Re: “Mellencamp digs into his past in energetic concert,” review, Nov. 13.
I have finished reading Mike Devlin’s review of the John Mellencamp show. Devlin gave it 4 out of 5. I’m thinking 2.5 tops.
First, the good: The show started on time at 8 p.m. The house lights dimmed and a video began to play of Mellencamp’s early days. Cool, I thought, but this video went for almost a half hour. The crowd became impatient and louder. No one could hear or see clearly the video on the screen behind the stage.
And that screen was just horrible. Illegible letters and squiggly lines stayed there for the entire show.
When Mellencamp finally came out, he should have hit the crowd with a big hit, but he did three or four unknown songs before digging into his vast array of hits. His band was tight and he is a great performer and stage presence.
My biggest complaint was the lack of a big screen that accompanies most arena shows. Our seats were at the opposite end of the arena, and Mellencamp and the band were just little blips that got very boring, especially since I had forgotten the binoculars.
I believe that performers of this stature should spend the bucks and ensure that the audience gets the best look at them. Before I go to another Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre concert, I will ask if the show features a quality big screen. Otherwise, we might as well stay home, turn on some YouTube videos and make the popcorn.
Norm Smith
Victoria
