On Stage with John Mellencamp

This page is a tribute to those who have had the experience of being pulled on stage with John Mellencamp.

If you've been on stage and would like to add your experience and pictures, contact me at mrticsay@ticsay.com

Michael Ticsay

World Music Theater, Tinley Park, IL May 30, 1999
So how does it happen? I don't know...I really don't! I think you just keep dreaming about it, be thrilled for whoever does get on stage, and just keep going to the shows. After the show, everyone around me was asking if it was planned/staged. I told them honestly, "No, but I have been dreaming about it for 18 years!".

I wondered if maybe this was management's way of silencing my setlist comments? If so, they're wrong. LOL! ;-) However, I can say that if your going to catch this show, one of the best places to see it is on stage.

I knew someone would be going on stage for "Hurts So Good" since he's been doing that for a while. As the time came, John made his way over to our side of the stage. Once he pointed my direction, I was jumping over seats and "on my way". I joke that I'm not sure he was actually pointing at me (although I think he was), but I would rather they told me "No, not you", then have someone else make it up there because I hesitated. LOL!

Once I was on stage, I went up and shook John's hand and said "Thanks". I think that's what I did...most of it is actually a blur...someone else would have to tell me what I actually did. Then, John hands me the microphone and I think "Oh yeah, I'll need that won't I?!" After that, I was off to the other side of the stage. I remember yelling "Let's go Chicago"...yeah, one of those "cheap" show biz "tricks". I know I was centerstage, back by the drum set, with John, etc. I remember seeing EVERY band member's face with big smiles (ok...laughs). As for the claim of Moe Z butt squats and shakes, I can neither agree or deny that it happened. As I said, it was a blur. I do remember, before the last "Hurts So Good", dropping to me knees back by Dane's drum set and letting out a big moan.

Before I left the stage, I thanked John and went to pat him on the back...but patted him on the butt. He must have thought, "Man, I don't have women on stage because they'll be all over me and then this guy starts patting me on the butt!". LOL! Sorry ladies, I can't tell you what it felt like because I don't go around sizing up men's butts. LOL!

Thankfully, it wasn't Pink Houses that I had to sing (like Durk on Storytellers) because I can't carry a tune. However, I really only had to "yell" the words. If anyone actually claims that I sang it well, they're either not a critical observer or there was some from of divine intervention for 90 seconds.

Unfortunately, I don't know what, if anything, John said to me. I would guess he was either laughing too hard or else he said something like, "Your nuts man!". I'll take the compliment. LOL!

After the show, my 6 1/2 year old son said to me, "I looked up on stage and thought, 'That looks like my dad'. I looked for you in your seat and you weren't there. Then I knew, That's my daddy up there!"

My wife missed the whole thing, she was trying to dig out my camera to get a picture and missed it all.

My sister-in-law asked if I'd be following him around to get on stage again. I told her "No". If by some chance he ever points my way again, I'll push someone else up there. I got my chance and I want someone else to have the experience. However, if John were to ask me to join the band for the rest of the tour, I would do that! LOL!

Thanks John! Thanks Mike! Thanks Pat! Thanks Andy! Thanks Mirium! Thanks Dane! Thanks Moe Z! Thanks John G.! It was nice to have such a GREAT band backing me up! LOL!

Thanks Chicago, you're a wonderful audience!

As athletes, entertainers, etc always say, it took a while to sink in. When I first got off stage, I think I was still in "shock". I know my smile kept getting bigger as the night went on. IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE! I couldn't fall asleep Sunday night and then I woke up at the crack of dawn on Monday. The song keeps running through my head.

Joe Schaefer

World Music Theater, Tinley Park, IL May 28, 1999

THE HURTS SO GOOD EXPERIENCE

Dawn, Janice and I are standing, shaking and singing in the second row in front of Mike Wanchic and Pat Peterson throughout the entire show... John comes to our side of the stage quite a bit...

second chorus of Hurts So Good after Moe and Mike have sung their parts... John comes strutting to end of the stage again.... singing the chorus, winks and points at me (I think)... I smiled and point to myself and mouth "ME!!!!!!??????" He nodded his head and went on singing... I jumped over the first row of seats (the people in first row were trying to inch up toward the stage but were still a ways away), put my hands on the stage and one of the security guys boosted my ass up...

strutted toward John at the stage's right side...

started to shake (dance), bounce my knee and sing as if I were still at my seat...

John into the microphone: "Walk around all day long, walk around all day long..." I was singing it, too, of course but not into the mike...

John to me: you know the rest of this, right??? You have to be loud!!!

Me (still a foot away or so and nodded my head): YOU BET!!!!

