By Mary Ann Bourbeau
HOLMDEL – John Mellencamp will embark on a greatest hits summer tour with a stop at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel July 25.
“The Dancing Words Tour – The Greatest Hits” will feature the Grammy winner performing all his top songs in a single night, some of which he hasn’t played live in recent years. Fans can expect to hear “Pink Houses,” “Jack and Diane,” “Small Town,” “Hurts So Good,” “Authority Song” and “Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First).” He will also perform some fan favorites that he hasn’t included in his live shows for more than 10 years, such as “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.,” “I Need a Lover,” “Wild Nights” and “Ain’t Even Done with the Night.”
Tickets are now on sale at mellencamp.com.
“I have this opportunity to go out and be on the party again, you know, where you play all your old hit songs,” Mellencamp said in a video introducing the tour. “I quit doing that 17 years ago. I know it could be fun. We’re doing it!”
Mellencamp’s 2023 tour, “Live and In Person,” saw sold-out dates across the country and a host of critical praise, leading to the addition of 27 more cities the following year. Forbes praised the run, saying “it doesn’t appear that Mellencamp has any intention of slowing down or abandoning his trademark feistiness.”
By the time he was 14, Mellencamp was gigging in local bars and fronting a soul band. His professional music career began in 1976 with the release of his first album, “The Chestnut Street Incident.” His manager dubbed him Johnny Cougar, at first, believing no one would buy a record by someone named Mellencamp. John protested but was overruled, though eventually he reclaimed his birth name as his professional name as well by 1991.
Mellencamp broke out in 1979 with his first hit, “I Need a Lover.” In 1982, his fifth album, “American Fool,” was the year’s best-selling album on the strength of two huge hits, “Hurts So Good” and the number one single, “Jack and Diane.” He continued to pen poignant songs about everyday life in the American heartland.
In 1985, the Indiana native’s concern for American farmers led him to partner with Willie Nelson and Neil Young to create Farm Aid, a concert series addressing the struggles of family agribusiness in America. It became an annual event to raise awareness of the issues farmers face and how those issues affect the entire nation. The nonprofit has raised over $85 million to date.
One of the most respected singer-songwriters of his generation, Mellencamp’s career in music has spanned five decades. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, where, in 2022, a permanent exhibition featuring his guitars and stage outfits opened to celebrate his significant impact as a songwriter and rock icon. Mellencamp’s other honors include, more recently, the Founders Award, the top honor from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.
The upcoming tour will offer a variety of VIP packages and experiences to elevate fans’ concert experience. Packages include premium tickets, an invitation to the pre-show Scarecrow VIP Lounge, an autographed VIP tour poster and specially designed gift items. For more information, visit vipnation.com.
It was just announced that a new John Mellencamp musical, “Small Town,” will make its world premiere in Maine at the Ogunquit Playhouse in October, featuring a score of the Grammy winner’s hits. The musical follows Jack and Diane, two star-crossed lovers refusing to let the world break them or bury their youthful fire. With songs such as “Hurts So Good,” “Lonely Ol’ Night,” “Small Town,” and “Jack and Diane,” audiences will witness these characters making tough choices in a desperate bid for a better life.
The article originally appeared in the February 5 – 11, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
