The Josh Innes Show - No One Hates Fans More Than John Mellencamp

Episode Date: January 14, 2026

John Mellencamp is known to be a true blue asshat. He announced a tour today. He described this tour in the most John Mellencamp way possible. Why do artists choose to abandon the things their fans love? Let's discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Visit medcan.com slash moments to get started. All right, so John Mellencamp is touring. And everything I've heard about John Mellencamp from anyone who's ever met the guy and dealt with him is that he is a first class ass sniffer. Just a jagweed, okay? And I've never met anyone who works in the radio industry that's had an encounter with John Mellon camp. That was a good one, right? And this isn't just, this is really not a political thing at all. Like there's a lot of guys I dislike and people will say, oh, well, they hate Trump.

So you hate him. I'm like, no, that ain't the case at all. I just, I, like, Melanchamp musically is fantastic, right? He's like, like, like, there's a lot of guys I don't like. For instance, I don't like Bruce Springsteen. I also don't like Bruce Springsteen's music. So I find his whole vibe to be douchey, and I also don't like his music. Melanchamp's music is really fucking good.

And it's always been really good. Little pink houses, Jack and Diane, paper and fire, and walls come crumbling down and all that shit. I really dig the music of John Mellencamp. John Mellencamp also seems like a first-class douchebag and every story I've ever heard about the guy from anyone who's ever encountered him in the music industry would say the same thing or in the radio industry. Then I also get the stories that you hear about him in concert where he just stops the concert and leaves.

And he says some shit about people to go to his shows that would make me never, ever want to waste my money on going to see this guy. So he's going on tour. and it's called, you know, the greatest hits tour. But let me play a couple commercials and listen to this breakdown of what he's going to be doing. I don't know that a person on the planet hates his audience more than John Mellencamp hates his audience.

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focusing on new material and mixing storytelling segments into the performance. Several times he made news for angrily engaging hecklers who are unhappy with the new arrangement. Fine. and he's walked out before. The incidents have included referring to one audience member as a cock sucker and telling the audiences at other shows to shut the fuck up. If I wanted to play in this type of drunken environment, I'd play outside or I'd play in an arena.

So John Mellencamp is a first class elitist asshole. That's what John Mellon Camp is. Now, this new tour is going to be called the, it's like a hits tour. fans can expect to hear Melanchamp's best-known songs, including Pink Houses, Jack and Diane, Small Town, Hurts So Good, Authority song, Key West Intermezzo, as well as beloved tracks that he hasn't performed in 10 years, like ROCK in the USA, I need a lover, wild night,

and ain't even done with the night yet. How have you not been playing these fucking songs? You're fucking John Mellencamp. Those are your hits. Like dudes that are singers and guys that have legendary songs that don't perform these legendary songs just because they're assholes. are giant fucking assholes.

Like people spend the money to see you. It'd be like if you went to hear these songs, it'd be like if the Eagles did a show and they're like, yeah, I just don't really feel like doing, you know, one of these nights. I'm not going to do that because one of these nights. No, you're going to play one of these nights because you're the fucking Eagles, and that's what people want to hear. People don't want to hear your weird, new arrangements of your old fucking songs.

They just want to hear your old fucking songs exactly how they remember them. When I read this and I'm like, wait a minute. John Mellencamp hasn't played ROC in the USA Live in 10 years Then what the fuck are you doing? You haven't played I need a lover? Let's see here. There's the tour dates, but here's the thing. There's more details on this.

And when you hear the details on this tour, it's like, my God, dude, you are a total pud. So in the story I was reading, let's see, Melanchamp says, I listened to Ain't Even Done with the Night the other day for the first time. And I thought, this isn't bad. We can modernize this and get away from 80s 70s pop music sound and still do the

song, he says. I'm going to do Jack and Diane, but I'm going to do it as what they call a smash up, which will be a soul song. People are going to go, what the fuck? Why do you want people going to your show saying what the fuck? If I'm going to your show, I want to hear Jack and Diane the way I know Jack and Diane is supposed to sound from the 40 fucking years I've heard Jack and Diane on the radio. I don't want to hear some soul smash up, as you put it, of Jack and Diane. Here's an idea, bro. Sing Jack and Diane the way it is on the album and the way it is on the radio.

Why is this difficult? Like, why is this guy such an asshole? I don't know that there's a bigger musical cockbag on the planet than John Mellencamp. And I'm trying to think of it. Like Springsteen oozes douche, but Springsteen, and I've never seen him in concert, but everything I've been told is the guy plays for like three and a half hours and he plays all the hits, and he plays the hits the way they're supposed to sound. He's not one of these guys that goes out and is like, hey, here's a new arrangement of this song.

