John Mellencamp took his music to the streets in 2000, and an upcoming movie and live album will commemorate the tour that caught many fans off guard.
The Indiana Rock and Roll Hall of Famer announced “The Good Samaritan Tour” will arrive this spring as a documentary film and live album.
Across three weeks in August 2000, Mellencamp played pop-up shows in 10 U.S. cities. Many of the unplugged performances were presented in Downtown business districts.
“You know, (Woody) Guthrie used to go out and play for the workers in the field,” Mellencamp said during a press conference after the tour wrapped up on Indiana University’s Bloomington campus. “People don’t work in fields anymore; they work in office buildings. I felt like we were doing the same thing.”
The Bloomington show proved to be the least organic of the tour, thanks to a stage and full amplification prepared at Woodlawn Field. About 10,000 people showed up for the afternoon event on Aug. 31, but that wasn’t the largest “Good Samaritan” crowd.
On Aug. 21, an estimated audience of 15,000 showed up at Daley Plaza in Chicago.
Mellencamp said two tour highlights were Philadelphia and Cleveland. Philadelphia received a nod because Mellencamp, accordion player Mike Flynn and violin player Merritt Lear launched the tour there with zero advance notice.
Cleveland stood out because police officers stood next to the musicians in Public Square, attempting to keep the peace.
“It was the cops and the walkie-talkies,” Mellencamp said. “Photographers were hitting each other. It was stupid, but it was really fun. There was a real, immediate rock ’n’ roll vibe in Cleveland.”
Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey serves as narrator for the “Good Samaritan” documentary. McConaughey appeared in the video that accompanied Mellencamp’s “Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)” in 1996, and the actor wore a Mellencamp T-shirt onscreen in the film “A Time to Kill” that same year.
A teaser trailer for the film features Mellencamp’s rendition of “Early Bird Cafe,” a song originally recorded by the Jerry Hahn Brotherhood in 1970.
Mellencamp devoted most of the “Good Samaritan” shows to cover songs, including tunes popularized by Guthrie, Blind Willie Johnson, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Donovan and Eddie Cochran.
Turning to original compositions, Mellencamp released an excerpt of a new song titled “I Always Lie to Strangers” to preview a studio album presently in the works.
A new single from Gordi. Download “Sandwiches” any time between April 6th through April 12th by clicking below. Check her out on Facebook and follow them on Instagram and Twitter.
A new single from Yoke Lore. Download “Dead Ringer” any time between October 14th through October 20th by clicking below. Like Yoke Lore on Facebook and follow him on Instagramand Twitter.
WTTS invites you to experience the music of OverEasy artist, Gregory Alan Isokov in a special Sun King Studio 92 performance powered by TCU at noon on Wednesday, July 31st. You’ll enjoy food from Krueger’s Tavern and brew from Sun King before the performance. Register to receive your exclusive invitation in the VIP Room courtesy of Dualtone Records.
A new single from Hiss Golden Messenger. Download “I Need A Teacher” any time between July 22nd through July 28th by clicking below. Like Hiss Golden Messager at their Facebook and follow them on Instagram.
St. Paul & The Broken Bonesmake their soulful return to Indianapolis on Saturday, May 18th at The Vogue, for our next WTTS Can Concert presented by City Barbeque. This is a sold out show!
Proceeds benefit Gleaners Food Bank. Please bring your non-perishable food items to the concert.
St. Paul & The Broken Bones at the next WTTS Can Concert presented by City Barbeque and supported by Gentle Dentist.
A new single from The Mountain Goats. Download “Cadaver Sniffing Dog” any time between March 25th and March 31st by clicking below. Learn more about The Mountain Goats at their Official Website, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
A new single from Sego. Download “Shame” any time between March 18th and March 24th by clicking below. Learn more about Sego at their Official Website, like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
A new single from Broken Social Scene. Download “All I Want” any time between February 18th and February 24th by clicking below. Learn more about Broken Social Scene at his Official Website, Like him on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.
Remember, Sun King Studio 92 sessions are for 92-3 VIPs only. If you’re not a VIP, take 20 seconds to sign up for free, then stop by the VIP Room to register to be in the live studio audience at an upcoming performance.
According to Ribbon Music, “Two years ago, Django Django’s producer/drummer David Maclean was standing backstage at a festival in Chicago, chatting to a group of people, when he happened to raise his eyes skywards. ‘It was really amazing,’ he remembers. ‘The sky looked like a massive sheet of marble. We were all just kind of staring at it. It triggered something.’
Maclean immediately made a note of the words Marble Skies, now the title of the band’s third album. Download “Tic Tac Toe” off Marble Skies any time between November 13th, and November 19th and learn more about Django Django at their official website, “Like” them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter.
Cage The Elephant’s new album Unpeeled, out July 28th, is the perfect next step for a band that has had our attention since their humble beginnings as rockers from Bowling Green, KY. To mark the occasion of their new release Cage has shared an exclusive video as a preview of their latest work. You can also win a free download code in the VIP room until August 6th. Go there now and enjoy!
Gordi’s first foray into songwriting came in the form of performances at the school’s weekly chapel. She’d tell her friends they were written by other artists to ensure they gave honest feedback – though given she was pulling lines from One Tree Hill for lyrics about experiences she was yet to actually have, that feedback wasn’t always glowing. It wasn’t until she started writing about what was happening around her, the friendships she was building and, as is inevitable in the tumult of growing up, breaking, that the chrysalis of the music she’s making now – a brooding, multi-layered blend of electronica and folk, with lyrics that tend to avoid well-trodden paths – began to form. “I often find that writing about platonic relationships,” she says, “can be a great deal more powerful than writing about romantic ones.” Download “On My Side” off Resevoir any time between July 17th, and July 23rd and learn more about Gordiat her Official Website, “Like” her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.
