John Melon-Cougarcamp is returning to the area!

The meat/potatoes/heartland rocker is out on a summer tour that anticipates the scheduled autumn release of his first new album in several years, "Plain Spoken."

As with his past few studio efforts, "Plain Spoken" was reportedly produced by T Bone Burnett - and the fact that the T Bone basically doesn't make bad records is doubly cool because it coincides with the belief of many fans that Mellencamp is incapable of making a bad record.

Mellencamp and his band perform Saturday in the Mohegan Sun Arena, and those in attendance can expect an appetite-whetting tune or two from "Plain Spoken," a representative sampling from his many radio-familiar hits, some tasty obscurities and maybe even a choice blues or folk cover.

Would I personally appreciate it if the Coog-Man would include "Human Wheels" in the evening's set list? Why, yes, I would.

- RICK KOSTER

John Mellencamp, 8 p.m. Saturday, Mohegan Sun Arena, $49.50; 1-888-664-3426.