Heartland rock is pretty much John Mellencamp’s thing. Little pink houses, out by the Tastee-Freez, everything hurtin’ good on lonely ol’ nights.
He’s a member of the club that includes Bruce Springsteen and Bob Seger — guys who know how to rock, but who could probably also fix the alternator on your car without too much trouble. They’re of the people. They are at home at the corner bar, but they can get folky if the mood strikes.
One gets the feeling that Mellencamp is familiar with gravel-voiced troubadours like Kris Kristofferson. Mellencamp isn’t afraid to alienate red-state fans with his politics.
You can hear him sing, and maybe fire off some heart-felt thoughts about the state of America, when he plays The Bushnell’s Mortensen Hall, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford, April 19, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $39.50 to $115.50. Information: 860-987-6000, bushnell.org.
