By JACKIE TAYLOR | July 22, 2026

4.5 hours sleep

When I was young – high school and college age, 4.5 hours of sleep was enough to keep me rolling during a long day. Today…not so much.

But life is made up of more than just sleep – says me that has a sleep deprivation headache starting.

Why sleep deprivation? Well, John Mellencamp was in concert at the new Morton Amphitheater in Riverside, Mo. Maybe you’ve seen it when you drive north on 635; I thought it was a soccer complex, but it turns out to be an outdoor concert venue that seats 15,000.

My son got discount Mellencamp tickets from one of his vendors and called me about going. I love concerts and joined him Monday night – us and a ton of other older hippies that grew up with “Little Pink Houses” and other John Cougar Mellencamp hits.

Kudos to Mellencamp; he is 74 years old and still rocks out like the old days. Years of cigarettes and whatever else has made his voice a bit huskier than in the past, but he leads his 9-member band with authority.

You can always tell when a singer has made it; their band goes from three or four to eight or nine and includes brass. I honestly didn’t know an accordion could be part of a rock band – but the pianist, who is also a guitarist, etc. fit the instrument into the rock songs with perfection.

Mellencamp did a good job not getting political in his three-hour show. He’s always been an individualist that doesn’t like authority, and he remains there. He said a couple comments about the Gulf of America and the name change, but nothing that would upset his audience – unlike what the douche bag Bruce Springsteen has been able to do - he successfully snatched defeat from the jaws of victory…

Several great rock stars have bit the dust and are now on the turd list, or list that when they come on Sirius the station gets changed immediately. Politics and music don’t mix and entertainers need to learn to keep their mouths shut.

Morton Amphitheater was a great venue. It’s wide open, similar to the Sporting KC soccer stadium. The seating area of the stadium is covered by a metal roof fitted with several “Big Ass” fans that keep air moving over the crowd. There was a marked difference in feel when in the seating area and outside where the vendors were – much more comfortable.

I remember the days in Colorado when my friends and I would see some awesome bands. Those were the days of “Sunday #1” through 4; line-ups such as Boston, Doobie Brothers and so many more would come together at Boulder’s CU football field. 

Red Rocks Amphitheater can’t be left out. What an awesome place. Anyone looking for a great evening out under the stars listening to music needs to go to Red Rocks as it is a place with natural acoustics that can’t be beat.

I saw lots of bands there in my younger years; it’s a place I will go back to hear another band before I get too old. Looking at some of the hippies I was with at the Mellencamp concert, I don’t think people get too old to enjoy live music.

There’s something about being in a crowd of people listening to a band that brings back memories, creates new memories and lets everyone get into the music all at once.

I highly recommend the new venue; check it out – it’s well worth going to.