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The (Fabulous) Fox Theatre in Atlanta buzzed with activity amongst its sold-out crowd as soon as the doors opened at 7:00 PM. That buzz is the conversation of about 4,600 people finding merch, restrooms, snacks, their seats or just gawking at the Moorish design of the former Shrine Temple. It’s Atlanta’s destination concert venue.
The show started at 8:00 PM, and the vast majority had found their seats. That show would include scenes of Montgomery Clift and Marilyn Monroe in “The Misfits,” James Dean in “Giants,” a testy exchange from Paul Newman in “HUD,” and Marlon Brando in “The Fugitive Kind,” “On the Waterfront,” and “A Streetcar Named Desire,” the last of which features a New Orleans house that is the background for the band’s set.
As you watch (or ignore… audience choice), questions come to mind. What is Mellencamp trying to achieve? An accommodation to traffic or perpetual late arrivals who expect an opening act? (There isn’t one.) A buffer so a legit rock show isn’t done by 10:00 PM? A nod to hosting venue to maximize beverage sales and loosen the audience? Examples of classic characters and storytelling that echo his own lyrics?
The last is close. Mellencamp has hosted intros on Turner Classic Movies and finds inspiration from movies for his songs and paintings. And… TCM is sponsoring the tour. Which is all fine, but audible unrest settled over the crowd around the 20-minute mark.
No matter. At the 30-minute mark, the video screen exits stage up and the band is right there, launching into… “John Cockers” followed by “The Eyes of Portland.” A deep cut and a new song, both about the homeless. The messages might have been lost on many with the eagerness to get to the music. “Minutes to Memories” cements what fans already know. Mellencamp sings about the downtrodden and hard lives better than anyone of his generation, and if it wasn’t accompanied by a full band and recorded in an earlier age, he might have been a folk hero for Guthrie fans if they were open to more complicated song structures and more cinematic lyrics.
Then the hit, “Small Town.” Same theme, more popular song, an exciting crowd. That’s how the evening would progress, similar to his album track sequences, touching on the lesser-known songs between the megahits, some of the lesser hits and new material. “Don’t Need This Body,” “We Are the People,” a rollicking “Jackie Brown,” “Sometimes There’s God,” “Longest Days,” “I Always Lie to Strangers,” and a beautiful instrumental version of “The Real Life” featuring violin and accordion.
There were plenty of the megahits as well, with smart insertions between the above before finishing with an incredible finish of songs that probably most wanted to hear (See setlist below).
The performance was in most ways excellent. For those worried about Mellencamp’s voice. Don’t be. Go back and listen to his records. His voice is one that has been lived in, and if the high ends are often left to the audience to sing-a-long, the songs speak truer for his rougher edges.
The band played to sterling perfection, and violinist Lisa Germano, repeatedly received the greatest attention, her instrument rising above the rest to punctuate songs and often given solo space (especially the acoustic “I Always Lie to Strangers” and “Scarecrow”) The remainder of the band was often lost in the shadows and generally stoic, but the spotlight, appropriately, was Mellencamp’s.
Favorite moments included the three-song acoustic set, with Mellencamp unapologetically smoking a cigarette on “I Always Lie to Strangers” and then leaving the stage for a recorded Joanne Woodward reading of his lyrics for “The Real Life” that brings light on it in an entirely different way.
Mellencamp didn’t engage the crowd with lots of dialogue, but it was clear he’s not a fan of people shouting in the quieter moments, pointedly (being nice) to remove themselves before the acoustic set. “Jack and Diane” became a sing-a-long, which has its own trap best left for those yet to experience it live. And, Mellencamp’s smoky voice narrating an amorous scene in “Gloria” was priceless.
Another nice touch was what might be called a encore segue. After a good effort of teaching the audience the refrain from “Chasing Rainbows,” the band left the stage, leaving Mellencamp to receive his deserved ovation, and then the band returned for the final two songs. Maybe it’s an idea that will catch.
Setlist:
Encore: