Kansas City Show - :(

[afishinillgo]

John Mellencamp in Kansas City

Going to see John Mellencamp in Kansas City was a show that I was excited about. I knocked the dust off the old albums in anticipation to hear the great tunes of the 80s. I bought my tickets online and upgraded my ticket price to purchase this new CD No Better Than This. Much to my dismay, no CD arrived with my ticket order, the theater (MIDLAND THEATER KC) had no idea of where I would obtain this CD, and the merchandise workers didn't know about this either. The merchandise worker told me that other people approached him with the same questions and that "John" should hear about this.

Besides the dissapointment with the lack of a CD that I've already paid for, John started playing all these new songs from this CD. As I had never heard them before is was really a snooze-fest. I was so bored, tired, pissed and if I had rotten tomatoes I'd have thrown them at John Mellencamp for sucking so bad. He finally played Jack and Dianne but he changed that up so much it sucked as well.

Totally disappointment all around...don't waste you money!

[mellenheadinohio]

the format of the concerts had been well publicized on this website, as well as facebook and twitter leading up to ticket sales.

concert reviews and even the setlist from shows prior had also been posted numerous times as well.  i understand you already had your tickets, but if you had read any of them and realized you may not like the show, i'm sure you could have easily sold your tickets (especially with them being VIP), to a true fan who would have loved to have had them.  (it was also published several times that the VIP package would not be shipped until close to or after show dates). 

Mellencamp's songwriting and musicial 'transition' has not been a secret to anyone who has remotely followed his career in the last decade (at minimum). 

i can never understand people who haven't listened to anything recent (especially the last 2-3 cd's), who go to a concert and expect to hear only the 'radio hits' of the past, and none of the newer releases.

sorry you had a bad experience.

[beenjammin]

I heard about the format of the show, I listened to the new album, I bought VIP tickets, I was excited about the show, second row center, right in front of the microphone. What I wasn't excited about was spending $250 a ticket for POOR quality sound, and a performance from someone who CLEARLY does not want to be there. Someone in the front row said that he was "mad" at Kansas City because the local radio stations were not playing his new music. I can understand being mad at the media, but lets not take it out on the people who pay the ticket prices, who buy the albums, purchase concert items, and who praise him for his accomplishments past and present.
I saw him in Omaha on the last tour, paid big bucks for front row seats and got a better show than last Friday night in KC, and he was sick in Omaha. So a bad day in Nebraska is better than a fair day in KC? Clearly he is in this for the money and not the fans, at least from what I see. Also, I purchased VIP to both shows and have YET to get the "extra stuff" that was offered with each purchase. Like W.C Fields said, there's a sucker born every minute, and I fell for it twice.

[tattudemellenhead]

Wow-I was at this same show and I didn't see any inkling of John not wanting to be there. And as far as hearing that he was 'mad', that is hearsay. The album came out in August, right here at Mellencamp.com, anyone had the opportunity to come in and listen...for free! Here's what ticks me off, is these people that haven't followed any of Mellencamps music since the 80's and then come in at the convenient time of ticket sales to get in on the presale and then bitch afterwards. We are all entitled to our opinion, as always and each show is going to be perceived by each person differently. But dont go making statements that are simply NOT true like that he is only in it for the money. I had 2nd row seats, center and I thought the show rocked. John and the band were amazing and I danced and sang the whole time. Of course, I like the new album and the one before that and the one before that.
And I LOVED the new arrangement for Jack n Diane!

[mellenheadinohio]

i don't know of radio in any city playing anything other than his old hits on a classic station.  i've heard from others that alternative radio gives him some spins, but not mainstream radio.  i can understand your disappointment, but i really can't see him 'taking it out on the fans' for that reason.  he's stated in numerous interviews over the last several years his feelings for 'today's radio', so that's nothing new.

i was at both shows in bloomington, and while i haven't seen it posted about by anyone else, i will say that being front row was awesome the 2nd night, but there was definitely a difference in the sound quality than the previous night, where i was 6th row center.  we were far right, in front of the speakers, and there was a definite echo that was really noticeable during the documentary and acoustic set.   so i can understand your frustration with the sound quality, but i don't know who's 'fault' that is.  

i've seen reviews from Kansas City from people who loved the show, and people who were disappointed.  i wasn't there, so i'm not meaning to 'take sides'.  just offering my opinion, although it's worth nothing to no one but me.

i will say that at the 3 shows i've been to, he clearly didn't seem to just be 'in it for the money'.  he and the band truly seemed to be enjoying themselves.

again, sorry you had a bad experience.  

[walktall2010]

Someone in the front row said that he was "mad" at Kansas City because the local radio stations were not playing his new music. I can understand being mad at the media, but lets not take it out on the people who pay the ticket prices, who buy the albums, purchase concert items, and who praise him for his accomplishments past and present.

Radio stations in every city fail to play John's new music, so why would he single out Kansas City? I think you've got splinters in the windmills of your mind.

[mhannon8]

I've seen John perform more times than I can count. That's what a true fan of a musician/artist/person/icon does! He has evolved from an arena rockstar to a true iconic artist, which is why he is in the rock and roll hall of fame, of course. I looooved hearing the new arrangements of his 'radio' songs, that's special when you can go to a concert and it's 'different'! I thought it sounded amazing and was actually one of the best shows I've been to. When one has a that large of a library to choose from, how could anyone bitch? He and the band can't play EVERY song. I think it was a fantastic mix of popular songs, B side songs, and new songs, which is why he is on tour. It was well worth the money, as usual, great show John!

