Kid Rock

Kid Rock Tour To Benefit Struggling U.S Cities

10 Oct 2011 13:43:23 EDT

Detroit rocker announces shows will raise money for local charities in each stop.
By Gil Kaufman

Kid Rock has made every effort to help his beleaguered hometown of Detroit rebound from decades of economic distress. But now D-Town's favorite son and original "American Badass" is expanding his scope with an upcoming club tour that will attempt to raise a few bucks for other struggling U.S. cities.

The 10-city swing will hit intimate (at least for Rock) clubs in Maryland, New York, Indiana, Tennessee, Illinois, Colorado and Missouri, beginning on November 16 with a show at the Fillmore Auditorium in Silver Spring, Maryland. According to a press release announcing the tour, Rock "has assembled a team of Detroit titans to show support for other cities in need, and to show that Detroit, while experiencing [its] own difficulties still has the power to unite to help others around the country."

Working with this group of Detroit business leaders, Rock and company have pledged to donate money to local charities, causes and individuals through the Kid Rock Foundation at every stop. Radio stations in the local markets will help determine worthy causes.

The tour was Rock's idea, timed to coincide with the release of his latest single, "Care," a duet with Martina McBride and T.I. on Rock's Born Free album that urges Americans to stop bickering and take care of those in need of help.

"The song says 'the least that I can do is care' — and I want to put my money where my mouth is. Everyone knows that Detroit is hurting," he said in the statement announcing the tour. "But I want to show that even though we don't have a lot on our own plate, it doesn't mean the people of my hometown don't have compassion to share with others all over the country. At the end of the day we're all Detroit, we're one country, one family."

Considering that Kid Rock played to 12,000 or more each night on his summer Born Free arena/amphitheater tour, the upcoming dates are a big shift in terms of capacity, but also a rare opportunity to see him up-close-and-personal in such legendary rooms as Nashville's 2,300-seat Ryman Auditorium; the 2,800-capacity Beacon Theatre in New York; and Boise, Idaho's 1,000-capacity Knitting Factory. Tickets for the tour go on sale on Saturday.

Dates and venues for Kid Rock tour, according to a press release:

» Nov. 16 - Silver Spring, MD @ Fillmore
» Nov. 19 - New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
» Nov. 20 - Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
» Nov. 22 - Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room
» Nov. 23 - Nashville, TN @ Ryman Theatre
» Nov. 26 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
» Nov. 29 - Kansas City, MO @ Midland Theatre
» Dec. 1 - Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
» Dec. 3 - Magna, UT @ The Great Saltair
» Dec. 4 - Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory

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Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber Turn CMT Awards Into Crossover Celebration

09 Jun 2011 09:01:28 EDT

Kid Rock hosted the show, which featured everyone from Ludacris and Jason Aldean to Sheryl Crow.
By Gil Kaufman

You might have done a double-take when you saw the list of winners and guests at Wednesday night's CMT Music Awards, which included trophies for Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber as well as performances that featured Ludacris and a cover of Eminem and Rihanna's "Love the Way You Lie."

But, yes, this was a country music event. It's just that some of the hardware handed out at the show hosted by Kid Rock tipped its 10-gallon hat to the ongoing popularity of the pop-infused sound.

The biggest example of that cross-over success, Swift, took home one of the top honors, Video of the Year, for her clip "Mine." She accepted the prize from a stage in Wisconsin, her latest tour stop.

"I just want to say thank you and hi to everybody back at the CMT Music Awards," she said. "I wish I could be there, but I'm hanging out with 15,000 of my closest friends in Milwaukee. I want to thank so many people — all the little kids who are in the video and their families for bringing them to Maine and being in the video. ... I don't know what I did to deserve you guys, but you've made so many amazing things happen to me in my life."

Male Video of the Year honors went to "The Voice" judge Blake Shelton for "Who Are You When I'm Not Looking," while the female video winner was his wife, Miranda Lambert, for her emotional tune "The House That Built Me."

One of the more unusual names on the winners list was Bieber, who snagged Collaborative Video of the Year for his hookup with Rascal Flatts on the tune "That Should Be Me."

"First of all, I just want to say how honored I am to be here ... with Rascal Flatts," Bieber said while accepting his first country award. "How amazing are Rascal Flatts, everybody? I want to thank my mom. I want to thank my family. And I want to thank Rascal Flatts for even jumping on the song with me."

Flatts bassist Jay DeMarcus thanked Bieber right back for bringing the group the "great song," adding, "It was an honor to be in this video with you. What a talented guy. We appreciate it so much."

Lady Antebellum, another group that has surfed the more country side of the crossover wave, scored Group Video of the Year for "Hello World." And the Band Perry, an act that many mainstream listeners were first introduced to thanks to "American Idol" runner-up Lauren Alaina, took the USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year prize for "If I Die Young," as well as the 2011 Nationwide Insurance On Your Side Award.

