Wow! Amazing! Incredible! Tonight was the not the first Kid Rock concert for me but it was my first in a huge arena and it was nothing short of absolutely amazing. First, I have seen few musicians who can jump continuously on stage for 10 minutes let alone 2 full hours. Bon Jovi yes and Kid Rock yes. The concert was at Fedex Forum and was a full house of people ready to sing and party. Rock had two opening acts tonight… his own label’s Ty Stone first then followed by the amazing Jamey Johnson. Tonight was my first time hearing Ty Stone and I was indeed impressed. So much so that I would love to hear him again (and will on Monday night in Houston). Jamey Johnson, as always, has the most amazing voice and lyrics, but all of that was just a taste to get everyone wanting more. And more it was.
Rock’s section opened with a video of his amazing life since childhood to where he stands tonight on this stage in Memphis Tennessee. It showcased all of his successes and regular party days but it also showed that Rock did not get to this stage tonight by a shortcut of any kind. It showed all the streets traveled by Rock as a young thirsty rap artist in Detroit thru his musical tastes great and small. Yes there are those people who can not look beyond the white trash image and the rap lyrics of past but they are missing out of what a gifted artist Rock is in his own right. He has done “it” his way all along but at the same time he has evolved with changing times and his growth as a person and an artist. Why is it so hard for people to see that so many artists have major influences from other types of music?
The concert itself was non-stop entertainment with Rock taking very few chances to catch his breath. From the first song of Cowboy to the finale with Born Free, it was two hours of high energy musical entertainment from start to finish. It was a concert full of fire, video, pole dancers (not very good ones though) and great musicians. But it was also a concert in the traditional sense where you never for one single moment wondered if Rock was lip syncing. Rock gave his heart and soul and every burst of energy for the entire two-hour concert. And the icing on the cake was his heart-felt thank you to everyone for spending their hard-earned money to hear him sing. Everyone there tonight most certainly got their money’s worth.
I see him again in concert on Monday in Houston and I can not wait!
A Southern Girl's View with Sandy Adams 