ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, APRIL 25, 1986
By Steve Newton
He calls himself Little Bastard on his album productions credits, and after meeting John Cougar Mellencamp backstage before last week’s (April 16) Coliseum show, I half-understood why. He’s not a bastard. On the contrary he seemed like a very nice fellow, all smiles as he shook hands with various rock reporters and music industry types.
But he is little.
At any rate, the show he put on later that night made him look pretty huge to the 14 thousand-odd fans in attendance.
The concert kicked off with a short acoustic intro, then the curtains around a glossy white stage were pulled, and the band ran out to the familiar chords of “Small Town”. There weren’t even any stage monitors up front to divide Mellencamp from his fans, and the communication between the two was evident from the word go.
“Jack and Diane” came next, followed by a couple of tunes from his latest album Scarecrow. “You sure know how to make a fellow feel at home,” he declared, then asked the people standing on their seats up front to sit down so that others could see. As usual at Coliseum shows, most of them stayed up.
“Rain on the Scarecrow” came next, along with a short spiel on the plight of the American farmer. (Cougar was a major attraction at last year’s Farm Aid benefit concert.) He pulled a male fan from the front row up to sing along on one of this early songs, “Hand to Hold on To”, and brought a roar when he gave the lucky guy the mike and let him sing a verse alone.
Mellencamp hopped on guitarist Larry Crane’s shoulders for the rocking “Rumbleseat”, and his first big hit, “Hurt so Good”, had ’em dancing in the aisles. The twangy guitar intro to his best tune, “The Authority Song”, kept them there.
When Mellencamp left the stage the crowd brought him back for an encore of “Under the Boardwalk”. “Where I come from [Seymour, Indiana] they didn’t have any boardwalks,” he shouted. “But we could sure relate to the hotdogs and the sunshine and the girls!”
After the Mellencamp show it was time for a trip to The Embassy, where members of the New York-based metal band Bon Jovi had congregated. They took the stage for a slinky version of Tom Petty‘s “Breakdown” and their scorching hit single “Runaway”. The group is in town recording their third album, and club manager Ziggi is expecting them at jam night this Wednesday (April 30) as well.
To hear the full audio of my interview with Mellencamp from 1999, when he was no longer part Cougar, subscribe to my Patreon page, where you can also eavesdrop on my uncut, one-on-one conversations with:
Dave Martone, 2020
Ian Gillan of Deep Purple, 2006
Joss Stone, 2012
Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest, 2005
Jack Blades of Night Ranger, 1984
Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard, 1992
Colin James, 1995
Kim Simmonds of Savoy Brown, 1998
Tom Cochrane of Red Rider, 1983
Ed Roland of Collective Soul, 1995
Taj Mahal, 2001
Tom Wilson of Junkhouse, 1995
Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, 2003
David Lindley, 2002
Marty Friedman of Megadeth, 1991
John Hiatt, 2010
Nancy Wilson of Heart, 2006
Jeff Golub, 1989
Moe Berg of the Pursuit of Happiness, 1990
Todd Rundgren, 2006
Chad Kroeger of Nickelback, 2001
Steve Earle, 1987
Gabby Gaborno of the Cadillac Tramps, 1991
Terry Bozzio, 2003
Roger Glover, 1985
Matthew Sweet, 1995
Jim McCarty of the Yardbirds, 2003
Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars, 2001
John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls, 1995
Steve Hackett from Genesis, 1993
Grace Potter, 2008
Buddy Guy, 1993
Steve Lynch of Autograph, 1985
Don Wilson of the Ventures, 1997
Gordie Johnson of Big Sugar, 1998
Trevor Rabin of Yes, 1984
Albert Lee, 1986
Yngwie Malmsteen, 1985
Robert Cray, 1996
Tony Carey, 1984
Ian Hunter, 1988
Kate Bush, 1985
David Gilmour from Pink Floyd, 1984
Jeff Healey, 1988
Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip, 1996
Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi, 1993
Colin Linden, 1993
Kenny Wayne Shepherd, 1995
Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues, 1986
Elliot Easton from the Cars, 1996
Wayne Kramer from the MC5, 2004
Bob Rock, 1992
Nick Gilder, 1985
Klaus Meine of Scorpions, 1988
Jason Bonham, 1989
Tom Johnston of the Doobie Brothers, 1991
Joey Spampinato of NRBQ, 1985
Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers, 2003
Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash, 2003
Steve Kilbey of the Church, 1990
Edgar Winter, 2005
Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde, 1990
Randy Hansen, 2001
Dan McCafferty of Nazareth, 1984
Davy Knowles of Back Door Slam, 2007
Jimmy Barnes from Cold Chisel, 1986
Steve Stevens of Atomic Playboys, 1989
Billy Idol, 1984
Stuart Adamson of Big Country, 1993
Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, 1992
Warren Haynes of Gov’t Mule, 1998
John Bell of Widespread Panic, 1992
Robben Ford, 1993
Barry Hay of Golden Earring, 1984
Jason Isbell, 2007
Joey Belladonna of Anthrax, 1991
Joe Satriani, 1990
Vernon Reid of Living Colour, 1988
Brad Delp of Boston, 1988
Zakk Wylde of Pride & Glory, 1994
John Sykes of Blue Murder, 1989
Alice Cooper, 1986
Lars Ulrich of Metallica, 1985
John Doe, 1990
Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon, 1992
Myles Goodwyn of April Wine, 2001
John Mellencamp, 1999
Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, 1999
Kenny Aronoff, 1999
Doyle Bramhall II, 2001
Jon Bon Jovi, 1986
Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers, 1992
Randy Bachman, 2001
Little Steven, 1987
Stevie Salas, 1990
…with hundreds more to come