John hands me the microphone, while the band is playing that little bridge, instrumental break, whatever you call it...

MY HEART IS NOT EVEN BEATING!!!!!!! I think God put me in shock and stopped my heart because I WAS NOT EVEN THE SLIGHTEST BIT NERVOUS... I think I'm more nervous when I perform karaoke in front of five people at the bar -not that I get nervous doing that, either- I take the microphone and run, strut, shake my ass or whatever I did across to the left side of the stage where Ellen and co., Krista, Martha and Michael and all of those people were... band ends the break, time for the chorus... I think I am back toward center stage, looking out at sea of humanity (someone said 30,000) and feeling fine!!!!!

shake... "Hurts So Good...." Shake, shake... thrust out my waist, legs and what's between my legs... "Come on baby, make it hurt so good..." some points to the crowd maybe (I think), fists pumping a la John... (I don't see him or the band by the way and I have no idea what they're thinking of this whole thing... I didn't see them... I am curious to know) by this time, I've struted back toward John, who is still on the right part of the stage and hasn't moved from where I first left him a couple of seconds earlier.... "Sometimes, love don't feel like it should..... you make it hurt so good..."

Ready to add that last bit of umpf!!!!!!!!!! still shaking my ass and bouncing my right knee... now, I think I'm only a couple of feet from The MAN...

With microphone in my left hand... "HURT SO GOOD...." take it way from mouth... and put it over John's way.... the MAN sings (and I'm sure the band did, too) "COME ON BABY, NOW...." give a wink Dawn and Janice's way (don't know if they saw it or not and I put the mike back in front of me... strut a little more, do a couple of more quick thrusts... shout out "COME ON BABY.... MAKE IT HURT SO GOOD!!!!" start to move and strut a little more toward the right center again and toward the edge of the stage.... "SOMETIMES LOVE DON'T FEEL LIKE IT SHOULD!!!!....... YOUR TURN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Point the mike toward the crowd.... 30,000 in attendance (well, most of them anyway) shout out "Hurts So Good!!!!!!"

Me: "ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" a la John when he used to finish it that way in the mid 80s and early 90s.... Dane pounds the drums... crack, crack... "HEY, HEY!!!!!!!!"

Give the microphone back to the MAN and say... "I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO YA FOR 20 YEARS, MAN.... SINCE I WAS FIVE!!!!!"

The MAN says: What???

me: I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO YOU FOR 20 YEARS!!!!!!! SINCE I WAS FIVE!!!!!!! and I held out my hand to show him five....

The MAN says "Thanks!!!"

I shook his hand and said "Thank you!!!!!" Janice and Dawn said I hugged him, I don't remember, I may have....

After that, I don't know... I left the stage... started back toward my seat looked up and he was laughing or smiling and coming back toward the end of the stage... and I looked up, smiled and shouted out "THANK YOU!!!!!!!!" put my hand up and shook his hand!!!!!

On the way quickly back to my seat... shook hands with a couple of folks who said "Nice job, brother!!!" or "Way to go..."

I arrived back to my spot between Janice and Dawn and embraced them both.... and said to Dawn.... "Thanks for inviting me!!!!!" They both said "NICE JOB, JOE!!!!! YOU WERE GOOD!!!" they sounded surprised... but that's me... full of surprises....

Jared Combs

Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN December 31, 1999

My life long dream came true on December 31st, 1999. I drove up to Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis from my home in Hazard Kentucky, sporting my custom made sweatshirt. It was black with large, white lettering which read, "Pick Me To Sing", and was adorned with white Christmas lights which were powered by 2 pairs of C-batteries in my jeans pockets. This was a Christmas present from my beautiful and creative wife, Darcey.

I was standing at my front row seat (I love you JM Fan Club!!) when Mellencamp came out to Dance Naked. As soon as he came toward us, he spotted me and smiled. At this point I'm thinking that there is a good possibility I might actually get to do it! Then when they began playing Hurt So Good, I was ecstatic. I kept my eyes peeled on John. Then it came to that part of the song and here he came directly towards me. He motioned for me to come up, but the security guards' heads were turned away from him, and when I began to climb the stage they grabbed me. He came over and cleared the way and assisted me up. Then he handed me the microphone and said with his hands, "Go for it". I was elated! I began to sing without hesitation having lived this scenario in my head 3 million times. I looked over to my right and Mellencamp was dancing. It was an incredible rush. When the song was over, I handed the mic back to John and he hugged me.

Back at my seat, the music continued to play for a minute or so. After the last note played, John walked over to me, bent down, and shook my hand, and gave me the thumbs up!

Man I'll never be the same!