On September 17th, 1987, nearly 100 fans went to the Bluebird night club in Bloomington, Indiana, without any impression of what to witness which is a truly historic feat in rock history.
It was a local band called Ragin’ Texans who was headlining that night, two dates before Farm Aid III at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska, and John Mellencamp stopped by to present an unannounced performance show with his group.
Lou Reed was also scheduled for Farm Aid that time, and halfway through Mellencamp’s set, he appeared for an expansive jam session on songs from Reed’s solo work and years with the Velvet Underground. John Prine then, appeared from the sides to join them at the end.
The audience was surprised when Lou Reed and John Mellencamp performed together for a follow-up set that included “Sweet Jane,” “Rock & Roll,” and “I Love You, Suzanne.” Oh, and John Prine went on to join them. It’s truly a rock legend story, would be hard to believe, if it weren’t bootlegged by an audience.
Keep going for the video below: