After paint-by-numbers nostalgia trip, Cher finally turns back time in Indianapolis

It would be silly to expect Indiana rock star John Mellencamp to walk onstage in 2019 and resemble the long-maned, T-shirt-wearing, frolic-in-a-field guy he was in the "Pink Houses" video from the 1980s. Today, he's content to carry the look and sound of a distinguished bluesman who's earned every line around his eyes and all the gravel in his voice.

In contrast, showbiz icon Cher — who's five years older than Mellencamp — can take you back to the big guns of battleship USS Missouri as if zero days have passed since the making of her "If I Could Turn Back Time" video in 1989.

Cher cycled through the decades in unimaginative ways Thursday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, but she delivered at least one stunning flashback by performing "Turn Back Time" while wearing a body stocking that echoed the outfit that shook up the Navy 30 years ago. 

The song served as the perfect closing statement in response to a question Cher posed to the packed house at the start of the show: "What is your granny doing tonight?"

In between, segments of Cher's "Here We Go Again" roadshow came across as overblown and/or confusing. Although she lived cultural touchstone moments of the 1960s, '70s and '80s, too many wardrobe, production and song selections made it seem like this tour was put together by someone who wasn't there.

Sparkly, groovy bell-bottom pants for "The Beat Goes On" and "I Got You Babe"? Check.

Bombastic hair-metal guitar solo to represent "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" during a costume change? Yep.

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These weren't inaccurate choices, but definitely in the realm of pretending rather than legitimately taking us back.

Thursday's rendition of "Turn Back Time" generated goosebumps because 72-year-old Cher followed through on being the same artist then and now, amplified by revealing her years-defying physique.

And while she belted the song's chorus with gusto, it's difficult to gauge how enhanced or treated her singing voice was throughout the show. If 1998 Auto-Tune anthem "Believe" stands as one of the most synthetic hit songs in history, it seems to be the guiding principle for "Here We Go Again."

Check out four takeaways from Thursday's show:

1. Life begins at 40

Cher used a lengthy monologue near the beginning of the concert to remember her late partner Sonny Bono (crediting lousy supper-club gigs for sparking the eventual magic of their '70s TV variety show) and to talk about her pivotal 40th birthday in 1986. This was a time when she was preparing to make "Moonstruck," being initially rejected for her role in "Witches of Eastwick" and negotiating an unheard-of $28,000 appearance fee to make her debut on "Late Night with David Letterman." Fans of the Indianapolis talk-show host may remember Cher's frank assessment of Letterman.

2. ABBA dabbling

Cher sang three ABBA covers from her 2018 album "Dancing Queen." The co-star of "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" performed "Waterloo," "SOS" and "Fernando" in succession. "SOS" fared best, thanks to a vulnerability at the outset followed by a relentless, irresistible rhythm similar to what Nile Rodgers & Chic threw down as the night's exceptional supporting act.

3. Hollywood head-scratcher

A video montage included highlights from Cher's movie career as well as an interview quote in which she talked about feeling like an outsider — not accepted as a singer by fellow singers and not accepted as an actor by fellow actors. Surprisingly, this concert segment ended with a rendition of "After All." This unremarkable ballad appears in 1989's "Chances Are," a movie that didn't feature Cher in its cast. And the voice of "After All's" duet partner, Peter Cetera, seemed to be piped into Bankers Life Fieldhouse with no acknowledgement. This could have been the perfect spot for "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)," Cher's cover from 1990 film "Mermaids," which didn't arrive until later.

4. Going to Graceland

"Here We Go Again" did its best job of executing organic and authentic when Cher paid tribute to Elvis Presley. She sang Marc Cohn's "Walking in Memphis" after a video clip centered on her mother's love of Elvis. The 1991 tune features the memorable Q&A, " 'Tell me are you a Christian child?' And I said 'Ma'am, I am tonight.' " This theatrical exchange is can't-miss in the hands of Oscar, Grammy and Emmy winner Cher.

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Call IndyStar reporter David Lindquist at 317-444-6404. Follow him on Twitter: @317Lindquist.

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