[jtuttle]

Wow.  We were at the same show and had vastly different experiences.  While I don't love all the songs on the new albums, I was glad to hear them all.  Heck, I don't love all the songs on all the old albums either and am glad to hear them live, too.  I thought John Mellencamp put on two hours of pure bliss Friday night at the Midland and if I had had the smarts to buy tickets to STL on Saturday, I'd have driven down I 70 to see him do it all over again and if I didn't have to work, I'd have kept driving to Indy.

He's an artist.  He is evolving and not playing the same old stuff.  Didn't Rick Nelson have a song about only playing the old tunes?

Sorry you had a bad experience at the Midland, but please don't be throwing anything at John.  Vote with your wallet.  I've already got tickets for Omaha.

Jane

[TonyBClubManager]

I bought my tickets online and upgraded my ticket price to purchase this new CD No Better Than This. Much to my dismay, no CD arrived with my ticket order, the theater (MIDLAND THEATER KC) had no idea of where I would obtain this CD, and the merchandise workers didn't know about this either. The merchandise worker told me that other people approached him with the same questions and that "John" should hear about this.

Please forward me your order confirmation email to [email protected].

You didn't purchase a CD version of the album, Ticketmaster was selling a digital download of the album (aka an MP3 download). You should have gotten a separate email after your purchase from [email protected] with the download instructions for the album.

I will try to help get you the download code resent, although first please search through your email for it, it's possible it is just in your spam folder.

[TonyBClubManager]

I heard about the format of the show, I listened to the new album, I bought VIP tickets, I was excited about the show, second row center, right in front of the microphone. What I wasn't excited about was spending $250 a ticket for POOR quality sound, and a performance from someone who CLEARLY does not want to be there. Someone in the front row said that he was "mad" at Kansas City because the local radio stations were not playing his new music. I can understand being mad at the media, but lets not take it out on the people who pay the ticket prices, who buy the albums, purchase concert items, and who praise him for his accomplishments past and present.
I saw him in Omaha on the last tour, paid big bucks for front row seats and got a better show than last Friday night in KC, and he was sick in Omaha. So a bad day in Nebraska is better than a fair day in KC? Clearly he is in this for the money and not the fans, at least from what I see. Also, I purchased VIP to both shows and have YET to get the "extra stuff" that was offered with each purchase. Like W.C Fields said, there's a sucker born every minute, and I fell for it twice.

First off RE VIP/Premium Packages - Did you get/redeem the email for the ticket package this time? Where you had to go to the Mellencamp.com store to put in your shirt size and mailinglist address? It sounds like your saying you didn't get your VIP items from the 2007 tour either. If you didn't get your VIP email I can get it resent to you if your email me at [email protected]. The Premium Package items should be shipping as we speak now that all of them have been manufactured.

RE Sound at the Show - Sitting in the front row is a very different sound & experience than the rest of the house depending on the venue. Most times you are under/in front of the large speakers that fill the house with sound. John's stage crew does put smaller speakers on the edge of the stage pointed at the fans for those up close, but they are every few feet. If you are in the front row there are spots where you easily can be between them.

What else happens is you actually hear the sound of the stage instruments and the speakers the band listen to on stage. Those can have a drastically different mix of sound then the sound sent to the audience as the band members/John want to hear something different to maximize your performance. For example Andy wants to hear more of his guitar and his vocal to better check his performance, he doesn't have very much of John's vocal or the other instruments coming out of his speakers. Same goes for John. It's a weirdness of being THAT CLOSE to the performance.

RE John not wanting to be in KC or at that show - No way is this true. John is LOVING this tour and show. This new album isn't getting a ton of mainstream airplay, but it wasn't recorded to be a mainstream album. There are non-commercial and adult format radio stations playing it a lot (and probably even in KC). John certainly has no grudge against KC or it's radio stations.

[petenkaren]

LOVED the KC show.  I wish I had closer than 24th row seats.  A bit too pricey for me though.

Sang and danced to EVERY song.  Who couldn't love Death Letter, Walk Tall and Human Wheels live???  Not to mention, he gave a full band BLAST to Easter Eve and Right Behind Me from the new CD.

Great job John.  You just need more of your 90's songs!  Come on!  Only Human Wheels? 

Loved the show.

[beenjammin]

Glad to hear that almost everyone else had a good experience, I was not so fortunate. I read a list of songs from the setlist somewhere and truly wish I would have heard the show better. There is nothing wrong with the new music, that is why I had gone.  I would like to thank Tony for his help and doing what he could to make things right.

[dolly23]

Tony as always a gentleman and a scholar.  He always helps us all in any way he can!  A class act!

[vikki631]

So sorry to hear about your experience. We bought the premium packages for two and it was worth the price. We received a vinyl album of his cd and everything else that was offered. We downloaded his cd ahead of time and were familiar with the songs already. We got the package a week before the concert. The concert was great he was great. I gave him him a rose and he accepted it and gave me a smile. The standing ovation he received, he took it all in with appreciation. By the way, we seen him at the Chicago Theater on Nov.27th.

[vikki631]

P.S. We also had second row center seats and the sound was good. Was maybe expecting to walk out with muffled hearing but, didn't.