If there weren’t any “little pink houses” in New Jersey before John Mellencamp played there Sunday night, there certainly were after Bruce Springsteen came out.
During Mellencamp’s March 10 show at Newark’s New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the 72-year-old rock icon brought out his fellow legend as he began to play “Pink Houses.” Springsteen, 74, appeared in a T-shirt and jeans and sang the second verse of Mellencamp’s 1983 hit. The two classic rock titans then sang the memorable “vacation down in the Gulf of Mexico” line, delighting those gathered in Newark.
Springsteen and Mellencamp famously performed together in 2019 at Sting’s semiannual Rainforest Benefit. The two teamed up to play two hits from each other’s catalog: “Pink Houses” from Mellencamp’s and “Glory Days” from Springsteen’s.
Mellencamp and Springsteen were often pitted against each other in the press and listeners’ minds since they both enjoyed massive mainstream success in the 1980s. Mellencamp reflected on this when speaking with Forbes in 2022 about his album Strictly a One-Eyed Jack, which featured three tracks with The Boss.
“For my entire career, I was always like the poor man’s Bruce Springsteen,” Mellencamp told the publication. “And Bruce and I have known each other for years. We met each other years ago, but we just knew each other enough to say hi. But we did a rainforest thing for Sting and we played together. And all of a sudden [Bruce] was like my big brother, and he treated me like I was his sibling, and I treated him with respect. And then we became really good friends, and it just kind of happened”.
“And I talk to Bruce all the time now,” Mellencamp added. “I know what he’s doing right now. He knows where I’m at. So it’s good. It’s been a good thing.”
Mellencamp will continue to play shows across the United States before teaming up with Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan for a leg of the Outlaw Music Festival. Springsteen will resume his world tour on March 19. In September 2023, he put the tour on hold to give himself more time to recover from a peptic ulcer.
“Thanks to all my friends and fans for your good wishes, encouragement and support,” Springsteen wrote when announcing the decision to spend the rest of the year recuperating. “I’m on the mend and can’t wait to see you all next year.”
