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Live Review: Kid Rock in Tucson, AZ
Kid Rock , the self-proclaimed "pimp of the nation," lit up the stage--figuratively and literally--Thursday (10/8) at Tucson's Anselmo Valencia Tori Amphitheatre.
The Romeo, MI, native rivaled KISS in the pyrotechnics department, rolling out fireworks, flashpots and walls of flames to stress his points throughout the more than two-hour show. The heat from the flames could be felt halfway through the 5,500-seat venue.
Kid Rock took a turn from the average concert fare by allowing turntable stylist Paradime--who replaced Uncle Kracker after he went off to tour with Kenny Chesney--to introduce members of Kid Rock’s Twisted Brown Trucker Band before the rap-rocker hit the stage. Each member, save for the back-up singers, played snippets of Kid Rock songs as they were named.
Wearing his signature white tank-top along with jeans and a black hat, Kid Rock kicked off the show in fiery fashion with "Son of Detroit." The nearly sold-out crowd shouted the lyrics, which pay homage to Kid Rock’s "redneck" persona.
To win over the crowd, Kid Rock--whose vocals were top notch this night--utilized haughty, grandiose overtures and scantily clad female dancers, while dropping more "motherf-----s" than a straight-up rapper.
During the song "Cocky," he proclaimed his love for all things Detroit. He rubbed the Detroit Pistons’ win in the Western crowd’s face. "The Lakers got their asses kicked by the f---ing Pistons," he rapped in a sing-song fashion.
He even poked fun of his foul language, quoting a conversation he had with Hank Williams Jr. "He said, ‘Kid Rock, you can not use the F-word in country music.’ This next song is a rock ‘n’ roll song," he said with a laugh in introducing "You Never Met a Motherf----- Quite Like Me."
Kid Rock was playful, tossing the microphone back and forth between his hands, stomping his feet and switching hats during the show.
He paid homage to his roots by throwing in bars of "Freebird," the theme from "The Dukes of Hazzard," "Back in Black" and "We Will Rock You." The latter provided the groundwork for his humorous "Hillbilly Stomp."
Twisted Brown Trucker proved it has the chops to back up an act like Kid Rock. Paradime, who recently released the album "11 Steps Down," throws muscular MC skills to puff up Kid Rock’s arsenal. He encouraged the crowd to give it up during a tribute to Kid Rock’s late sidekick Joe C., who died from complications of celiac disease in 2000. And drummer Stephanie Eulinberg’s soulful vocals on Kid Rock’s hit "Picture" makes it clear that she is ready for a record deal herself.