We're doing it. We're going to do a regatone version of little pink houses. Nobody asked for that. Like, and the thing is, again, I'm trying to think. of other dudes who are bigger assholes in the musical space than John Mellencamp. And I'm, like, I'm stumped. Like, I think that Dave Grohl is kind of an asshole. And I think he gets this rep is like whatever.

I think he's kind of an asshole in the way he handles himself and historically has handled himself because historically he's always shit on all these other bands before to elevate his band. And like, I think he's kind of a dick, but whatever. But I think when you go see them in concert, you're going to get, there goes, my hero and you're going to get all their big hits, right? Like, you're not going to go to a show and have him come out and go, here's what we're going to do today, guys. Here is our gospel version of the pretender. You're not going to get that. You're going to get the hits and you're

going to get the hits the way they are supposed to sound. The Eagles, when I saw them, the Eagles played virtually every hit they have. Like, let's take a look at an Eagle set list. Eagles set list. Let's see. Now, this is when they did, did the show at the sphere. Well, they opened with Hotel California in the sphere. These guys did 20 songs. And while the Eagles have a billion songs, for the most part, you could probably narrow it down to like, you know, 15, 20 songs. And of course, they also do a Joe Walsh song or two.

They'll do a couple others. But they'll do a little Don Henley, little James gang. That's what you get when you see them. That's how it's always been. Hotel California, one of these nights, lion eyes, take it to the limit. Witchy woman, peaceful, easy feeling, tequila sunrise. For seven songs, the Eagles are just like, hey, watch this. Bang, bang, bang, bang, and I guarantee you those songs sound exactly the way you remember them fucking sounding.

Then it's like, you know, we're going to do, we're going to transition into Joe Walsh doing in the city, a song that if you've been to an eagle show ever, you know in the city. Oh, now we're back to the Eagles. I can't tell you why a new kid in town and Seven Bridges Road. Now we're going back to Joe Walsh with a little life's been good. Oh, now we're right back to the Eagles already gone. Hey, how about a little Don Henley, the boys is a summer? James gang, funk number 49, but now we're back to the Eagles with Life and the FastLay. Now we're doing on-course with Take It Easy, back to Joe Walsh with Rocky Mountain Way,

Desperado, and Heartache Tonight. Would you leave that show disappointed? You would not. Do they leave out some songs? Well, when you have 35 hits, you're going to leave some out. You should never leave out a hit to play a non-hit. That should be the rule of a concert. There should never be a time where, hey, here's a song from our first.

14th album should be uttered when you have a giant hit song or a song that is beloved that you don't perform. Like I love pretty maids all in a row. I think pretty maids all in a row is an amazing song. I think Joe Walsh sings it so well. It is a great song that is sometimes an underappreciated Eagles tune, right? Not even underappreciate. You just don't hear it as much as you're going to hear I can't tell you why or life in the fast lane. That's not in this set list. But every single song in this set list is a gigantic smash. If they would have said, hey, here's our song from,

what was that Long Road Out of Eden or whatever they had in 2009. There were a couple of decent little songs on there. What was it called? How Long was a song that was on that album? It was nice, a little cute little country sounding song. Fine. Had a little pop for them.

A nothing burger in the overall scheme of every other hit they have. If they were to do that, instead of doing New Kid in Town, I'd be pissed. Or if they would have done, that in place of pretty maids all in a row, I would have been pissed. But that's 20 songs, and every single one of those 20 songs is a song you know by fucking heart. They're not out

there doing a weird version of it. They're not out there doing a smash up, as John Mellencamp put it. They're just doing songs you know and songs you love. They've been at it for 60-something years. They know what they're doing. Actually, 50-something years. They know what they're doing. And if Glenn were still alive, you'd probably get, you know, the heat is on or something like that. Or you belong to the city. John Mellencamp, when I read a story that says John Mellencamp hasn't performed ROC in the USA in 10 years, like, what the fuck are we doing? Like, huh? And I guarantee, let me just look at a John Mellencamp set list.

Now, granted, I don't go deep into the John Mellencamp catalog, but John Mellon camp has enough hits where I don't need to hear John Mellon camp's secondary bullshit. songs. He's got like 20 hits. I don't need other shit. Let's see a John Mellencamp set list here. Lawless times. No fucking clue what that is. This was September of last year. Small town, paper and fire. I know that. Longest days, no fucking clue. Jack and Diane rain on the scarecrow and pink houses. Is this the show that he just left? Oh wait, Huntington Bank Stadium. So I don't know what this show. This might have been a half time of a game or something. I don't know or some sort of show. I get, what did you? Okay, farm aid. Here's farm aid set. Again, these are only eight songs, so that's not really fair. But like when John Mellencamp does one of these shows, Outlaw,

Outlaw Music Festival does 12 songs. John Cockers, no idea what that is. Paper and Fire, I know that. Ghost towns along the highway, no clue. Small town, yes. Check it out. No. Longest days, no. Jack and Diane, yes. Rain on the Scarecrow, yes. Lonely old night, yes. Crumbling house, pink house. Look, I can almost live with that set list. 12 songs, I don't know what the fuck John Cockers is, and I don't know what the fuck ghost towns along the highway is. Substitute a couple of your other hits in there, and we got a party.

