Rolling stone gains moss

Even though the summer heat seems to have left with the start of school, fans of all ages saved last night to pour into Ogren-Allegiance Park to see Bob Dylan and John Mellencamp. The pair of music icons proved that you are never too old to rock.

The Dough Rollers opened the show with a folk sound while concertgoers got settled with their beers and blankets and many people crowded themselves closer to the stage with excitement.

Mellencamp appeared on stage clad in a black short sleeve button-up and shape hugging pants, baring his much-too-in-shape figure for a 59-year-old. The crowd roared with excitement at his presence in front of the microphone.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

The fans screamed as loud as a crowd full of grandparents, parents, tweens, and babies could.  

The Coug started out the set with an all-American favorite, "Pink Houses." Even though the weather was coat-worthy, the stadium warmed up while people danced and sang the chorus, "ain't that America?"

"Paper in fire" was the next hit to get the crowd singing. The rest of the set revealed the true Mellencamp fans as those singing along to every song.

His set included hits "Cherry Bomb," "Small Town," "Rain on the Scarecrow," "If I Die Sudden," "Don't Need This Body," "What If I Came Knocking," "Crumblin' Down," and "Deep Blue Heart."

"Check It Out" was done sans guitar and John performed "Save Some Time to Dream" a capella.  

Mellencamp ended with "Authority Song" as an encore. He said before he sang, "I still feel the same as when I wrote this at 22."

Mellencamp still has everything it takes to put on a tremendous rock and roll performance and the crowd agreed with a thunderous applause that swept through the stadium.

A voice introduced Bob Dylan as the "Poet Laureate of rock-and-roll." The stage lights beamed and the 69-year-old icon started off with, "Rainy Day Women #12 and 35." The song proved to be a favorite as what seemed like the entire crowd sang the words, "and I would not feel so alone, everybody must get stoned." The air got hazy as smoke trails went up throughout the field.  

He continued singing with a voice that sounded more like he was gargling rocks and phlegm than usual. All his hits sounded a little different and were bittersweet reminders that the man will never be what he once was.

Still, his encore was a crowd pleaser: "Like a Rolling Stone."Bridger Dauenhauer, 14, said he enjoyed the concert. "I got talked into coming by my parents, who are up really close to the stage," he said.

Valerie Petersen, 56, said she came to see Dylan, but Mellencamp really got her dancing. When she saw Dylan in 1973, she said she didn't anticipate how exciting his concert could be. She described the atmosphere then as "really fun and carnival-like."

With many baby-boomers sore from dancing, Bob's performance was more a reminder of how great he used to be.

emerald.gilleran@umontana.edu