM CDT through Sunday, August 2nd, ending at 10 PM, or whenever our allotment runs out - supplies are limited. The pre-sale tickets will be offered through Live Nation using a password posted on the Mellencamp.com TOUR page for logged in members. Read THIS tutorial to learn how our pre-sale works. Please watch our TOUR page for more details.

SHARE YOUR #ROAD2FARMAID STORY!

We all have a special Farm Aid story! Share your story on social media, encourage your friends and family to take action and you could win tickets to Farm Aid 30. Since 1985, we have seen the progress that can be made when we all work together to change the system. Real change is the sum of all of our actions. And we all have a role to play in creating a family farm future of agriculture. Let your friends on social media know that you’re taking action on the #Road2FarmAid. Download and share Facebook cover images, Twitter headers and social media badges HERE.

Just remember to tag your content with #Road2FarmAid so that we can all be inspired.

2015 NORTH AMERICAN PLAIN SPOKEN TOUR COMES TO AN END IN INDIANAPOLIS NEXT WEEK

The final show of the 80 show North American Plain Spoken Tour takes place in Indianapolis at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Tuesday, August 4, 2015, circling back to John's home state of Indiana where the tour originated in January of 2015. For every ticket purchased $5.00 will be donated to the Riley Children’s Foundation, which supports Riley Hospital for Children (rileykids.org). John has a special connection to Riley, where he had a life saving procedure as an infant (LEARN MORE). To be part of this special end of the 2015 tour show purchase tickets HERE.

Over the last leg of the tour there are several "DO NOT MISS" article we have posted to Mellencamp.com that do this incredible tour and musical icon justice. Check them out!

The Orange County Register Mellencamp Interview - Kelli Skye Fadroski of The Orange County Register spoke with John in a recent phone interview about his successful music career, the set list for the Plain Spoken North American tour, and Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, his idea for his next album among other topics. Here is an excerpt: "The 63-year-old has done it all in these past four decades, he said, by sticking true to his motto: “Try to be honest and never kiss ass.”

The Oregonian Concert Review: "John Mellencamp Rocks Like a Legend Should" -
Read Jeff Bakers full show review, here is an excerpt: This is how a classic rock legend gets it done in concert: Start with a money's-worth opening act, Carlene Carter... Hire a crack six-piece band, men and women, black and white, and rehearse them until they're tight as a bass string. Dress them like the professionals they are, in suits and dresses, and make sure they move in the country-bluegrass tradition: upstage for a solo, fall back for support, everybody forward at the big moments. Have them come out first and play you on, the way Merle Haggard and George Jones did it. Start with a couple of your strongest new tunes that show you're still relevant, mix in a few hits early on, end with a roaring river of your best stuff, peak after peak until the crowd can't take it anymore. Leave them satisfied but wanting more. Encores are for amateurs. You've played 20 songs in two hours and given more than enough. Pay close attention to everything: pacing, lighting, sound, presentation. It's about pride. You are a star. This is what you do. Own it.

The (Regina) Leader Post Concert Reviewt: "Mellencamp Still Has The Magic" - One of the most important musical acts of his generation, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee John Mellencamp lives up to the billing and then some. Read Christopher Tesmmer's complete show review. Here is an excerpt: "Mellencamp’s band was beyond reproach and clearly some of the best musicians at their respective instruments. It would be near impossible to think of any way the music or the show itself could have been improved.

The Indianapolis Star Mellencamp Interview: "Respected Yet Restless, Mellencamp Forges Folky Path" - David Lindquist of the Indianapolis Star interviews John where he confirms some exciting news: "(Mellencamp) Plans to make a duets album with (Carlene) Carter...Then it’s off to Australia for more than a dozen shows..." Additionally, he speaks at length about the great compliment that Bob Dylan paid to him earlier this year.

"Candid talk is a defining Mellencamp trait, and “Plain Spoken” is the name of the album he released last September. An 80-date tour to promote the album wraps up on Aug. 4 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Seymour, Ind., native is performing a wealth of folk and country-blues tunes in a show the 63-year-old characterizes as being “age appropriate."

Thank you for your continued support!!

TonyB & SharonC - The Mellencamp.com Web Team - [email protected]