NFL quarterback Brock Purdy is crediting his Christian faith for a heart of gratitude and giving him confidence to lead his team. Purdy arose to starter after a series of injuries bumped him from his initial position as the third-string quarterback. In August 2021, Purdy told Sports Spectrum his “identity is in Jesus.” Purdy, 23, […]
There’s still a little bit of summer left, and if you can I encourage you to get out to a John Mellencamp concert, for at least three reasons.
First, you won’t believe how many of his songs you’ll know, and love, or both. Second, it’s pure energy–we never sat down and he never said “Hello, Cincinnati!” He just goes and goes and you’ll just dance and dance, until the encore is done and you’ll wonder where the night went.
And this will be what his career is about in the near future. “I am trying to make the transition from rock star to songwriter in public,” he said to the Associated Press this week. He went on to say how down he is about our American situation:
“I think we’re too far past (the way things were). I think that (Barack) Obama is definitely a hopeful light on the horizon, but will we ever enjoy the place that we once enjoyed? I don’t think it’s going to happen, simply because everything is changing so rapidly: Technologically it’s changing, the way that we do our stock market is crumbling, the two-party system doesn’t really work anymore … But you know what (chuckles)? I’m just a (expletive) guy in a rock band.”
And he lived it out in his concert, foregoing his fan club’s namesake song “Cherry Bomb” in favor of fresher stuff that’s more current, relevant, and, well, dark. But there were enough classics in there and a freshness in his new stuff (including a great prayer to Jesus) to make it more than worth it. And I think there’s more to come.
Mellencamp’s new album (“Life, Death, Love and Freedom”) is a tad too L.E.F.T. and D.A.R.K. for me, but if I mix in some classics from the iPod, I’ll be fine.