Tickets on sale Friday, Oct. 15 at 10am!

Presented in association with AEG Live

One of America’s most iconic songwriters and performers, John Mellencamp makes his Kimmel Center debut with a Philly stop at the Academy of Music on February 21, 2010 at 7pm, as part of his No Better Than This national tour. His performance opens with a screening of the documentary film It's About You, chronicling the creation of his recent album release, No Better Than This (August 2010). The tour will feature classic Mellencamp material over the course of his 35 year long career, as well as vintage blues from his new recording.  

Musicians backing Mellencamp include Michael Wanchic (guitar), Andy York (guitar), Miriam Sturm (violin), John Gunnell (electric and upright bass), Dane Clark (drums) and Troye Kinnett (accordion/keyboards).

Tickets go on sale Friday, October 15 at 10am and are available from $48.50 to $130 by calling 215-893-1999, online at kimmelcenter.org, or at the Kimmel Center Box Office located at Broad and Spruce streets, Philadelphia, PA 19102 (open daily from 10am to 6pm, later on performance evenings).

*Please note: A Premium Ticket Package of $255 is also available for the first 10 rows of the house, including exclusive concert shirt, collectible tour poster, and a limited-edition vinyl copy of John Mellencamp’s new album, No Better Than This.

The new No Better Than This Tour dates commence in early February in New England and continue on to two stops in Canada before heading south to New York, Washington, Philadelphia and into the Carolinas and Florida. No Better Than This album held the top spot on the Americana Music Chart for five straight weeks, and was recorded in three historic locations in the American South: Savannah’s First African Baptist Church, Sun Studio in Memphis, and Room 414 of San Antonio’s Gunter Hotel where Robert Johnson recorded in 1936.  Last month, the Americana Music Association honored Mellencamp with its Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting, presented by Rosanne Cash.

Of special note is the fact that the tour’s “opening act,” is a documentary film by Kurt Markus entitled It’s About You.  Shot on Super8 film over the course of last year’s Bob Dylan-John Mellencamp-Willie Nelson tour of minor league baseball stadiums, it chronicles the creation of No Better Than This while serving as a cinematic ‘think piece’ on the state of the country at the end of the first decade of the 21st Century.  Markus, whose still work has put him in the front ranks of contemporary American photographers, has been cited for his extraordinary vision of his work documenting the American West and is the recipient of Life Magazine’s Alfred Eisenstaedt Photography Award.

John Mellencamp’s career in music has spanned more than 35 years during which time he transitioned from pre-fab pop idol to one of the most highly regarded mature songwriters of a generation.  He has released 26 albums, has received 13 Grammy nominations, and inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Mellencamp has amassed 22 Top 40 hits and holds the record for the most tracks by a solo artist to hit #1 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart. The social activism that is reflected in his songs was one of the key catalysts that launched Farm Aid, the concert series and organization that has addressed the struggle of American family farmers for more than 25 years.  The unique instrumentation of his band and overall approach is widely credited with being the forbear of the Americana/No Depression genre of rural-inflected music.

Kimmel Center, Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit organization, owns, manages, supports and maintains The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, which includes Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, Innovation Studio and the Merck Arts Education Center.  Kimmel Center, Inc. also manages the Academy of Music, owned by the Philadelphia Orchestra Association, and the University of the Arts’ Merriam Theater. Our mission is to operate a world-class performing arts center that engages and serves a broad audience from throughout the Greater Philadelphia region. The 2010/2011 season is sponsored by Citi, and the Broadway 2010/2011 season is sponsored by Verizon, and American Airlines.  For additional information, visit kimmelcenter.org. 

 * Premium Ticket Package Disclaimer: Limit 4 tickets. Within 7-10 business days, you will receive an email with further instructions on how to redeem your package elements. All Premium Ticket Package tickets are will-call only. Will-call tickets may only be picked up the evening of the event. Please note all packages are non-transferable; no will-call name changes will be permitted under any circumstances. The person who purchases the tickets must be the same person who claims the tickets at will-call with a valid identification. Please note that package contents may show up after show and are not required for entry. For Canadian customers, due to customs inspection, VIP Package merchandise may be delayed. Additional taxes may be due, and will be the responsibility of the purchaser.

Please note that $10 community rush tickets will not be available for this performance.