MELLENCAMP SETS SUMMER TOUR DATES IN CONJUNCTION WITH ALBUM RELEASE: LIFE, DEATH, LOVE AND FREEDOM IN STORES JULY 15

Bloomington, IN - April 15 - John Mellencamp will begin his summer tour this July on top of the release of his 23rd career album, Life, Death, Love and Freedom. The greatly anticipated tour kicks off on Tuesday, July 8th at Philadelphia’s Mann Music Center with more dates to follow that will bring John and the band to play on both coasts as well as the middle of the country over the course of almost four weeks on the road. It’s the iconic artist’s first tour since his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last month.

Mellencamp and his touring band will be highlighting new songs from the album as well as a broad spectrum of repertoire reflecting four decades of recording and touring. Tour markets include Boston, New York, Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles and others. Mellencamp began performing unreleased songs from Life, Death, Love and Freedom, last year within his concert set. The new songs were enthusiastically received by audiences and critics, alike, in the American Midwest, North East as well as across Canada.

Writing in the Grand Rapids Press, John Sinkevics noted, “Mellencamp expertly straddled that line all night long – delivering the expected as well as the surprising.”

The Calgary Herald’s Eric Volmers wrote, “New songs, like a soaring rocker with a stirring anti-racism message, showed that the songwriter is still an artist, not merely a jukebox.”

Jeffrey Lee Puckett, in his Louisville Courier-Journal review, observed, “Instead of the youthful rebelliousness of decades past, I saw an artist, parent and American who is pondering what will be left for future generations expressing genuine concerns about what tomorrow will bring. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen such raw emotional vulnerability from an arena artist who has sold millions of records.”

The Saskatoon Star Phoenix called Mellencamp “the Poet Laureate of the Interstate” while The Nation suggested, “Mellencamp has repeatedly taken career-risking anti-war, anti-racist and anti-poverty stands that other celebrities of his stature tend to avoid.”

Following a recent benefit for New York’s Housing Works, Jon Pareles wrote in the New York Times, “...he hasn’t forgotten his insolent guitar riffs or the defiant streak [that] he now channels into populist convictions.”

Mellencamp and the band, consisting of Mike Wanchic (guitar), Andy York (guitar), Miriam Sturm (violin), Dane Clark (drums), Jon Gunnell (bass), and Troye Kinnett (keyboards) recorded Life, Death, Love and Freedom at Mellencamp’s Belmont Mall studio, near Bloomington, Indiana, working with producer T Bone Burnett.

Three time Grammy® Award winner Lucinda Williams will be on the concert bill for most of the upcoming Mellencamp dates.

In keeping with a policy that started more than ten years ago, members of the official John Mellencamp fan club, Club Cherry Bomb, will be offered early access to premium concert tickets and concert ticket packages via an internet pre-sale available through John's website Mellencamp.com.

CLUB CHERRY BOMB PRESALE, TICKET PACKAGES
Tickets for John Mellencamp's 2008 Summer Tour go on sale to the general public starting on April 26th. However, Club Cherry Bomb members get first opportunity to buy some of the best tickets available a week before the general public!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CLUB PRESALE AND TICKET PACKAGES >>

JOHN MELLENCAMP SUMMER 2008 WITH OPENING ACT LUCINDA WILLIAMS

June 28 Marcus Amphitheater, Summerfest - Milwaukee, WI %
July 8 Mann Music Center - Philadelphia, PA
July 10 Nikon at Jones Beach Theater - Wantagh, NY
July 11 PNC Bank Arts Center - Holmdel, NJ
July 14 Bank of America Pavilion - Boston, MA
July 15 Bank of America Pavilion - Boston, MA
July 18 DTE Energy Music Theatre - Clarkston, MI
July 22 Charter One Pavilion @ Northerly Island - Chicago, IL
July 23 Riverbend Music Center - Cincinnati, OH
July 25 Ford Center - Oklahoma City, OK*
July 27 Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Denver, CO
July 30 Santa Barbara Bowl- Santa Barbara, CA
July 31 Greek Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
Aug 2 Greek Theatre - Berkeley, CA
    * - Graham Colton will be the opening act for this show.
    % - opening act to be announced.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKET AND ONSALE INFORMATION >>