CONCERT REVIEW: Kid Rock Performs In Front Of Full House at CenturyLink Center in Omaha

March 21, 2018 Robert Chadwick Concert Reviews Comments Off

Kid Rock performing on the stage at CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska on March 17, 2018. (Photo credit: Robert A Chadwick)

CONTRIBUTING WRITER BY PENNY PEPPERSTEIN AND PHOTOS BY ROBERT A CHADWICK | Go Venue Magazine

Kid Rock For Senate! Whaaaaat?

I am not gonna lie, I have never been much of a Kid Rock fan, but to be more honest I have never paid much attention to him. I knew the basics, the infamous Pamela Anderson scandal, the switch in genres, from rock rap to country or southern rock. What I didn’t know is the fan base he has! The CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska was jammed packed. There was a sea of fists pumps, lyrics shouting and a wild crowd of half crazed St. Patrick’s Day concertgoers.

So okay, to start, this might not be the most loved review, but I will throw in the fun I experienced too. I have no desire to piss off any hard-core Mr. Rock fans, so I am going to throw some of the goods first and the fun that took place around the 16 songs that the 46-year-old “Kid” performed.

Starting the show-off, a gas tank style “Fuck Tank” was on a huge screen directly in front of the stage. As old hard rock songs were played, the fuck tank needle gradually headed to the empty side of the tank. Proving to the audience how many “fucks” Kid Rock could give.

When the screen went up, a burlesque type style stage was revealed and the song “Greatest Show On Earth” began. Followed immediately by his candidacy speech for his supposed run for Senate in the state of Michigan. Which honestly the speech (and only the speech) he gave was very convincing. Which later I learned was bullshit and that he was not in fact running for office at all. In all actuality, well for me personally, I just had no real desire to hear it. And from the slight lull in the audience around me, I don’t think I was the only one. I go to a concert to escape for a while, not to be preached at or hear a pretend campaign speech. If you wanna talk politics, keep it in the songs. I know this may upset a few of you, and before you start throwing out hateful reactions, I was NOT AT ALL opposed to what he was saying. Kid Rock was right on the damn money and if he were really running for office and gave that same speech outside the concert, minus the half-naked pole dancers holding an American flag, I would vote for him in a second. He was just that good. Blunt and all.

The show did have moments that amused me. My favorite was when his DJ and lifelong friend of 30 years gave a slide show of pictures of Kid growing up compared to the photos of him now. One was Rock as a kid in blonde corn rolls side by side with a picture of the cover of Cowboys and Indians magazine where he is in a cowboy hat and large belt buckle. Everyone laughed and cheered as we all walked down memory lane with Kid Rock.

The song that really impressed me a few years ago was “All Summer Long.” I LOVE this song and I LOVED seeing Kid Rock sing it! Memories flood me when I hear it, as I too grew up during a time of hanging with friends and partying, long before Facebook was even a dream. It’s just a good feeling kind of song. Kid Rock is the same age as I am and well he captures a moment in time for me with that song.

I will post the song set list, as most of you will know them better than I do. The songs from what I could understand were okay. He is cocky and pertinent in a wonderfully vulgar kind of way. I hope the country style sound he has taken to, never lets him lose those characteristics from which he began.

Last, I was thoroughly impressed to learn that Kid Rock played not just one instrument but a plethora, including drums, guitar (acoustic and electric) and the piano.

I had a great time, and I was honored to be able to see Kid Rock, he is without a doubt an entertainer. He loves what he does, and the crowd loved him for it, there was no argument there at all.