For Kid Rock, American Rock is where it’s at

By Tom Kielty

Kid Rock’s appreciation for American music has always been more than skin deep.

From the beginning of his career, the Detroit native has liberally mixed such seemingly disparate ingredients as the hip-hop influence of Run-DMC with deep Southern soul inspired by the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd and ’70s bar blasting rock such as that created by the J. Geils Band.

On Saturday night, Rock personally reached out to each of these influences and the result was the type of American music revue that only a uniquely American artist could envision.

Backed by his eight-piece Twisted Brown Trucker Band, as well as two female backing singers, Rock (given name, Bob Ritchie) worked through his recent forays into gospel with the triumphant “Amen” as well as such earlier hits as “American Bad Ass” with a seasoned stage experience. He also welcomed a slew of influential guests.

The first were Lynyrd Skynyrd survivors Billy Powell and Gary Rossington, who contributed keyboards and guitar to “All Summer Long,” Rock’s latest hit single that samples that band’s classic, “Sweet Home Alabama,” as well as Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London.”

Rock later welcomed the Reverend Run of Run-DMC fame for electrifying runs through that band’s “It’s Tricky” and its ’80s collaboration with Aerosmith, “Walk This Way.”

As if his vocal Steven Tyler impression were not memorable enough, Rock then immediately welcomed Peter Wolf onstage for the Geils Band gem, ‘Centerfold.” Not many artists of any age can keep up with the energetic Wolf, but Rock easily stood his own, seeming to inspire the veteran.

The current incarnation of Lynyrd Skynyrd may not be all veterans, with only Powell and Rossington remaining from the band’s ’70s glory, but this group’s stomping performance brought the audience back to that era.

Singer Johnny Van Zandt has now fronted the group for more than twice as long as his deceased brother, Ronnie, and his delivery of a collection of classics including “That Smell,” “Gimme Three Steps” and “Simple Man,” which was accompanied by a video montage of servicemen that spanned both genres and wars, was a reminder that the band’s material was worthy of inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (with Rock as their presenter) in 2006.

Yes, they closed with “Free Bird,” and yes, it was fantastic.

kielty_tom@yahoo.com

http://news.bostonherald.com/entertainment/music/general/view/2008_08_25_For_Kid_Rock__American_Rock_is_where_it_s_at/srvc=home&position=also

This entry was posted on Monday, August 25th, 2008 at 8:49 am and is filed under Reviews and Press. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.