Of course, it wasn't all awards and honors, there was also a hilarious opening bit in which Swift and Shania Twain killed it in a three-minute "Thelma & Louise" parody. In the clip, the two jump in their convertible and run into a perv played by comedian Ron White, practice shooting their guns and run into "Glee" star Chord Overstreet, who plays the shirtless Brad Pitt character. In addition to a gratuitous Donald Trump cameo, the video also featured Kenny Rogers singing his hit "The Gambler" by the roadside and host Rock hopping into the car with the ladies after getting kicked off his tour bus for partying too hard.

There were other highlights, including someone tossing a pair of ladies' underwear at Rock and Sheryl Crow later admitting she flashed hers while getting up from a stool after performing with the rapper-turned-heartland-rocker.

"I'm just gonna address the elephant in the room, because people all over America are tweeting that I was wearing a really short skirt when I sang with Kid Rock — and that when I got up off the stool, I showed my underwear," Crow joked. "Well, at least you were wearing underwear," co-presenter Sara Evans said. There was further drama when Twain came out to introduce the male video winner and took a major tumble on a too-slick floor while walking to the stage. She got up quickly and regained her composure, later laughing, "I don't need a stunt double." In addition to Rock opening the show with a bit of his hard-hitting "Bawitdaba" (which was cut off in favor of a more country-safe tune named "Till My Dying Day" that he wrote for Wynonna Judd), Ludacris hooked up with Jason Aldean for "Dirt Road Anthem," the Band Perry played "Love the Way You Lie," and Lady Antebellum did a bit of Prince's "Kiss." "Idol" winner Scotty McCreery was on hand with Alaina to introduce a performance by Sugarland as well. Other winners included Sugarland (Duo Video of the Year for "Stuck Like Glue"), Zac Brown Band and Jimmy Buffett (CMT Performance of the Year for "Margaritaville") and Shelton (Best Web Video of the Year, "Kiss My Country Ass.")

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New Orleans Jazz Fest 2011 Headlined By Arcade Fire, Kid Rock, Bon Jovi

20 Jan 2011 16:45:50 EST

Robert Plant, Lauryn Hill, the Strokes, Lupe Fiasco also included on this year's lineup.
By Aly Semigran

The lineup for the 2011 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival was announced on Thursday (January 20), and the music extravaganza will once again offer up a genre-spanning array of talent on its 12 stages.

Among the performers for this year's Jazz Fest are Arcade Fire (who will also headline the recently announced 2011 Coachella), Robert Plant, Bon Jovi, Kid Rock, Lauryn Hill, Jeff Beck, John Mellencamp, Wilco, Mumford & Sons, the Strokes, the Avett Brothers, Cyndi Lauper, Tom Jones, Lupe Fiasco, Jason Mraz, the Decemberists, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Lucinda Williams, Gregg Allman, Amos Lee, and John Legend and the Roots. Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffet are just some of the scheduled acts making their return to the festival.

Because of the natural disasters experienced by both New Orleans and Haiti, both musically rich regions will be featured prominently throughout the NOJ&HF. The festival, which promises to "host the largest celebration of Haitian culture in the U.S. since the devastating earthquake one year ago" will include many Haitian performers, including Wyclef Jean, Tabou Combo, Emeline Michel, Ti-Coca & Wanga Neges and RAM.

Started in 1970, the New Orleans Jazz Fest has hosted an eclectic variety of musical acts (previous fests have included the likes of Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Bob Dylan, Dave Matthews Band, Santana, Lenny Kravitz and Joni Mitchell). Since the late '80s, the festival has seen attendance from 300,000 to 650,000 fans.

Jazz Fest runs over the course of two weekends (April 29-May 1 and May 5-8) at the Fair Grounds Race Course. Tickets are on sale at NOJazzfest.com.

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30 Nov 2010 12:11:26 EST

From Lil Wayne to Lindsay Lohan, brushes with the law were ever-present in 2010.
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Kid Rock Gets Mellow At The American Music Awards

21 Nov 2010 21:36:22 EST

A sedate Rock performed 'Times Like These,' a tribute to his native Detroit.
By Gil Kaufman

Kid Rock has made a career of taking the road less traveled. From the scrawny bedroom beatmaker who rose from regional prominence to worldwide fame thanks to sheer will to the rapper who has slowly steered himself back to the classic rock sounds that first inspired his love of music, Rock does it his way, all the way.

If you've followed him along that twisted path, then his sedate performance on Sunday night's (November 21) American Music Awards made perfect sense. With tranquil images of nature behind him, the outrageous American Badass took it down a notch, or 20, sitting on a stool center-stage flanked by an acoustic guitar player and male backup singer. Crooning "Times Like These," an homage to his beloved Detroit, he sang, "Even though it's bittersweet and brings us to our knees, it makes us who we are in times like these."

