John Mellencamp is part of the lineup of veteran country rocker Steve Earle’s ninth annual John Henry’s Friends Benefit concert. The event is scheduled for December 3 at the historic New York City venue The Town Hall.
Videos by American Songwriter
The show raises funds for The Keswell School educational program, which is geared toward kids and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In addition to Earle and Mellencamp, the concert will feature performances by a number of as-yet-unannounced special guests.
[RELATED: John Mellencamp Announces 2024 U.S. Dates for His Live and In Person Tour]
Tickets and VIP packages can be purchased now at CityWinery.com and TheTownHall.org. Included in the VIP packages are seats in the orchestra section, plus admission to the after-party at The Loft at City Winery, as well as the chance to have dinner with Earle.
“The John Henry’s Friends concerts are obviously a labor of love for myself as well as an expression of the generosity of all the performers who have suited up and showed up over the years,” said Earle in a statement. “I’m especially grateful for this year’s new friend, John Mellencamp and our other guests which we will announce shortly.”
Among the famous music artists who have taken part in previous John Henry’s Friends shows are Bruce Springsteen, Graham Nash, David Byrne, Rosanne Cash, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, and Jason Isbell.
The benefit event currently is Mellencamp’s only scheduled performance before he launches the recently announced spring 2024 North American leg of his Live and In Person Tour. The trek is slated to kick off March 8 in Rochester, New York, and is plotted out through an April 23 show in Savannah, Georgia.
As for Earle, prior to the benefit, he’ll be performing on November 25 in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry. Then in 2024, he’ll be playing 30A Songwriters Festival in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, from January 12 to January 16, and he’ll also take part in the Outlaw Country Cruise, which runs from February 4 through February 10.
In addition, Earle has shows lined up at The City Winery in New York on January 22, February 20, and March 12, and will be performing on June 29 in New Braunfels, Texas, as part of Reckless Kelly’s Farewell Tour.
