http://www.indy.com/posts/5838 en-us JeffByrd I plan on watching this evening. Seems like the last few years it's kinda become "uncool" to say you like Mellencamp, specially if your a musician from Indy. I have no problem with that. His music was a soundtrack for my teens years, and "Lonely Old Night" stills plays in my head anytime I'm alone out driving on a summer night. Good stuff Dave. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:07:39 -0400 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17151 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17151 David Lindquist John Fogerty, already a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer for his work in Creedence Clearwater Revival, will pay tribute to two acts during tonight's ceremony. He's scheduled to give the introductory speech for instrumental rock group the Ventures, and he'll sing as part of the show segment devoted to the British Invasion's Dave Clark Five. "I think 'Walk, Don't Run' is basically the first surf record," Fogerty said of the Ventures during a rehearsal break Monday afternoon. The Ventures will perform "Walk, Don't Run" and the theme from "Hawaii Five-O" during the ceremony. As an American teenager in the mid-60s, Fogerty said he wasn't intimidated or disheartened by the chart dominance of U.K. acts such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Kinks and the Dave Clark Five. "I was totally for it all," Fogerty said. "To tell you the truth, American rock 'n' roll at the time the Beatles hit really needed a shot in the arm. We were having things like 'The Singing Nun' as the No. 1 record." When Fogerty led Creedence into the spotlight, he helped the United States balance the score. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:34:15 -0400 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17131 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17131 David Lindquist I caught up with Shaffer and asked for his reaction to Mellencamp's induction. "He is America," Shaffer said, "and he's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where he belongs." Rather than pick one of Mellencamp's many appearances on Letterman's late-night talk show as a prominent memory, Shaffer said he has fond recollections of Mellencamp's 1981 music video for the song "Ain't Even Done with the Night." Mellencamp and members of his band defied expectations by offering a parody of a doo-wop group -- complete with matching wardrobe and choreography. "He showed himself to be something special, even then," Shaffer said. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:10:54 -0400 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17110 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17110 Jet I am SO glad that John is finally going to be recognized. I grew up in Southern Indiana, too, and I know what a small town really is. John is nostalgic about it. Unfortunately, I was definitely big city material. Is Leonard Cohen ill? Why can he not perform his own songs? And Iggy doing Madonna songs? Does that mean Madonna won't be there? I am in heaven. With John and Madonna being inducted, that means along with U2 and REM, all of my favorites will be honored. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:57:29 -0400 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17107 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17107 David Lindquist It looks as if Mellencamp's band will back Mellencamp, John Fogerty and Joan Jett during a two-song tribute to the Dave Clark Five (with Shaffer adding stylish keyboard tones to the mix). Jett sang a proto-garage rendition of "Bits and Pieces" during Monday afternoon's rehearsal, while Mellencamp and Fogerty shared lead vocal duties on a soulful version of "Glad All Over." Big beats supplied by Mellencamp drummer Dane Clark were highlights of both tunes. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:52:43 -0400 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17106 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17106 David Lindquist To answer cboze's question, John's name is the only one listed in the entry to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I believe. He and the band just wrapped rehearsal of three songs for tonight's ceremony. VH1 Classic viewers can expect performances of two hits from the "Uh-Huh" album and one hit from "Scarecrow." Paul Shaffer, the long-running musical director of Rock Hall induction ceremonies, and Will Lee, his band mate in David Letterman's house band, were seen applauding a Miriam Sturm violin solo. The big news from rehearsal would be Mellencamp's 12-year-old son, Speck, playing guitar with the band for one number. Speck's mother, Elaine, said the pre-teen was anxious about the prospect of making his live debut on national television -- and perhaps even more nervous if members of the Rolling Stones show up as members of the Ballroom audience at the Waldorf. We'll see who's in the crowd at 8:30 p.m. ... Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:45:23 -0400 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17105 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17105 cboze David, Who in the band is being inducted? Is Tobey, Jimmy and Larry on the list or is it just John? Haven't heard. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:27:01 -0400 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17088 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17088 rictor When I talked to Mellencamp this weekend, he said "Who are you? Quit stalking me. I'm calling the police!" Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:14:23 -0400 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17084 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17084 David Lindquist When I talked to Mellencamp this weekend, I asked him about Iggy and the Stooges performing a set of Madonna songs at tonight's ceremony -- largely because, believe it or not, Mellencamp covered the Stooges classic "Search and Destroy" quite often in his pre-stardom days. The topic turned to defunct Creem magazine, which -- like Iggy Pop and Madonna -- is a treasure of Detroit-related pop culture. Mellencamp said he recently was given a copy of the 2007 book based on Creem titled "America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine." The book compiled by Robert Matheu and Brian J. Bowe includes a Mellencamp interview from the early 1980s. "That's when music was really fun, when we were kids," Mellencamp said. "Everybody in that book is so young. The music was so wide open. The things you said didn't have consequences the way the things you say today do. "I could say one (messed) up thing, and it's around the world. Back then, you could say anything you wanted. You could be as arrogant or stupid as you wanted. You could be as thoughtful as you wanted. You could be all of those things in the same interview. It was just fun. Now, there's consequences." Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:00:55 -0400 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17075 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17075 rictor It's well-deserved. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 12:55:46 -0400 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17070 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17070 David Lindquist This post is being beamed from Manhattan, where I arrived about an hour ago. My flight also included Mellencamp band members Dane Clark, Jon E. Gee and Troye Kinnett. More than one person told me I was cutting it close when I planned to arrive the day of the Rock Hall ceremony. Clark, Gee and Kinnett thought they were flying on Sunday, but a day's worth of delays kept them grounded at Indianapolis International Airport. But they're here now, and I plan to walk over to the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in a few minutes to catch the band's afternoon rehearsal. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 12:47:11 -0400 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17068 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17068 David Lindquist Seymour mayor Craig Luedeman proclaimed Monday as "John Mellencamp Day" in the Jackson County community. Within his announcement, Luedeman referred to Seymour as "the original small town" that influenced Mellencamp, a 1970 graduate of Seymour High School. Luedeman, 31, said he always appreciated Mellencamp's use of Seymour landmarks in the singer's early music videos. "I grew up with those images, and I thought, 'Wow, he's really from Seymour,'" Luedeman said. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:43:57 -0400 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17053 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17053 laura99in I have never heard of Leonard Cohen, the Dave Clark Five and the Ventures. So way to go Mellencamp! Nice story Mr. Lindquist! We Hoosiers love our Mellencamp :) Mon, 10 Mar 2008 07:06:23 -0400 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17042 http://www.indy.com/posts/5838#comment_17042