The loose and lively "Crumblin' Down" segued smoothly into the Van Morrison-penned "Gloria," with Mellencamp spryly spinning an amorous narrative that paraphrased Frank Zappa's "Dinah-Moe-Humm" before the glorious "G-l-o-r-i-a" payoff. A string of six hits closed out the show, starting with a jubilant "Lonely ol' Night," then "What If I Came Knocking" where Mellencamp sang with a thrilling, heightened zest. Mellencamp returned to the stage and hit one of the night's hard-rocking zeniths with "Rain on The Scarecrow," led by stark, stout drumming. Maybe he was backstage Googling info on nicotine patches. More: Scott Tady: Mellencamp plays Pittsburgh so let's get the lyrics right and Vento-Granati team on albumĪn interlude with the recorded voice of Mellencamp's friend, Hollywood star Joanne Woodward, reciting the singer's "The Real Life" got accompanied by elegant violin and accordion as the singer briefly left the stage. Unlike two of his most recent Pittsburgh area appearances, western Pennsylvania fans didn't botch the second verse. There was nothing cliched about it Mellencamp would sing a line then stop on a dime, confident fans would sing the next line loudly and warmly, which they did. Still strumming an acoustic, Mellencamp dug into "Jack & Diane," which turned into one of the loveliest audience sing-alongs you'd ever hope to hear. An amusing story about his 100-year-old grandmother plotting ways to get the swear-word-prone singer into heaven led to "Longest Days." Mellencamp's engaging stage gestures included a priest-like blessing in "Small Town" after the "that's probably where they'll bury me" sentiment, and amen-ish hands together at the gravesite moment of "Jackie Brown."Įxchanging an electric guitar for an acoustic one, Mellencamp set up "The Eyes of Portland" ― from his forthcoming album "Orpheus Descending" ― with the touching story of a homeless young woman he met and financially helped in Oregon's largest city. Mellencamp's tight and accomplished band achieved excellence all night, led by violinist Lisa Germano, whose strings swipes brought beauty and energy, powering selections like "Paper in Fire." Mellencamp applauded her solo in "Human Wheels," which also benefitted from the accordion squeezes of Troye Kinnett. From the "going to work on Monday/Got yourself a family" of "Check It Out" to the "suck it up and tough it out/And be the best you can" advice in "Minutes to Memories," Mellencamp's vocal grit, go-for-the-gusto singing, and animated stage gestures all sounded and felt utterly sincere and full of wisdom. Mellencamp's smoke-coarsened voice sounded magnificent, somehow adding genuineness to his steady supply of blue-collar lyrics. The biggest reveal simply was this: He still rocks and rolls mightily. Pittsburgh fans learned a few things about the iconic rock star Monday via some entertaining stories and banter, like how he insisted fans were witnessing a performance, not a concert. Though then again, his grandmother reached 100, and his father is now 93 "and his girlfriend is younger than mine," the 71-year-old Mellencamp said, so he's got genetics on his side. No, Mellencamp has not kicked the habit, he admitted on Monday's opening night of his nearly sold-out two-night Pittsburgh stay, even conceding the nicotine probably will shave years off his life. John Mellencamp taking a few final puffs of a cigarette before showtime. PITTSBURGH – The house lights dimmed, the Benedum Center's stage curtain rose, and there in the darkness came the sight of a teeny-tiny red circle of fire.
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