But the idea that this guy hasn't done R-O-C-K in the USA and doesn't do the authority song and all this shit, but does something called Check It Out? What are we doing? One of my great pet peeves. If you have tons of hits, there should never be a time that a hit song is replaced by some bullshit song

that no one cares about. Always play the hits. When I see Night Ranger, look, I'll blow the shit out of Night Ranger. Night Ranger ain't going to play a bunch of shit you don't know. Night Rangers probably got, if I look at a Night Ranger set list,

Night Rangers probably got counting the music of damn Yankees and they do a couple of those. Night Ranger probably has 12, 13, 14, 14 songs that you would know. At least I would know, but I'm a, you know, Night Ranger connoisseur.

November, Redding, Pennsylvania. You can still rock in America, four in the morning, Sing me away. Coming of age. Sentimental Street. Touch of Madness. The Secret of My Success. Night Ranger. High enough. Goodbye. When you close your eyes, don't tell me you love me,

Sister Christian. That is 13 songs. And some of them you may have to be a little bit inside on, like touch of madness maybe. Those are bangers. That's all you have to do. Play your bangers. You've been around for 50 years. You'd like to tell these guys, like I appreciate that you want to create new stuff.

I respect that you have like this creative desire to do shit. I get it. You have needs that need. to be fulfilled creatively. I get it. But I don't give a fuck. I'm not spending money to hear you sing new shit. I'm 39 years old.

I want to hear the hits. And there are people that are 60 years old going to these shows. They want to have a good time and listen to I need a lover. They want to hear, it hurts so good. That's what they're there for, friend. And I certainly don't want to go to a John Mellencamp concert where I'm getting like regatone versions of hurts so good. No one signed up for that.

Nobody wants that shit. It's like when I saw Def Leopard. Def Leopard's got a ton of hits. Def Leopard also felt it necessary to play like two songs from their new album. Now, in defense of them, shit from their new album just sounds like the same shit from the old albums. So take that for what it is. But like, let's look at a Def Leopard set list. I saw them on the stadium tour a couple years ago.

Let's see the last time they did the stadium tour. Let's just look at a set list here from the at the Minnesota State Fair. Here we go. Rock, rock, tee drop, rocket, let's get rocked, fooling Armageddonate, animal love bites, just like 73. I have no idea what that is. Let it go. I don't know what that is. This guitar, no idea what that is.

Two steps behind. No idea what that is. Bring it on the heartbreak, rock of ages, photograph when love and hate, collide, hysteria. There's a couple of things in there that I've never fucking heard. And maybe more in-depth, deaf leopard people may have. I could do without just like 73, whatever. That's take a leak, go get a beer, come back, and let's see the. second half of this show. There's actually, look, I'll, I'll knock them on this. There's like a

four song stretch in here where I'm like, no fucking clue what this is. No fucking clue. So, Journey. Now, Journey doesn't fuck around like that. Journey is cut and pace. Let's see a Journey set list. I saw them with Def Leopard. A couple times, actually, I think. So let's see, a Journey set list. Journey playing at, uh, let's see, Huntington-Bakefield. That is the, uh, okay, this must have been a stadium tour thing. Let's see. Only the young. Stone in love. Don't stop believing.

Who's crying now? Faithfully. Love and touch and squeezing. Open arms. Lights. Wheel in the sky. Separate ways. Be good to yourself.

Any way you want it. Don't stop believing. That's a show. At no point is the little lead singer guy like, hey guys, here's one from our new album. No one gives a fuck. Sit down with that shit and play the hits. But John Mellencamp doesn't get the concept of that.

He's like, nope. I hate my audience. So I'm going to take songs that are beloved. iconic classic rock bangers and I'm gonna fuck with them and piss people. I think John Mellencamp does it just to piss people off just so he can quit in the middle of the show.

That's my hot take for the day. I think John Mellencamp does shit to deliberately piss people off so he can quit in the middle of the show. He probably gets bored halfway in and he's like, watch this, I'm gonna play shit that bores them so fucking much that I can leave.

I think that that's my hot take on Mellencamp. Anyway, more to come.