A wide shot of American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp performing live on a dimly lit stage with red backlighting. He is an older man with silver, swept-back hair, wearing a dark suit. He is playing a butterscotch blonde Fender Telecaster electric guitar and standing in front of a microphone. In the background, a large bass drum is visible, featuring his name "MELLENCAMP" and his hometown "Bloomington, Indiana" printed on the drumhead.John Mellencamp Credit: Photo by Caesar Carbajal

Check it out. John Mellencamp has announced a string of summer shows across the country, including an August stop at Tampa’s MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre.

The 74-year-old singer-songwriter spent 2025 off the road and working on his next studio album, Orphan Train, which he expects to drop later this year. While there’s no telling if we’ll get a taste of Johnny’s next era, the “Dancing Words” tour, which was announced with a little help from Sean Penn and *squints at notes* Joe Rogan respectively, promises to see him showcase a number of songs that haven’t been performed live in over a decade, along with his normal regiment of heartland rock standards.

And if this show is anything like his three-night stint at Clearwater’s Ruth Eckerd Hall three years ago—during which he dared a heckler to come onstage, and also ripped the privatization of American healthcare centers—you’ll definitely want to suck it up and bring a sweat towel or two with you to the old Gary amphitheatre this summer.

Tickets to see John Mellencamp play Tampa’s MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre on Monday, Aug. 3 go on sale Friday, Jan. 23, with additional presales starting on Tuesday, Jan. 20. Prices have yet to be announced.

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UPDATE: The shows are at Raymond James Stadium, as presumed.

The show is on display through February.

Move over, Postmodern Jukebox.

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Josh Bradley is Creative Loafing Tampa’s resident live music freak. He started freelancing with the paper in 2020 at the age of 18, and has since covered, announced, and previewed numerous live shows in…
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