An Honest Man’s Podcast Talkin’ Mellencamp

Don and Mike look back on the end of The Dancing Words Tour, preview Farm Aid 2026, and discuss a possible no hits, all deep-cuts theater tour in 2027 that has been discussed inside the Mellencamp organization. 

Don and Mike have both witnessed John Mellencamp's 2026 Dancing Words Tour in person, and it's spectacular. In this episode, they break down the much-speculated setlist song by song and offer their insights into what may be Mellencamp's greatest tour ever.

Don and Mike discuss the three movies John has starred in along with his numerous contributions to movie soundtracks. As a bonus, they share a complete version of the ultra-rare title track Mellencamp wrote and performed for the 2017 American war drama "The Yellow Birds."

Don and Mike discuss and break down John's output during the 1990's - a decade in which Mellencamp himself says his records were "uneven."

Don and Mike take a song-by-song look into Mellencamp's latest release - 2023's "Orpheus Descending," which was named after a Tennessee Williams play and takes a dark look at the state of the nation while featuring some of Mellencamp's finest songwriting. Added bonus: A previously unreleased live version of album's lead track "Hey God."

Don and Mike compare and contrast Mellencamp's 1985 opus "Scarecrow" with Bruce Springsteen's 1984 mega-hit "Born In The USA," as they examine the similarities and differences between these two masterworks and the respective tours that followed. They also explore the amazing friendship that John and Bruce have developed over the past seven years.