Mellencamp Launches Tour, Adds Canadian Dates

Indiana’s favorite rocker couldn’t have picked a better place to launch the tour that, so far, extends through April. Mellencamp’s two nights in Bloomington at the Indiana University Auditorium featured songs from his new T Bone Burnett-produced album, No Better Than This, as well as fan favorites, some of which were re-imagined for the tour. As promised, the night was divided into three segments with Mellencamp performing acoustic followed by being backed by a small combo and finishing with a full-on rock ‘n’ roll assault.

“I’ve never played guitar in a show as much as this,” Mellencamp remarked on opening night, joking that his sound crew used to turn the volume down on his instrument during past tours.

Mellencamp’s “opening act” on the “No Better Than This Tour” is Kurt and Ian Markus’ film documentary “It’s About You” which chronicles the 2009 minor league baseball stadium tour Mellencamp appeared on with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson.

Fans were also treated to a display of Mellencamp’s paintings in the lobby before the concert, making the evening as much about his artistic interests as well as his music.

And the setlist? From opening with “Authority Song” to his “R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A.” closer, Mellencamp played 26 numbers in a show that clocked in at about two hours, fifteen minutes.

Here’s the complete setlist:

Authority Song
No One Cares About Me
Deep Blue Heart
Death Letter
Walk Tall
West End
Check It Out
Save Some Time To Dream
Cherry Bomb
Don’t Need This Body
Right Behind Me
Jackie Brown
Longest Days
Easter Eve
Jack and Diane
Thinking About You
Small Town
Hymn (instrumental interlude)
Scarecrow
Troubled Land
If I Die Sudden
Paper In Fire
The Real Life
No Better Than This
Pink Houses
R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A.

Mellencamp has added second nights in Canadian towns Edmonton (April 16) and Regina (April 23). For more information, click here for Mellencamp.com.