10 years after Evan Drew and Brendan Canning first started laying down ambient instrumentals in a Toronto basement for their debut Broken Social Scene release Feel Good Lost – that eternal question still lingers: what exactly makes a Broken Social Scene album a Broken Social Scene album? For some, it’s that omnipresent element of randomness and chaos but you can decide for yourself. Download “Halfway Home” any time between May 8th, and May 14th and learn more about Broken Social Scene at their Official Website, “Like” them on Facebookand follow them on Twitter
Two time Grammy winner Goldfrapp is back March 31st with their seventh studio album, Silver Eye. The electronic duo from London returned to the studio in July of 2015, but it took them awhile to get off the ground. “It always takes about three months to write all the rubbish out of your system before you get something you like,” explains Will Gregory. The duo found help from new collaborators John Congleton (St. Vincent) Bobby Krlic (Haxan Cloak) and Leo Abrahams. Download “Anymore” off Silver Eye and learn more about Goldfrapp at their Official Website, “Like” them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
Hiss Golden Messenger latest release, Heart Like A Levee pears into M.C. Taylor’s mind as he takes stock of his universe. He started writing the record in a Washington D.C. hotel room during a powerful winter storm. At this particular point in time, Taylor was wrenched apart by his responsibilities to his family and his music. He had recently quit his latest dead end job to experience the world with his children, but he quickly faced the pressures of paying monthly bills. The only way he could provide for his family was to hit the road for another tour. It presented a new level of guilt for Taylor, which is why in this Washington D.C. hotel room he forgot his family and music could not coincide without the other. Download “Tell Her I’m Just Dancing” off Heart Like A Levee and learn more about Hiss Golden Messenger at their Official Website, “Like” them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
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The WTTS Free Download Of The Week is Delivered by IndyGo Transit.
Experience the Hangout Music Festival, all weekend from Gulf Shores, AL. We’ll be posting backstage interviews and performances, along with live streaming video from festival performances.
Listen to a backstage interview and performance with the Struts.
[podcast]https://www.wttsfm.com/audio/hangout/2016/Struts1.mp3[/podcast]
Listen to a backstage interview with Matt and Kim.
[podcast]https://www.wttsfm.com/audio/hangout/2016/MattandKim.mp3[/podcast]
Listen to a backstage interview with Grouplove.
[podcast]https://www.wttsfm.com/audio/hangout/2016/GroupLove.mp3[/podcast]
Listen to a backstage interview with Borns.
[podcast]https://www.wttsfm.com/audio/hangout/2016/Borns.mp3[/podcast]
Listen to a backstage interview and performance with Kaleo.
[podcast]https://www.wttsfm.com/audio/hangout/2016/Kaleo.mp3[/podcast]
Listen to a backstage interview and performance with Brett Dennen.
[podcast]https://www.wttsfm.com/audio/hangout/2016/BrettDennen.mp3[/podcast]
Listen to a backstage interview and performance with Meg Mac.
[podcast]https://www.wttsfm.com/audio/hangout/2016/MegMac.mp3[/podcast]
Listen to a backstage interview and performance with The Record Company.
[podcast]https://www.wttsfm.com/audio/hangout/2016/RecordCompany.mp3[/podcast]
The Record Company Courtesy Hangout Music Festival
Listen to a backstage interview and performance with The Neighborhood.
[podcast]https://www.wttsfm.com/audio/hangout/2016/Neighborhood.mp3[/podcast]
Listen to a backstage interview with Foals.
[podcast]https://www.wttsfm.com/audio/hangout/2016/Foals.mp3[/podcast]
Listen to a backstage interview with Cage The Elephant.
[podcast]https://www.wttsfm.com/audio/hangout/2016/CageTheElephant.mp3[/podcast]
Listen to a backstage interview with Kurt Vile.
[podcast]https://www.wttsfm.com/audio/hangout/2016/KurtVile.mp3[/podcast]
Kurt Vile Courtesy Hangout Music Festival
Listen to a backstage interview with Leon Bridges.
[podcast]https://www.wttsfm.com/audio/hangout/2016/LeonBridges.mp3[/podcast]
Listen to a backstage interview with Atlas Genius.
[podcast]https://www.wttsfm.com/audio/hangout/2016/AtlasG.mp3[/podcast]
Listen to a backstage interview with Hiam.
[podcast]https://www.wttsfm.com/audio/hangout/2016/Hiam.mp3[/podcast]
“Tell Me What You Want From Me”
[podcast]https://www.wttsfm.com/audio/Studio92/TheGoodOldWar-10-01-15/OnDemand-WTTS-Studio92-TheGoodOldWar-10-01-15-TellMeWhatYouWantFromMe.mp3[/podcast]
“Broken Into Better Shape”
[podcast]https://www.wttsfm.com/audio/Studio92/TheGoodOldWar-10-01-15/OnDemand-WTTS-Studio92-TheGoodOldWar-10-01-15-BrokenIntoBetterShape.mp3[/podcast]
Remember, Sun King Studio 92 sessions are for 92-3 VIPs only. If you’re not a VIP, take 20 seconds to sign up for free, then stop by the VIP Room to register to be in the live studio audience at an upcoming performance.