John Mellencamp is giving fans what they want – the hits.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has announced dates for the Dancing Words Tour — The Greatest Hits, where he’ll play a set filled with hits including “Jack and Diane,” “Hurts So Good,” “Small Town” and “Pink Houses.” He’s also promising to break out tracks he hasn’t performed live in nearly a decade, like “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. (A Salute To 60’s Rock),” “I Need a Lover,” “Wild Night” and “Ain’t Even Done With the Night.”
Mellencamp announced the news in a video in which he meets actor Sean Penn at a roadside diner. As Mellencamp’s hits play on the jukebox, Penn suggests he go out and play the songs on tour, something the rocker admits he “quit doing 17 years ago.”
“They’ve been asking me to do this for years. ‘Come play outside again.’ And I’m saying, ‘No, no, no.’ But this time, I’m 74 years old. I thought I might be getting to the age where I might want to try to share these songs with people again,” Mellencamp tells People in a new interview. “In the video that Sean and I made, Sean says, ‘There’s no reason to keep these songs to yourself. What’s the problem with trying to make people happy?'”
The 19-date trek kicks off July 10 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and wraps Aug. 12 in Mountain View, California, with a majority of the dates set in outdoor amphitheaters.
A Citi presale for tickets kicks off Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. local time, with tickets going on sale to the general public Jan. 23 at 10 a.m. local time. A complete list of dates can be found at JohnMellencamp.com.
(Video includes uncensored profanity.)
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