KID ROCK AND PUDDLE OF MUDD, E Center, Friday.
The Fourth of July came early when Kid Rock and the Twisted Brown Trucker Band crash landed at the E Center Friday night.
The set, played after Puddle of Mudd's emotionally charged slot, was fueled with patriotism and testosterone and some good-time partying thrown in for good measure.
Rock — born Robert James Ritchie — is a renaissance man who knows rock, rap and country. And his fans know every word to each of his songs.
When he launched into "Welcome 2 the Party (Ode 2 the Old School)," his urban-rap tendencies flew proud with flying colors. But he took a twist and also launched into "Theme From 'The Dukes of Hazzard,' " which was originally sung by the late Waylon Jennings. Rock then added a dash of Lynyrd Skynyrd with an excerpt from "Freebird."
Dipping into some southern country blues, Rock and the TBTB strummed out the new song "Jackson, Mississippi" before getting down with a semi-acoustic blues take on "If I Were President."
That tune drew some of the loudest cheers as Rock sang (with tongue firmly in cheek) about holding church in strip bars and smoking joints on Air Force One.
Reverent moments came with his heartfelt version of "Picture," which had drummer Stefanie Eulinberg tackling the lines that Sheryl Crow originally sang with Rock.
His raunchy bouncing "Never Met a Mother ----- Like Me" and "Son of Detroit" were highlighted by four exotic dancers who flashed their thonged bodies at the crowd.
But during this same segment, Rock and his band paid tribute to his late performance compadre Joe C., with a sampled tape of the little-one's hype-raising soliloquies.
"Hillbilly Stomp," "Midnight Train to Memphis," "Cowboy" and "Three Sheets to the Wind (What's My Name)," during which Rock took on keyboards, turntables, guitars and the drums, had the party-hearty crowd feeling great.
Through it all, fireworks, Old Glory and the Stars and Bars of the Confederacy all made their appearances during this loud and entertaining show.
E-mail: scott@desnews.com