John Mellencamp

A documentary following JM around during a 2009 tour opening for Bob Dylan as well as knocking out a record on his off days is chronicled by photographer Kurt Markus and his son. Select screenings in LA & NYC thru Jan 16 . I made it into the trailer(!), wearing a hat and head jamming. Don’t blink. 22 seconds in.

^like^

I ran into Kurt Markus, the photographer, after the show where I was filmed, in Dayton, OH and he recognized the hat, and told me he had filmed me and hoped I didn’t mind. 8) I was hoping I had made it into the film shown before JM’s shows but I was invariably cut [the girls next to me were in it]. So, yeah, it’s fun to see!

Clip 2 – “Coming Down The Road” at Sun Studios in Memphis.

lwj – John has some of his paintings on permanent display at an Art Center in his hometown of Seymour – Southern Indiana Center for the Arts aka SICA – a place I suspect you would appreciate.

More information on SICA ( a house he purchased from a childhood friend and converted into an art center)

The media link on John’s website has photos of some of his paintings but it’s not the same as viewing them on the canvas they are painted. His early style has been described as German impressionism and my added thoughts would include “on the dark side.”

Website link: http://www.mellencamp.com/index.php?page=intphoto&ga=11

Here are 2 links from a friend’s flickr site (he’s quite the photographer). These paintings were traveling with the “No Better Than This” tour and on display in the lobby of the theaters.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/crumblindown/5152342970/

I had a feeling you would like the house. It’s a very serene setting. John’s junior high school art teacher works the center as a volunteer and loves visits by the Mellenheads. On the property is a barn that’s been converted into a pottery studio. In the loft area of the barn is where John’s #1 hit single, a cover of Van Morrison’s “Wild Night” with Meshell Ndegeocello, was filmed. The loft is appropriately named “The Wild Night” loft. There is a garden area dedicated to John’s grandmother and his mother passed away just this past Monday and there are plans to name a room after her as, she too, was an artist and very involved with the Art Center. JM’s parents’s house is nearby, the 8 room farmhouse John sang about in “Cherry Bomb.”

Here is a trivia blog I wrote about the “Wild Night” shoot with embedded video.

http://blogs.heraldtimesonline.com/mb/?p=2198

Oh, and I don’t own any of John’s paintings, it’s the one thing I pine to own. Sometimes one becomes available, through auctions and on ebay, etc but the $$$ needed to purchase were beyond my means. Some fans have been lucky to acquire some great deals, just hasn’t happened for me yet. I do have a few posters of his artwork and I do have an autographed lithograph I snagged on ebay which is a limited edition. I had it matted and framed.

From the media link for a reference:

https://johnmellencamp.s3.amazonaws.com/content/galleries/love.jpg

I’ll be up to a show (or two) as long as it’s within my 8 hour driving window. Unfortunately, I would bet ticket prices will be around the the same price range as before since it says he is continuing his No Better Than This Tour.

ALSO, super excited about the art gallery exhibit in Nashville. I plan on attending that as well!