For more than 40 years, John Mellencamp has looked over his left shoulder on stage to see a familiar face, that of guitarist Mike Wanchic.
Actually, familiarity is a theme that runs through Mellencamp91裸聊视频檚 band, as many of the musicians have been with him 20 years or longer.
91裸聊视频淭he whole band has pretty much had a chance to mature with him and ripen into this wonderful musical machine you can91裸聊视频檛 get by just hiring new players every tour or to record in the studio,91裸聊视频� said Wanchic, in a recent interview with Black Press.
Mellencamp is nearing the end of his Sad Clowns & Hillbillies two-year global tour, with a concert swing across Canada from Sept. 26 to Nov. 14 including a show in Kelowna on Nov. 10 at Prospera Place.
RELATED: John Mellencamp to play Kelowna
Mellencamp is no stranger to the Okanagan having performed in Kelowna and Penticton in past years, and Wanchic says he personally can91裸聊视频檛 wait to get back.
91裸聊视频淭he Okanagan is so beautiful, that whole side of the Rockies is just incredible. I91裸聊视频檓 actually bringing my wife up for that part of the tour,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淔or me, I91裸聊视频檝e checked your part of the country out extensively over the years, I had a former manager who lived there and I91裸聊视频檝e made records at Bryan Adams91裸聊视频� recording studio in Vancouver.91裸聊视频�
Wanchic, like Mellencamp and many of his bandmates, hails from Indiana, and they follow the singer91裸聊视频檚 lead in bringing a mid-west U.S. work ethic to their music craft, which he defines as creating something new everyday.
91裸聊视频淚 think we had the opportunity to develop the way we did because we weren91裸聊视频檛 living in a vacuum. We were not living in Hollywood like a lot of other bands in the 91裸聊视频�80s and doing the scene with the big hair and fancy pants and sh*t like that.
91裸聊视频淲e grew up devoid of that stuff so we were able to focus on our music, explore other musical influences like the banjo and violin, and mix those instruments in with our rock91裸聊视频檔91裸聊视频檙oll sound.91裸聊视频�
Wanchic described the Mellencamp songwriting method as him coming to the band with a song he91裸聊视频檇 play on an acoustic guitar, and the band takes his lyrics and works out the musical score.
91裸聊视频淲e turn it into something much bigger and artful version of what John has played for us and we do what91裸聊视频檚 best to serve the song,91裸聊视频� he said.
Like many of his fans, Wanchic strongly identifies with Mellencamp91裸聊视频檚 songwriting themes of family and aging in life. 91裸聊视频淭hose songs resonate with me because like John, I have five kids of my own,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭hose themes in his songs mean something to all of us.
91裸聊视频淲e used to joke when we were younger, in our 30s and big-ass rock stars, we91裸聊视频檇 look at each other and hope we91裸聊视频檇 make it to 40. Then we thought it would be damn nice to make it to 50. Now we just want to keep playing until we can91裸聊视频檛 do it anymore.91裸聊视频�
He cites Check It Out as one of his favourites and feels the song Minutes To Memories from the Scarecrow album in 1985 is perhaps the best song Mellencamp has ever written.
91裸聊视频淏ob Dylan has said that Longest Day is one of the greatest songs he91裸聊视频檚 ever heard so when someone like Dylan says that, that says a lot about that song as well.91裸聊视频�
Wanchic says he never tires of playing Mellencamp91裸聊视频檚 hits because of the reaction from the audience and the boundless enthusiasm the 66-year-old brings to each performance.
91裸聊视频淥ur audience is our legacy and we owe everything to them so you have to deliver and you have to be grateful to have that audience. John believes that and so do we. They helped put some of my kids through college and do everything I91裸聊视频檝e been able to do in this business. We don91裸聊视频檛 want to be complacent and just keep live off our laurels.91裸聊视频�
With the influence of technology in the recording studio, Wanchic has even greater pause to realize how fortunate he is to still earn a living as a guitar player.
91裸聊视频淚 was talking to a musician friend of mine who lives in Los Angeles and he was telling me about going to a birthday party in Beverley Hills. There were rappers, rap music producers and hip hop performers there. He got to chatting with some of those guys and came to the realization that not one of them actually played an instrument. They relied on computer loops and samples to write music.91裸聊视频�
But he still remains optimistic the era of the garage band, playing instruments together and honing their skill as musicians won91裸聊视频檛 die.
91裸聊视频淚 think there is going to be a renaissance of people playing live with real instruments because it is an art form,91裸聊视频� he said.
