John Mellencamp called his old pal Bruce Springsteen on stage during the New Jersey stop of his Live and In Person 2024 Tour.
The two singer songwriters have been friendly for decades going back to the 1980s when both Springsteen's Born in the USA and Mellencamp's Uh Huh were bringing some Americana back to the radio with their tales of a struggling middle class.
The 72 year-old Mellencamp is on a 27-date tour around the eastern region of the US and was nearly finished with the opening set of his show at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on Oscar Sunday.
After rocking out 15 tunes, with one more to play before taking a breather before the encore, the Indiana singer called out the 74 year-old New Jersey icon to join him in a song from their glory days.
“Ladies and gentlemen, one of the greatest songwriters of our time, Mr. Bruce Springsteen!” Mellencamp said.
"Pink Houses," peaked at #8 on the Top 100 in 1984, a year Springsteen dominated with hits like "Dancing in the Dark" and "Cover Me."
In 2022, The Boss appeared on three tracks on Mellencamp's Strictly a One-Eyed Jack. Mellencamp has only performed one of those tunes live in the past, and it was with Bruce last November at the Stand Up For Heroes benefit.
Instead of live debuting one of the other two tracks from Strictly a One-Eyed Jack, the men traded verses on the fan favorite.
And yes, the Boss delivered on his lines.
After the Jersey crowd were pleasantly surprised with their hometown boy, there was an encore where Mellencamp performed "Cherry Bomb" and "Hurts So Good."
Has Mellencamp ever covered a Springsteen song? Why yes. Just once.
In 2009 as part of the Kennedy Center Honors tribute to Bruce, Mellencamp performed a somber version of "Born in the USA" which accentuated the darkness of the oft-misunderstood tune. As President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama sat beside him, Springsteen, clearly enjoyed the original rendition.
The pair will see each other again in the Garden State soon.
In April, Mellencamp will be honored by the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music at Monmouth University.
And guess who will be a presenter at the ceremony?
Monmouth has been the repository of most of Springsteen's ephemera, keepsakes, and journals for years.
Mellencamp has a very busy dance card. His tour just kicked off. Tickets can be accessed through his website.
Later this year he will be part of the Outlaw Music Festival headlined by some other pretty decent songwriters, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant and Willie Nelson.
John Mellencamp 2024 Tour Dates:
03/13 – Hartford, CT @ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
03/14 – Schenectady, NY @ Proctors
03/16 – Erie, PA @ Warner Theatre
03/17 – Toledo, OH @ Stranahan Theater
03/19 – East Lansing, MI @ Wharton Center
03/20 – Richmond, KY @ EKU Center for the Arts
03/22 – Muncie, IN @ Emens Auditorium
03/23 – Springfield, IL @ UIS Performing Arts Center
03/25 – Green Bay, WI @ The Weidner
03/26 – Madison, WI @ Overture Center for the Arts
03/27 – Rockford, IL @ Coronado Performing Arts Center
04/04 – Duluth, MN @ DECC Symphony Hall
04/05 – Des Moines, IA @ Des Moines Civic Center
04/07 – Omaha, NE @ Orpheum Theater
04/09 – Springfield, MO @ Juanita K. Hammons Hall for Performing Arts
04/10 – Little Rock, AR @ Robinson Center
04/12 – Birmingham, AL @ BJCC Concert Hall
04/14 – Greensboro, NC @ Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts
04/15 – Chattanooga, TN @ Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium
04/17 – Fayetteville, NC @ Crown Theatre
04/18 – Washington, D.C. @ DAR Constitution Hall
04/20 – Columbia, SC @ Township Auditorium
04/21 – Norfolk, VA @ Chrysler Hall
04/23 – Savannah, GA @ Johnny Mercer Theatre