Dressed all in black, including his signature lid, Rock recast himself as a modern folk troubadour, trading turntables for sweet, soulful harmonies and flashy, fur-dripping outfits for earnest balladry and a no-frills stage set-up that put images of D-Town front and center.

"A new day dawns as the good Lord shines from above/ 'Cause in the rubble and rust there remains a home I will love," Rock offered in his sugar-and-sandpaper finest. All the while, images of his struggling hometown flashed behind him and he pledged to still be there when things turn around.

The performance was a fitting preview to Rock's just-released eighth studio album, Born Free, his hardest turn yet into straight-up rock and roll after a career of mixing guitars and beats.

What did you think of Kid Rock's performance? Tell us in the comments!

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21 Nov 2010 21:02:39 EST

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Kid Rock Announces Born Free Tour

16 Nov 2010 18:06:10 EST

Dates include biggest headlining show in Kid's career at Detroit's Ford Field.
By Gil Kaufman

Some people celebrate their 40th birthday with a nice dinner out, maybe a trip to Las Vegas or an extravagant purchase like a car they really can't afford. Kid Rock, as you must surely have noticed at this point, is not most people.

That's why the American Badass is tipping his hat to the big 4-0 with the biggest headlining date of his career at Detroit's Ford Field, his hometown 60,000-seat football stadium, as part of the upcoming tour in support of his new album, Born Free.

With country outlaw Jamey Johnson set to open the first leg of the tour, Rock will get things started right on January 15 with the blowout gig at the home of the Detroit Lions, which will be renamed "40 Field" for the night in honor of Rock's b-day. According to a press release announcing the tour, fans can expect surprise guests to join Rock at the gig, with tickets going on sale November 26.

From there, Rock and his trusty Twisted Brown Trucker band will hit the road hard through mid-March, with dates in Ohio, Kansas, Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee and Georgia, with the initial round of gigs currently scheduled to wind down March 12 at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee. More dates are planned later in the year.

Rock will appear live at the American Music Awards on Sunday, and a new documentary about him, "Kid Rock: Born Free," will start airing on MTV, VH1 and CMT on Tuesday night (November 16).

Kid Rock's Born Free tour dates:

» 1/15 - Detroit, MI @ Ford Field
» 1/21 - Saginaw, MI @ Dow Events Center
» 1/25 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
» 1/26 - Toledo, OH @ Huntington Center
» 1/28 - Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
» 1/29 - Dayton, OH @ Nutter Center
» 2/1 - Wichita, KS @ Intrust Arena
» 2/8 - Bossier City, LA @ CenturyTel Center
» 2/9 - Little Rock, AR @ Verizon Wireless Arena
» 2/11 - Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Center
» 2/12 - Greenville, SC @ Bi-Lo Center
» 2/14 - Pensacola, FL @ Pensacola Civic Center
» 2/16 - North Charleston, SC @ North Charleston Coliseum
» 2/18 - Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
» 2/19 - Birmingham, AL @ BJCC
» 2/22 - Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum
» 2/23 - Huntington, WV @ Big Sandy's
» 2/25 - Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
» 2/26 - Chicago, IL @ United Center
» 2/28 - Peoria, IL @ Peoria Civic
» 3/1 - Evansville, IN @ Roberts Stadium
» 3/4 - Atlanta, GA @ Gwinnett Center
» 3/5 - Orlando, FL @ UCF Arena
» 3/8 - Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock
» 3/9 - Jacksonville, FL @ Veterans Memorial Arena
» 3/11 - Jackson, MS @ Mississippi Coliseum
» 3/12 - Memphis, TN @ FedEx Forum

Are you planning to check out Kid Rock's upcoming tour? Let us know in the comments!

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Kid Rock Says 'I Feel Bad' For Jailed T.I.

08 Nov 2010 13:16:53 EST

'There's a better way his time could be utilized ... to help the community,' rocker tells Entertainment Weekly.
By James Dinh

T.I. may be optimistic about his second stint behind bars, but friend and collaborator Kid Rock doesn't agree with the rapper's recent legal sentence. In the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, the rocker expresses sympathy for T.I., who turned himself in to a low-security prison in Arkansas on Monday for probation violations.

"It's sad. He's such a nice guy. It's a tricky situation, but I feel bad for him," Kid Rock said. "I understand someone's gotta learn their lesson, and I know they gave him a chance, but there's a better way his time could be utilized to help other people, something to help the community."

The two recently collaborated on "Care," which will appear on Kid Rock's forthcoming LP. He went on to say that there are other things the legal system should be focusing on, adding, "Some of these jail things, I don't agree with them, especially when you got so much horrid sh-- going on in the world."

