John Mellencamp: Live at Morton Amphitheater

Photo by “Salty”

On July 13, we saw John Mellencamp at the new Morton Amphitheater in Riverside, and it was a great show.

First, I have to mention the venue. This was our first time there, and I was impressed. It’s a great place to see a concert. The sound was excellent, and I don’t think there’s a bad seat in the place. Getting out of the parking lot was a bit of an adventure, but it’s a brand-new venue with only a handful of concerts under its belt. I’m sure they’ll get that figured out after a few more shows. I’d definitely go back.

There was no opening act. John hit the stage around 8:00 and played for close to three hours with just one short intermission. That’s pretty impressive at 74 years old.

John’s voice was a little raspy at times, but I actually thought it fit the songs. At 74 years old, he’s not trying to sound like he did in the 1980s. He’s singing about life after living a lot of it, and I think that gives them a different meaning.

The band was outstanding. Tight from start to finish. Crystal Taliefero really impressed me. She sang harmony all night, shared the lead on the Van Morrison cover “Wild Night,” and played saxophone. She was a lot of fun to watch.

The setlist was like flipping through an old photo album. Every song brought back a different memory from another time in my life. That’s one of the things I love about music. It has a way of taking you right back to a moment you hadn’t thought about in years.

For anyone who’s interested, here’s the full setlist:

Set 1

1. Lawless Times

2. Small Town

3. Minutes to Memories

4. Lonely Ol’ Night

5. Paper in Fire

6. Human Wheels

7. Walk Tall

8. R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. (A Salute to 60’s Rock)

9. Love and Happiness

10. Our Country

11. Check It Out

12. Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)

13. Jack & Diane

Set 2

14. I Need a Lover

15. Thank You

16. Your Life Is Now

17. Wild Night (Van Morrison cover)

18. Ain’t Even Done With the Night

19. Pop Singer

20. Rain on the Scarecrow

21. What If I Came Knocking

22. Authority Song

23. Crumblin’ Down

24. Pink Houses

Encore

25. Cherry Bomb

26. Hurts So Good

There were a couple of songs I probably would have swapped out. I would have loved to hear “Rumbleseat,” “Get a Leg Up,” or “Play Guitar.” But with a catalog as deep as Mellencamp’s, everybody is going to leave wishing they had heard one more favorite. I was happy he played my favorite, “Minutes to Memories.”

The crowd was into it all night. People were singing along to almost every song. It reminded me why Mellencamp has had such a lasting career. His songs aren’t just hits. They’re part of the soundtrack of a lot of our lives.

For close to three hours, we weren’t thinking about work, the news, or everything else going on in the world. We were just singing along with songs that have been part of our lives for decades. That’s a pretty good way to spend an evening.

If this ends up being the last time I see John Mellencamp live, I’m glad this was the show.