Harvesting Support: Heading into Farm Aid, Mellencamp restates case for farmers

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Sept. 2, 2005 | 8:20 a.m.

Gas prices are at an all-time high, but John Mellencamp says it's nothing compared to what is about to happen to the cost of milk.

"We are going to see a gallon of milk go from like $3 to more than $4.50," Mellencamp said. "A gallon of milk will cost a lot more than a gallon of gas."

More importantly, Mellencamp warns, greater emphasis on imported milk will have a significant, negative impact on America's dairy farmers. And he's not about to sit idly while that happens.

"They want to take the American farmer out of it," he said, in a phone interview from Lake Tahoe, before a show there last week. "Things are getting worse for the American farmer."

On Sept. 18, Mellencamp, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Dave Matthews and others will stage the 20th annual Farm Aid benefit concert at Chicago's Tweeter Center.

Mellencamp said that's one anniversary he wishes he didn't have to celebrate.

"We don't want to be going strong, but farm issues are complicated matters," he said. "If you're having a concert like Live Aid, it's OK, people are starving; raise money.' But farm issues are a lot more complicated. They're based on politics, economics, personalities ... and I think that's why the general public hasn't really focused on it."

Though Farm Aid looms as a key date on his September tour schedule, for now Mellencamp is focused on his remaining co-headlining dates with one-time Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty.

The two Johns play the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday night. Doors open at 7 p.m., with Fogerty scheduled to take the stage first around 8 p.m.

For the 53-year-old Mellencamp, a Creedence fan from way back, each night presents a new opportunity to observe a musical hero at close range. Some nights, the pair even team for a couple of songs.

"Seeing him night after night, you realize the simplicity of his songs and the strength of the message," Mellencamp said. "I've known him for a long time, dating back to the first Farm Aid.

"It's been a great experience to tour with him."

Mellencamp and Fogerty both participated in last year's "Vote For Change" tour, which aimed at ousting President Bush from office in November's election.

Mellencamp said he hasn't experienced much of a backlash from Bush supporters since then, possibly because his message differed from some of the other artists on the bill.

"I wasn't so much against everything that was going on. I'm just kind of on a different wavelength," the Indiana native said. "I'm for the working man and common people, and I didn't feel like this administration was for the working guy."

Mellencamp's kinship with everyday Americans extends to his nightly sets, which are loaded with relatable, blue-collar hits such as "Pink Houses," "Authority Song," "Rain on the Scarecrow" and "Jack and Diane."

Four years have passed since the release of Mellencamp's last new studio album, 2001's "Cuttin' Heads."

Two new cuts, "Walk Tall" and "Thank You" were included on last year's excellent two-disc retrospective, "Words & Music: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits," but the veteran songwriter says new music has not been a priority of late.

"Right now I'm not even thinking about making a record," he said.

Instead, Mellencamp continues to extend his reach in other directions.

An exhibit of his paintings is slated to run from Nov. 18 through Jan. 6 at Indianapolis' prestigious Herron Gallery.

"I'm pretty excited about it," Mellencamp said. "I had three weeks off between the last batch of Fogerty shows and this one, and I painted pretty much every day. I've been painting my whole life."

Also on tap is musical theater project "The Ghost Brothers of Darkland County," a Mellencamp collaboration with thriller author Stephen King. Actors recently gathered for a first read-through, with Chicago a likely first destination for the Broadway-hopeful production.

Of his experience working with King, Mellencamp chuckled and offered "He's great. He's more of a hillbilly than I am."

As for his elusive next CD, Mellencamp -- who is between record labels for now -- said he will think about returning to the studio when the time is right, for him.

"I've been offered record deals and I just don't want one," Mellencamp said. "I've sold 50 million albums and made 20-some-odd albums, and I don't want to listen to somebody in a suit tell me what to do.

"With record companies now, it's all a corporate mentality. It's all about profit, and that's not what I'm about."