T.I., who was sent back to the same facility where he served nine months last year, was arrested with his wife, Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, in Los Angeles. The two were charged with drug possession, a violation of Tip's probation.

Kid Rock recently had his own legal troubles when a man named Harlen Akins sued him for his involvement in a 2007 scuffle that took place at an Atlanta-area Waffle House. The singer appeared in court to testify on his own behalf that he did not attack Akins and that the fight hadn't even occurred until the man instigated Rock. Akins, who was seeking $6,000 in medical costs, was awarded $40,000 in compensatory damages.

In an interview with MTV News, Kid Rock explained why he felt compelled to get personally involved in the case. "Do people really think I was down there because I was being sued for $6,000?" he asked. "They wanted $2.9 million in punitive damages. But that didn't get printed anywhere. I had no choice but to go down there and state our side of the story. At the end of the day, they wanted $2.9 million and they got $40,000. I consider that justice done."

Do you, like Kid Rock, feel sympathy for T.I.? Share your thoughts below!

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Kid Rock Goes Majestic In 'Born Free' Video

04 Nov 2010 12:58:58 EDT

Clip featuring Rock in grand outdoor settings premieres Thursday on MTV's 'The Seven.'
By Kyle Anderson, with additional reporting by Tim Kash

Kid Rock's forthcoming album, Born Free, promises to be the Detroit rocker's final departure from the rap-rock hybrid that he used to establish himself at the turn of the millennium. Fans can expect a collection of traditional rock tunes full of country flourishes and bluesy Americana that's more Bob Seger than B.o.B.

The just-premiered video for the album's first single and title track is in total keeping with that transition. The clip, which premiered early this morning on MTV.com and will make its television debut on Thursday (November 4) at 11:30 p.m. ET, features Rock in a number of gorgeous outdoor settings while singing about the glory of freedom.

With a guitar in hand, Rock poses on a majestic cliff, on a peaceful beachfront and in the middle of a wooded area to reflect the song's grandeur. And, because he wouldn't be a Motor City artist without a few nods to the auto industry, Rock also is seen riding a motorcycle and cruising in a tricked-out vintage car (complete with front-mounted steer horns and six shooters for good measure).

When Rock discussed the song with MTV News back in September, he noted that despite its patriotic spirit, "Born Free" isn't necessarily just a pro-American anthem. "I think that song already has kinda gotten a little misconstrued that it's just this big, patriotic American song, which it is in its own right, but it first came to mind to write something like this when I was on one of my trips to Afghanistan, Iraq, playing for our soldiers," Rock told MTV News' Tim Kash. "I started to just think about no matter where somebody was born in this world, how lucky you are just by the grace of God to be born free."

Born Free, Rock's first album since 2007's Rock N Roll Jesus, hits store shelves on November 16. The Rick Rubin-produced effort features guests spots from Sheryl Crow, T.I., Zac Brown and a studio band that includes Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Los Lobos guitarist David Hidalgo and Benmont Tench — the keyboardist from Tom Petty's Heartbreakers. How does "Born Free" compare to Kid Rock's past videos? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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Kid Rock Slams Steven Tyler's 'American Idol' Gig

28 Oct 2010 09:24:00 EDT

'It's the stupidest thing he's ever done in his life,' rocker tells EW.
By Gil Kaufman

Kid Rock is not impressed.

While on stage at the 1999 Video Music Awards, the Detroit rocker played a nimble game of microphone toss with Steven Tyler and performed a medley of songs with the Aerosmith singer, fellow Toxic Twin Joe Perry and the iconic hip-hop act Run-DMC.

But Rock, promoting his upcoming album Born Free, recently told Entertainment Weekly that he thinks Tyler's new gig as a judge on "American Idol" is a big mistake.

"I think it's the stupidest thing he's ever done in his life," he told the magazine. "He's a sacred American institution of rock and roll, and he just threw it all out the window. Just stomped on it and set it on fire."

Tyler, who surprised "Idol" fans — and his own bandmates — with the move to his first TV gig, has mostly been mum about why he decided to join Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson on the show's new-look judging panel. While reaction from the rock community regarding the 62-year-old's late-career about-face has mostly been muted, Rock did not mince words.

"I think whoever's advising him ... we should bring back the guillotine, or whatever they call that thing," he said. "And if it was himself, he needs some serious counseling. I love him to death, but I gotta speak the truth."

By contrast, Tyler appeared very pumped-up for the gig when the worst-kept secret in broadcasting was finally revealed last month. "It's being a part of something much bigger than yourself," Tyler said to "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest. "I want to bring some rock to this roller coaster and show you that if you got the heart, you got the talent and you got the feeling to do this, you could be the next American Idol."

Do you agree with Kid Rock? Let us know in the comments!

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