John Mellencamp is really something of an anomaly. He has put out some of the biggest American music hits of all time, yet he has never held a permanent address outside of southern Indiana. He still practices with his band out of a garage but has held thousands of concerts across the world to sold-out audiences. He is a self-described liberal but is also a self-described "redneck." He is a curmudgeon and a recluse of sorts yet is still adored.

And, rather unsurprisingly, for Mellencamp's Sad Clown & Hillbillies Tour, which will be making a stop to the Mohegan Sun Arena on Sunday, the heartland rock star will operate in much the same way: he'll give the audience what they want but not quite in the way they expected. So what does that mean, you might wonder? In a recent interview with Variety, Mellencamp explains, "I will always play 'Jack and Diane,' but not in the way people know." In other words, don't expect what's typical to expect — especially when it comes to Mellencamp.

John Mellencamp, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Mohegan Sun Arena; $49.50; 1-800-745-3000.