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Such was the case for John Mellencamp's storming of the Molson Amphitheatre last night.
With over 23 years and some 15 albums behind him,the 47-year-old Indiana singer still knows how to deal out a solid set of surefire rock favourites -- no fuss, no muss.
Sure, Mellencamp's concert wasn't totally free of problems: There were some misguided arrangements and mumbled moments, not to mention an muddled, high-end sound mix.
But what was so impressive was the fact that no one in the near-capacity crowd of about 14,500 seemed to care -- Mellencamp included.
Instead, the singer ran roughshod over any problems and came out the other end unscathed. The fans, in the meantime, were more than happy to stay on their feet throughout.
The reason was simple. Out of 100 minutes of music, about 90% of it was made up of Mellencamp's hits. This was the kind of show where you can sit back -- or lean forward -- and watch an artist's life's work take control. Like his music or not, Mellencamp has done pretty well for himself since his emergence in the '70s as rebel-rock revivalist Johnny Cougar.
His 1982 breakthrough hit Jack And Diane (wisely dropped into the set in the first 5 minutes), '84's Crumblin' Down, '85's Small Town and '87's Paper In Fire stand up well enough regardless of style.
Mellencamp still wore his stylistic travels on his sleeve, funking up Jack And Diane, delivering a sombre but rocked-out version of Rain On The Scarecrow and stretching the awkward mix of polyrhythmic percussion and down-home fiddle sounds that marked his 1987 album Lonesome Jubilee all over everything in the process.
Through all the genre, bending, Mellencamp -- with deft support from longtime guitarist Mike Wanchic and fresh axeman Andy York, violinist Miriam Sturm, keyboardist Moe Z. MD, percussionist-singer Pat Peterson, and drummer Dane Clark -- still hangs on to his heartland hero thing with those wheat-thresher arms.
He did the old fan-from-the-audience thing for Hurts So Good, and Peterson did his bidding during Authority Song, riling the crowd with "C'mon, Toronto!" cries while Mellencamp lurked off in the wings. But somehow he looked all the cooler for it.
When it was time for the encore numbers Pink Houses and Cherry Bomb, it was clear: Some performers are made and others, like the former Mr.Cougar, are just good at it.