Tickets go on sale today for John Mellencamp’s 2014 North American tour, which will land at Chicago Theatre in February.  Most of the 80-date tour will see Mellencamp will in theaters and performing arts centers this time around.  

He tells GMI Rock, “I just couldn’t do it anymore. I can’t go in front of f*cking 10,000 drunk people and play. There’s just nothing there to do for me with that. I’m a musician. I’m a songwriter. You’re here to hear music, if that’s what you want to do and you think it’s worthy. But I’m not here for your folly and your throwing up, too. I really have no interest in doing that.  That’s why I quit playing those places – not to mention I have a hard time selling the places out.  So you start looking at, ‘OK, well, I’m not selling these places the way I used to. I don’t enjoy playing these places ‘cause there’s a bunch of drunk people. It’s fine if people want to be drunk and dance to music; that’s what those places are for, but that’s not what I want to do.” 

The Chicago dates are February 17 and 18 supporting his new album “Plain Spoken,” which comes out Tuesday. .  Check out the advance track, "Troubled Man."

-Spencer