John Mellencamp recently spoke out about angrily pressing pause on his little ditty about Jack and Diane during a show in Toledo, Ohio last month after a fan rudely interrupted his story. The 72-year-old standout sat down with The Washington Post to discuss the evolution of his "concerts" and to detail which kind of fans he prefers not attend his shows anymore.
“It just hits me sideways,” Mellencamp expressed, commenting on what he expects from show attendees from here on out.
“I do expect etiquette inside of the theater, the same way you would at a Broadway show. My shows are not really concerts anymore. They’re performances, and there’s a difference between a performance and a concert."
The "Hurts So Good" star seemed to be ready for a fight after an audience member, present at his Toledo show on March 19th, shouted at him to "play some music" in the middle of a story he was telling about his grandmother.
"Here's the thing...you don't know me. You don't know me. Hey Joe, find this guy and have him meet me after the show. Anyway...before I was so rudely interrupted..." Mellencamp reacted before exiting the venue. He told The Washington Post that he'd rather these kinds of fans simply stop coming to see him play.
"Look, I’m not for everyone anymore. I’m just not. And if you want to come and scream and yell and get drunk, don’t come to my show.”
The artist is scheduled to take the stage at the BJCC Concert Hall in Birmingham, Alabama as part of his "Live And In Person Tour" on April 12th.