Kid Rock, Jelly Roll make Rock N Rodeo memorable. What we saw, heard at AT&T Stadium
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Kid Rock knows how to make an entrance.
The Detroit rapper rode in on an orange Tesla Cybertruck to the delight of the boots and hat crowd gathered for a performance that would launch the first ever Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo at AT&T Stadium in Arlington Friday night. A surprise bonus: Country superstar Jelly Roll was in the truck’s front seat headbanging to the beat.
“To be doing a concert at the first team competition Rock N Rodeo is something very different for us, and it’s far from just another gig,” Kid Rock said in a statement introducing the show. “I take it as a personal challenge to deliver something different than we normally do and to rock the rafters off the home of the Dallas Cowboys.”
This was the first of several events over the weekend associated with the Professional Bull Riders World Finals Championship at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, where the best rider in the world will be crowned. The Rock N Rodeo events were just as competitive, with six teams vying for prize money worth $1 million in head-to-head, bracket-style contests.
The Kid from Detroit wowed a crowd mostly there to see him perform his classic hits, opening the show with “Cowboy,” a popular hit from his album, “Devil Without a Cause.”
“Well, I’m packin’ up my game and I’ma head out west,” Kid Rock bellowed, the crowd grooving to the tune’s irreverent lyrics. In the back of the stage, Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders danced in rhythm.
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Boy from Detroit, ‘Michigander at heart,’ rocking Texas rodeo
After Kid Rock’s opening gambit, Jelly Roll stepped up to sing his hit, “Need a Favor.” The country star then joined Bobby — aka Robert James Ritchie, now more famously known as Kid Rock — to finish the final bars of “Cowboy” to rapturous applause.
The two stars came into the music scene in the hip hop genre. Kid Rock’s mix of rap, rock, country and heavy metal has been around for over three decades. He cut his first album in 1988. He has been nominated five times for Grammy Awards, including for Best New Artist in 2000, Best Male Rock Vocal Performance in 2000 and 2001, and Best Rock Album in 2000 and 2001.
In recent years, Kid Rock has attracted both adulation and criticism for his unabashed advocacy of MAGA culture war talking points. A video of him shooting up cases of Bud Light cans with an AR-15 assault rifle to denounce the American brewing company’s partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney went viral on social media.
Jelly Roll once told a Detroit radio station “I feel like I’m a Michigander at heart,” although he was born in Nashville in 1984. He attributes his affinity for Rock City to the fact that many of his musical heroes are from Michigan — Bob Seger, Kid Rock and Eminem, whose “8 Mile” movie Jelly Roll first saw while in prison. He released his first hip hop album, “The Plain Shmear Tape,” in 2003. He later made a pivot to rock and country eventually landing on the Grand Ole Opry stage in 2021.
Kid Rock’s performance included hits such as “Born Free,” a hit from his album with the same name. Right as the chorus started to rise, eight cowgirls came out blazing on their horses waving American flags as red, white and blue fireworks lit the stadium.
He finished the set exhorting his fans with a hearty “God Bless Texas!” He then hopped back on his Tesla as confetti rained down.
Riding for $1 million purse at Rock N Rodeo
There were six teams and seven events with multiple rounds. The teams and head coaches were as follows:
Free Riders, winners of $1 million purse, led by Bobby Mote, “the greatest bareback rider in history.”
Misty Mountain Hops, runner ups, led by Charmayne James, the only female coach and most wins in barrel racing.
Sledgehammers, led by Fred Whitfield, seven time tie-down roping world champion.
Lowriders, led by Trevor Brazile, 26-time world champion and nicknamed the greatest “all-around-cowboy.”
Jokers, led by Sid Steiner, world champion steel wrestler.
Convoy, led by Cody Ohl, world champion roper.
The events included:
Barrel racing
Bareback Riding
Steer Wrestling
Team Roping
Saddle Bronc Riding
Breakaway
Tie-Down Roping
