John Mellencamp Plots ‘Sad Clowns & Hillbillies’ LP, Summer Tour
John Mellencamp announced his 23rd LP, Sad Clowns & Hillbillies, out April 21st via Republic Records. The singer-songwriter will recruit special guest Emmylou Harris for a subsequent U.S. summer tour, which launches June 5th in Denver, Colorado and winds down July 11th in Queens, New York.
Carlene Carter, who features heavily on the album, will also join Mellencamp for the trek, along with folk-pop duo Lily & Madeleine. Jewel will replace Harris as opener on two dates: June 10th in Troutdale, Oregon and June 11th in Bend, Oregon.
General public tickets for most dates go on sale Friday, February 24th at 10 a.m. via Mellencamp’s official site. Additional information is available via Mellencamp’s site and AEG Live. Every online ticket purchase includes one physical CD copy of Sad Clowns & Hillbillies.
The new album features a mixture of songs written by Mellencamp and Carter, along with direct collaborations between the duo. On the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration, Mellencamp released the brooding political ballad “Easy Target,” which addresses income inequality and Black Lives Matter.
John Mellencamp 2017 Summer Tour
June 5 – Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
June 7 – Boise, ID @ Outlaw Field at the Idaho Botanical Garden
June 8 – Redmond, WA @ Marymoor Park
June 10 – Troutdale, OR @ McMenamins Edgefield
June 11 – Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Amphitheater
June 13 – Saratoga, CA @ The Mountain Winery
June 14 – Saratoga, CA @ The Mountain Winery
June 17 – Murphys, CA @ Ironstone Amphitheatre
June 18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
June 21 – Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Theatre
June 22 – Sugar Land, TX @ Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
June 24 – St. Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre
June 25 – Boca Raton, FL @ Mizner Park Amphitheater
June 27 – Atlanta, GA @ Chastain Park Amphitheatre
June 28 – Cary, NC @ Cary’s Booth Amphitheatre
June 30 – Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
July 1 – Lenox, MA @ Tanglewood
July 3 – Vienna, VA @ Wolf Trap
July 6 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Mann
July 7 – Bethel, NY @ Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
July 8 – Canandaigua, NY @ CMAC
July 11 – Queens, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium