Music Legend Sits Down for an Intimate Conversation and Performance
The Day His New Album, No Better Than This, Is Released
LOS ANGELES (July 2010) - On Aug. 17, 2010, The GRAMMY Museum will host legendary heartland singer/songwriter John Mellencamp for an onstage interview and performance the same day his new T-Bone Burnett-produced album, No Better Than This (Rounder Records), is released.
"Without a doubt, John Mellencamp is one of America's greatest storytellers, so The GRAMMY Museum is especially honored to welcome him to our stage," said Executive Director Robert Santelli, who will moderate the evening. "A constant innovator and student of musical legacies before him, we are especially excited to offer fans the chance to hear from him in such a personal and profound way."
John Mellencamp's career in music has spanned more than 35 years during which time he transitioned from pre-fab pop idol to one of the most highly regarded mature songwriters of a generation. Mellencamp fell in love with music at an early age and was fronting a soul band in his native Indiana by the time he was 14. He would go on to release 26 albums with domestic sales exceeding 40 million units. He has been nominated for 13 GRAMMYs, was recipient of Billboard's Century Award, ASCAP Foundation's Champion Award, The Woody Guthrie Award, Q's Classic Songwriter Award, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Mellencamp has amassed 22 Top 40 hits and holds the record for the most tracks by a solo artist to hit #1 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart. Many of his songs are a reflection of his social activism. "Rain on the Scarecrow" was a key catalyst that launched Farm Aid in 1985. That organization, now in its 25th year, has addressed the plight of the American family farmer since that time. Farm Aid's annual fundraising concert, spearheaded by Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Dave Matthews and, of course, John Mellencamp, is the longest-running benefit series of its kind. The unique instrumentation of his band and overall approach is widely credited with being the forbear of the Americana/No Depression genre of rural-inflected music.
On break days during his 2009 national tour with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, he recorded No Better Than This, a new album that will be released this summer by Rounder Records. The sessions took place at the First African Baptist Church in Savannah, GA, Sun Studios in Memphis and in the same San Antonio hotel room where Robert Johnson recorded in 1936, all utilizing just one microphone and recorded on a vintage mono tape recorder with the T Bone Burnett producing. A theater tour in support of the release of No Better Than This gets underway this fall and is expected to run through Spring of 2011.
Before an intimate audience of 200 in the Museum's Clive Davis Theater, Mellencamp will field Santelli's questions about his remarkable career, inspiring social activism, and the unique circumstances and locations that provided context for the new album. After the interview, Mellencamp will take questions from the audience and perform a few a few of his songs in a truly unique setting.
The GRAMMY Museum launched its flagship public program, "An Evening With…," in January 2009 with music legend Brian Wilson and continued its success with critically-acclaimed recording artists Ringo Starr, Annie Lennox, Bob Newhart, Tom Morello, Dwight Yoakam, Dionne Warwick, Herbie Hancock, Smokey Robinson, Terence Blanchard, Herb Alpert and Lani Hall, George Benson, Paul Shaffer, Carly Simon, Harry Connick, Jr. and Clive Davis. The program regularly features award-winning and cutting-edge musicians live and onstage (including country rocker Chris Hillman on May 20, 2010). Taking place in the Museum's state-of-the-art Clive Davis Theater, which screens exhibit-related films during regular Museum hours, the program provides guests unprecedented access to their favorite musicians.
"American Express Presents An Evening With John Mellencamp" will take place at 8pm in the GRAMMY Sound Stage, on the second floor of The GRAMMY Museum. Doors open at 7:30pm. American Express presale tickets are $40 and can be purchased on Ticketmaster.com by American Express Cardmembers starting Thursday, July 15, 2010 (limit four tickets per person). Ticket purchase also includes a copy of No Better Than This. American Express is the exclusive payment method for presale tickets. All proceeds benefit The GRAMMY Museum.
The GRAMMY Museum is located at 800 West Olympic Boulevard, Suite A245, Los Angeles, CA 90015. With an entrance off of Figueroa Street, the Museum resides within the L.A. LIVE campus, at the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles.
About The GRAMMY Museum
Paying tribute to music's rich cultural history, this one-of-a-kind, 21st-century Museum explores and celebrates the enduring legacies of all forms of music, the creative process, the art and technology of the recording process, and the history of the premier recognition of excellence in recorded music - the GRAMMY Award. The GRAMMY Museum features 30,000 square feet of interactive and multimedia exhibits located within L.A. LIVE, the downtown Los Angeles sports, entertainment and residential district. Through thought-provoking and dynamic public and educational programs and exhibits, guests will experience music from a never-before-seen insider perspective that only The GRAMMY Museum can deliver.
American Express is the Premiere Partner of The GRAMMY Museum. For more information about American Express and music, visit www.americanexpress.com/entertainment. |
