Mellencamp, still rockin' after all these years

Mar. 25—Hoosier rocker John Mellencamp enjoyed a heaping helping of Hoosier hospitality Friday night at Emens Auditorium in Muncie, Ind.

What appeared to be a full house of fans young and old turned out for the show and the Seymour native did not disappoint.

Those on hand were on their feet for most of the roughly 90 minute set and it was clear everyone enjoyed the interactive evening of music as they sang along, danced and celebrated the moment.

Mellencamp, now 72, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018, sings a little lower and there's more rasp to his voice than there was when he hit the national scene in the 1980s, but he and his band still put on a highly entertaining show featuring some of his biggest hits as well as new and lesser known numbers.

Helping establish what has become known as the "Heartland rock" sound, Mellencamp's rise to fame began in 1982 and yielded a string of Top 10 singles including "Hurts So Good", "Jack & Diane", "Crumblin' Down", "Pink Houses", "Lonely Ol' Night", "Small Town", "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.", "Paper in Fire" and "Cherry Bomb."

He has 22 Top 40 hits in the United States and has been nominated for 13 Grammy Awards, winning one. In addition, he has sold more than 30 million albums in the United States and more than 60 million worldwide.

Mellencamp and his band are currently in the midst of a 27 city tour. For more information about it, visit www.mellencamp.com/tour.

Contact Kevin Green at kevin.green@greensburgdailynews.com or 812-651-0885.