Post by Sugarmama on Feb 3, 2008 17:27:05 GMT -5
Kid Rock commands GR
Posted by Troy Reimink | Gazette News Service February 02, 2008 16:44PM
Categories: Breaking News, Entertainment
BY TROY REIMINK| Gazette News Service
GRAND RAPIDS -- Here's how you know you're at a real rock show. During the ballads, people still hold up lighters rather than cell phones.
That's how it went Friday night, as Michigan man Kid Rock made his much-hyped return to Grand Rapids for a sold-out concert at Van Andel Arena, which turned into an old-fashioned galaxy of Bics and Zippos during Rock's hit "Only God Knows Why."
No coincidence, then, that Kid is calling this the Rock N Roll Revival Tour. The nearly three-hour show had the spirited atmosphere of a big-tent shindig, with Rock, entertaining as ever, acting as ringleader, preacher and consummate showman.
It didn't hurt that he had an actual reverend with him. That would be the legendary Rev Run of rap pioneers Run DMC, who along with Peter Wolf of the J. Geils band, pulled strong supporting duties.
Instead of the usual opener/headliner structure, Kid Rock commanded the show all night and invited his guests onto the stage throughout, lending the evening a freewheeling, backyard party kind of vibe.
Backed by his ever-reliable Twisted Brown Trucker Band, Rock took the stage to a rousing version of the title track from "Rock N Roll Jesus," which he released last year.
After setting the mood further with an older cut, "Welcome 2 the Party," Rock brought out Wolf who, backed by Rock's band, performed the hit "Love Stinks," strutting across the stage in a pair of (perhaps age-inappropriate) leather pants. He'd return later for "Centerfold" and a few other tunes.
Rock (otherwise known as Romeo native Bob Ritchie) has evolved into a mature showman. Gone, for the most part, were the pyrotechnics, pimp getup and stripper-pole antics that characterized his last show in Grand Rapids. The theatrics Friday night mostly were kept to a minimum as Rock mostly stuck to his lengthy catalog of hits: "American Bad Ass," "Cowboy," "Picture" (with backup singer Stacy Plunk capably handling the Sheryl Crow part), encore "Bawitdaba," etc.
The first half of the set focused heavily on stuff from "Rock N Roll Jesus." Because it's probably Rock's best album, not many people seemed to leave for beer during newer tracks, such as the soulful "Roll On" and "Amen," and the familiar-feeling anthems "Lowlife (Living the Highlife)," "So Hott" and "All Summer Long," which prominently co-opts the well-known riff from Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama."
The best of the new tracks was "Half Your Age," on which he dueted with his longtime drummer Stefanie Eulinberg.
He prefaced the tune by saying, "Don't (bleep) with a songwriter. Payback is a (bleeper bleeper)," which could be interpreted any number of ways in reference to Kid's semi-recent tabloid adventures.
In the past few years, Rock has pulled off a remarkable feat, given the relatively depressed state of the music industry these days. Namely, he's mastered a comeback that bucks the curve, having gone from just barely filling the DeltaPlex Arena a couple of years ago to selling out the twice-as-big Van Andel Arena (11,600-plus) on the strength of an album that's become a huge hit while even the biggest names are struggling to sell records.
Is Kid Rock, indeed, the "Rock N Roll Jesus" of his album?
After seeing the guy perform, it doesn't seem so blasphemous.
Posted by Troy Reimink | Gazette News Service February 02, 2008 16:44PM
Categories: Breaking News, Entertainment
BY TROY REIMINK| Gazette News Service
GRAND RAPIDS -- Here's how you know you're at a real rock show. During the ballads, people still hold up lighters rather than cell phones.
That's how it went Friday night, as Michigan man Kid Rock made his much-hyped return to Grand Rapids for a sold-out concert at Van Andel Arena, which turned into an old-fashioned galaxy of Bics and Zippos during Rock's hit "Only God Knows Why."
No coincidence, then, that Kid is calling this the Rock N Roll Revival Tour. The nearly three-hour show had the spirited atmosphere of a big-tent shindig, with Rock, entertaining as ever, acting as ringleader, preacher and consummate showman.
It didn't hurt that he had an actual reverend with him. That would be the legendary Rev Run of rap pioneers Run DMC, who along with Peter Wolf of the J. Geils band, pulled strong supporting duties.
Instead of the usual opener/headliner structure, Kid Rock commanded the show all night and invited his guests onto the stage throughout, lending the evening a freewheeling, backyard party kind of vibe.
Backed by his ever-reliable Twisted Brown Trucker Band, Rock took the stage to a rousing version of the title track from "Rock N Roll Jesus," which he released last year.
After setting the mood further with an older cut, "Welcome 2 the Party," Rock brought out Wolf who, backed by Rock's band, performed the hit "Love Stinks," strutting across the stage in a pair of (perhaps age-inappropriate) leather pants. He'd return later for "Centerfold" and a few other tunes.
Rock (otherwise known as Romeo native Bob Ritchie) has evolved into a mature showman. Gone, for the most part, were the pyrotechnics, pimp getup and stripper-pole antics that characterized his last show in Grand Rapids. The theatrics Friday night mostly were kept to a minimum as Rock mostly stuck to his lengthy catalog of hits: "American Bad Ass," "Cowboy," "Picture" (with backup singer Stacy Plunk capably handling the Sheryl Crow part), encore "Bawitdaba," etc.
The first half of the set focused heavily on stuff from "Rock N Roll Jesus." Because it's probably Rock's best album, not many people seemed to leave for beer during newer tracks, such as the soulful "Roll On" and "Amen," and the familiar-feeling anthems "Lowlife (Living the Highlife)," "So Hott" and "All Summer Long," which prominently co-opts the well-known riff from Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama."
The best of the new tracks was "Half Your Age," on which he dueted with his longtime drummer Stefanie Eulinberg.
He prefaced the tune by saying, "Don't (bleep) with a songwriter. Payback is a (bleeper bleeper)," which could be interpreted any number of ways in reference to Kid's semi-recent tabloid adventures.
In the past few years, Rock has pulled off a remarkable feat, given the relatively depressed state of the music industry these days. Namely, he's mastered a comeback that bucks the curve, having gone from just barely filling the DeltaPlex Arena a couple of years ago to selling out the twice-as-big Van Andel Arena (11,600-plus) on the strength of an album that's become a huge hit while even the biggest names are struggling to sell records.
Is Kid Rock, indeed, the "Rock N Roll Jesus" of his album?
After seeing the guy perform, it doesn't seem so blasphemous.
