Everytime I hear this genius singer/songwriter perform, I could kick myself for not ever going out to buy his albums. John Mellencamp is like the boy next door. The smalltown dreamer who expresses himself, his love for humanity, country through his music.

Today in muggy downtown Chicago, fans from Mellencamp's hometown of Indiana and surrounding areas got to hear songs from his American Songbook Tradition that included oldies but goodies like "Ain't That America?" "Jeff N Diane", "Little Pink Houses" and "Hurt So Good."

The  Daley Plaza Perfomances were also a platform to showcase songs from John Mellencamp's new Album "Life, Death ,Love and Freedom" which were alluded to as being more mellow than his other work. After listening to some of the lyrics to a few of these new tunes, like "Say Jesus, can you give me a ride home?" and "Oh my sweet love." I'm determined to p/u all of those albums I've missed. Does the heart good to note that John Mellencamp still wear those tight jeans and abs defining vests soo well...