Courier & Press: John Mellencamp's Evansville Rehearsal Sparked Gasps, Joy

Jul 10, 2026

In a time where seeing a soundcheck is a privilege afforded to people who can spend hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars on VIP experiences, it’s unheard of that an artist of any caliber, much less with the heft of John Mellencamp, would come to a town he’s not playing and perform an open rehearsal for free with a donation to a local food bank.

Mellencamp, however, is a one-of-a-kind artist, as he proved by opening up his rehearsal to the Evansville public last night at the Ford Center: a gear-up for his upcoming “Dancing Words Tour— The Greatest Hits.”

The tour, which opens July 10 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, won’t have a stop in Evansville, but it would be worth traveling for anyone who missed the rehearsal last night. It’s easy to forget how many unforgettable singalong hits Mellencamp has written, but once the show started, it didn’t feel much like a rehearsal at all: it was just a phenomenal rock concert.

He started the set with “Lawless Times,” a song he’s updated a little bit from its 2014 release, and it was a tone-setting moment: roots-rock and blues meet, and the lyrics were flashing on the screen, so from the first song, you were invited to sing along immediately.

After that? I don’t think anyone had a hard time remembering the words. The band went straight into “Small Town," which has an incredible fiddle part live. It was stunning.

The rest of the setlist was a love letter to the fans who have witnessed his whole career. Songs like “Lonely Ol’ Night,” “R.O.C.K. in the USA,” “I Need a Lover,” “Check It Out,” “Our Country,” “Pop Singer,” “Hurts So Good,” and “Your Life Is Now” would all have been the highlight of any other show, but the whole setlist was "songs you know by heart.

By virtue of doing a "greatest hits" tour, Mellencamp is creating a sort of audible photo album where the listener can flip through the moments of their lives as they played out with his voice on the radio.

A few songs felt particularly special: both “Key West Intermezzo (I Saw Her First)” and “Jack and Diane” have been rearranged for him to play on acoustic guitar, and they were stunning. They also blended Wilson Pickett’s iconic “Land of 1000 Dances” into “Crumblin’ Down,” which was a gorgeous way to tie some of his influences back into his own catalogue.

His band, which has largely remained unchanged for years, was already tight, despite the disclaimer that it was a rehearsal. Troye Kinnett, who plays keyboards and accordions, sets the Midwest roc” tone along with violinist Miriam Sturm, who has played with Mellencamp for decades, as has guitarist Andrew York, bassist John Gunnell, and drummer Dane Clark.

It’s also a special treat to get to see Mellencamp with his guitarist/collaborator Mike Wanchic, who has been part of his sound since 1976. And as anyone who was at the Ford Center last night can attest, the brass, rhythm, and backing vocals are unimpeachable:. The heavyweight vocalist Crystal Taliefero (who was discovered by Mellencamp but was also a part of Billy Joel’s studio sound) lit up the auditorium when she sang “Wild Night,” and percussionist Eli Norman drew audible gasps in songs like “Cherry Bomb.”

Other vocal highlights included the vocals at the beginning of “Human Wheels,” “Paper and Fire,” and “Pink Houses,” which to be honest, made me cry.

If you missed this special experience, you don’t have to miss Mellencamp entirely: shows are on sale now at mellencamp.com.