Scott Tady: Mellencamp plays Pittsburgh so let's get the lyrics right; and Vento-Granati team on album

All right, local John Mellencamp fans. Let's get it right this time ― and no jumping the gun ― when the classic rocker plays the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh this Monday and Tuesday.

You've missed the mark the last two times Mellencamp played here.

In 2015, when Mellencamp rocked the Benedum, naturally he sang "Jack and Diane," and the audience instinctively knew to sing along.

Alas, the crowd got over-anxious and started singing the chorus before remembering to sing the second verse, causing Mellencamp to stop and scold them, humorously continuing: “The second verse goes like this.” (As our concert reviewer, Brandy Hadden, wrote, "how did hundreds of people forget 'suckin’ on chili dogs?'”)

Amazingly, I witnessed the exact same thing two years later at Willie Nelson's Farm Aid at The Pavilion at Star Lake, where Mellencamp performed "Jack and Diane" and western Pennsylvania fans botched the sing-along again, pulling the trigger too quickly on the chorus, before the second verse. Mellencamp must've mellowed since he didn't correct them that time.

Monday's and Tuesday's shows promise to be great, and tickets are very close to selling out, so you'd better move quickly if you want to snag one.

Recent setlists show Mellencamp playing most of his major hits, like "Paper in Fire," "Pink Houses," "Cherry Bomb," "Lonely ol' Night," "Rain on The Scarecrow," "Hurts So Good" and, of course, that little ditty "Jack & Diane."

Don't forget the second verse, folks.

Vento-Granati team up on tunes

If you visit David Granati's studio in Ambridge, you're guaranteed several things: delicious home-cooked food; robust percolated coffee and joke-filled anecdotes flying all over the room.

If you're a musician recording there, you also can count on receiving an expertly crafted collection of songs with abundant creative flair.

That's why Pittsburgh singer-songwriter John Vento regularly makes the Route 65 trek to Granati's studio, with their latest collaboration, "Brick by Brick" a testament to blue-collar songwriting expressed with palpable feeling and set to clean, propulsive rock 'n roll hooks with nods to other genres.

Scoffing at the modern notion of five-song EPs, Vento released a full 15-song album that starts with the country-rocking "New Mexico Way" and the defiantly unhurried, funky-blues track "No One Wears a Watch" with a stop-and-start shuffle and lyrics questioning the benefits of a world where everyone is in a hurry.

"Brick by Brick's" Rust Belt rocking title track vows to stand up to forces trying to knock us down.

Vento vocally conjures a grizzled blues quality on "High Wire," which takes a surprise turn halfway through by adding fiddle. For his state-of-the-union address, "America 2023," Vento calls out aristocrats for ignoring the hungry and poor; before he gets back to rollicking good times with "Ain't No Sin to Rock and Roll."

As a producer, Granati digs deep into his bag of tricks, finding a smooth jazz touch for one moment of the soft-rock-ish "Our Last Sunset"; and infuses a military drum cadence for "That Damn War." Granati gets one of his former For Those About to Rock Academy students, Nicole Kress, to add a fun female counterpoint to the old-time rocking "She Drove Me to The Poorhouse."

Beaver Valley talent graces the album throughout, including George Perilli (Donna Summer's and Michael McDonald's former drummer), Bob Zigerelli, Erik Kerr, Marlene Kerr and Julie Walsh. Granati plays guitars, bass, percussion and adds backing vocals.

Sort of an honorary Beaver County-ite, Vento has amassed more than 200,000 Spotify streams since 2018, and scaled the iTunes charts both as a solo artist and with The Nieds Hotel Band. He's also the co-founder of the nonprofit Band Together Pittsburgh, working with those on the autism spectrum, and heavily involved with the Remember Me Rose Garden, in memory of Flight 93

Vento has no CD release show planned, but you can find "Brick by Brick" at top streaming sites. Catch his Nied's Hotel Band headlining a St. Jude Children's Hospital Benefit show June 10 at the Corbiwood Stage in Gibsonia.

And you can catch Vento on June 20 opening for Nashville singer-songwriter Jeff Black at Steamworks Creative, in Hampton Township. Tickets at steamworkscreative.com

Whole lotta Lita

I still owe you a Lita Ford review.

Rest assured, Ford thoroughly rocked Jergel's Rhythm Grill a few weeks ago, showcased a strong voice and deft guitar work, backed by a stout band with Bobby Rock (drums), Marty O'Brien (bass) and Patrick Keenan (guitar).

Fired up about the screeching feedback from her stage monitor, Ford insisted the venue's sound guy come out on stage and stand next to her as the band played the hard-driving "Relentless" so he could experience the problem first-hand, too. He solved the problem quickly, and Ford later took some responsibility by saying she probably shouldn't have slept through the soundcheck.

Ford sounded fun, covering Elton John's "The Bitch is Back," doing ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch "Cherry Bomb" from her famed former band The Runaways, before bringing out a double-neck guitar for Alice Cooper's "Only Women Bleed."

Smiling frequently, she ended her set with her two biggest solo hits, "Close My Eyes Forever" (Keenan sang the Ozzy Osboune part) and the timeless "Kiss Me Deadly" that had spectators singing along and filming the action.

It was a big thing.

Great to see Lita's still got it.

Sweet jazz pops up

You're invited to some pop-up jazz concerts near Sewickley.

Some of the 'Burgh's top jazz cats will perform in Bell Acres at a private residence concertgoers get access to with a $35 ticket purchase ($15 for children) via Sweetwater Center for The Arts in Sewickley.

The schedule for this Sweet Jazz Concert Series:

Roger Barbour Jazz Trio, May 26.Roger Humphries and the RH Factor, June 2.RML Jazz, June 9.Etta Cox and Al Dowe, Jun 16.

Guests can bring camp chairs, blankets, beer and wine. Lawn parking is available.

More: Little Anthony, rock hall-of-famer, to perform at Lincoln Park arts center in Midland

Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Tady: John Mellencamp to play Pittsburgh's Benedum Center