Ian Mellencamp at the Bowery Electric

Indie-rock rookie Ian Mellencamp grew up in suburban Cincinnati, Ohio. Music is in the Mellencamp bloodline; Ian's father, Joe Mellencamp, is a musician who began bringing Ian on stage when Ian was just five years old; Ian's cousin Eric Mellencamp owns a small record company; and his uncle is a Hall of Fame rocker, John Mellencamp. While working a full-time day job in his father's company, Ian by night wrote songs in his bedroom and soon began playing in local bands. Eventually Ian moved to New York, became a top fashion model and began performing in small clubs like Pianos, first with a band called Isadora. As a solo artist, Ian has released one three-song concept EP, Visions.

At the Bowery Electric tonight, Ian Mellencamp's music was a far cry from the famous Mellencamp. Rather than John's earthy connection to America's heartland, Ian, playing guitar left-handed and backed by a keyboardist and drummer, played indie music that swayed from near-pop to experimental. Sometimes his vocals were jarring. Precisely because creativity was more important to him than adopting commercial or traditional sounds, Ian's performance was captivating.

Visit Ian Mellencamp at www.ianmellencamp.com.