John Mellencamp Gives Fans His All at Orpheum Show in Memphis

by Julian Spivey
John Mellencamp brought his road show to Memphis’ legendary Orpheum Theater on Sunday, March 17 for a show that featured a ton of hits, some lesser known gems and proof that the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer hasn’t missed a step at 67.
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Uniquely Mellencamp’s show began with a 25-minute opening film that gave biographical information about the Indiana native and essentially told why he does what he does. It’s something I’ve never seen from any other artist and while it was interesting, ultimately, I believe it was unnecessary and it seemed to leave many in the audience twiddling their thumbs and definitely had folks around my seats holding conversations over it, making it hard to hear at times.

The opening film would be the only down point of the show. Once the music began with Mellencamp and his talented band performing “Lawless Times,” off his 2014 album Plain Spoken, it was a fun event for all from there on out.

One of the early high points of the show was Mellencamp’s performance of his 1986 top-10 hit “Small Town,” which is one of my all-time favorites from the heartland rocker. For me the song is essentially Mellencamp’s theme song and encompasses what he and his music is all about, bringing that heartland, hardworking, small town American life to life via song.

Mellencamp doesn’t speak much throughout his show and is able to run through a 20-song set in just 90 minutes, which is an impressive feat. But when he does speak, he’s both incredibly honest and funny. The first time he spoke, a few songs into his set, he told the audience that they were going to hear some songs they know and some they don’t, some to sing along and dance to and others that are quiet and to please not yell and scream during the quiet ones. He claimed, he understood because he used to be that guy, but if you had to just go out in the hall and do it. He used a bit more colorful language while going through his spiel.

Among the surprising bits of the show were old-timey covers of Robert Johnson’s “Stones in My Passway,” which he recorded for his most recent album Other People’s Stuff, and a sing along with the audience on Louis Armstrong’s “Long Gone (From the Bowlin’ Green),” which he would reprise a bit later to end his show.

Mellencamp would pump up the crowd with performances of some of his greatest hits in “Lonely Ol’ Night” and “Check It Out” before telling his best story of the night, which I’d previously heard before on either a televised performance or interview, but was still terrific about how his 100 year old grandmother prayed with him one day and told the lord that she and Buddy (her nickname for Mellencamp) were “ready to come home.” Mellencamp responded with the slip of the tongue: “Grandma, what the fuck?” She then gave him some great advice about growing old and making the best of life by saying: “life is short/even in its longest days.” The story led into “Longest Days” from his 2008 album Life, Death, Love and Freedom. It was one of his best vocal performances of the night.

Mellencamp then launched into an acoustic version of crowd favorite “Jack & Diane,” which he allowed the audience to take the lead on the chorus with the sounds of a sold out audience singing “Oh yeah, life goes on …” in unison rising to the top of the beautiful old cathedral of music. It’s a moment all Mellencamp fans can rejoice in and understand that no matter who you are or what you believe are sharing this great moment together.

Mellencamp’s unbelievably talented violinist Miriam Sturm and accordionist (who also played beautiful piano) Troye Kinnett followed with an excellent instrumental, which included portions of some of Mellencamp’s hits he wouldn’t get to during the night.

Once Mellencamp returned to the stage following this instrumental it would be nothing but classic hits for the remainder of his set – no doubt the most fun part of the evening and a great way to send the sold out audience home smiling ear-to-ear. He kicked off this portion of his show with a terrific performance of “Rain on the Scarecrow,” which has sort of become the Farm Aid anthem for the downtrodden American farmer with Mellencamp being on the board of directors for the event he helped to start with Willie Nelson and Neil Young in the ‘80s.

Mellencamp would continue with rocking performances of “Paper in Fire,” “Crumblin’ Down” and “Authority Song,” which all had the audience on their feet and grooving along with the music. Mellencamp even showed off some moves of his own when he threw a sing along portion of Wilson Pickett’s “Land of 1000 Dances” into the middle of “Authority Song.” “Authority Song” may include Mellencamp’s all-time greatest verse: “I call up my preacher/I say: ‘Gimme strength for round five/He said: ‘You don’t need no strength, you need to grow up, son’/I said: ‘Growing up leads to growing old and then to dying/And dying to me don’t sound like all that much fun.” It’s even better when you get to see him perform it live and scream it along with him.

Mellencamp would finish his fantastic night of music with the one-two punch of “Pink House,” his 1983 Grammy-nominated track that I believe is his career best, and “Cherry Bomb,” his 1987 nostalgic top-10 hit that really makes for a fun way to send an adoring audience home.

Mellencamp’s Orpheum show on Sunday night was truly everything a fan of his could possibly ask for. 

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