2008 Woodie Awards
'Rock 'n' Roll revival' offers musical mix for all
Kid Rock promises entire audience unforgettable 'twisted' rock showcase
Timothy Finn
The Associated Press
Issue date: 2/21/08 Section: The Mix
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Five minutes before the appointed time, the phone rings. On the other end, Kid Rock sounds sleepy and groggy, but he's ready to talk. For 15 minutes. Calling early for a phone interview could also mean that you're not really rock `n' roll, either, except these days Kid Rock is as rock as he has ever been.
His latest album, "Rock `n' Roll Jesus," is a mix of classic rock, hard rock, Southern rock, Heartland rock, country rock plus a country ballad or two. Resemblances to his first and best-selling album, "Devil Without a Cause," are minor and rare: not much rap-rock and even less macho-pimp braggadocio (and not as much low-brow wit, either). Just lots of heavy riffs and party anthems.
In 2008 Robert Ritchie, 37, has stepped away from his alter-egos. These days he is more interested in showing off the music and performers he grew up with - the sounds influenced by Bob Seger, AC/DC, Skynyrd, Warren Zevon, Hank Jr., Run-DMC.
So when it came time to tour on "Jesus," Rock decided it was time to turn down the porno, turn off the pyro and just play some taproot music. Sunday night he brings his "Rock and Roll Revival Tour" to Sprint Center, and instead of the flashpots and caged strippers of earlier tours fans should expect a rock `n' roll showcase that lasts nearly three hours.
"A childhood friend comes out and talks to the crowd and plays some music for about 15 minutes," Rock said. "It's a way of letting everyone know the show's about to start. Then we kick it off for about 2 hours. We all rotate on and off the stage and tie it all together with a big finale."
The "Revival" will include some old-school hip-hop, courtesy of one of Kid Rock's guests, the Reverend Run of Run-DMC. But it'll be rap with a rock twist, thanks to his Twisted Brown Trucker Band.
"A lot of people love hip-hop, but they don't like the way it's presented on stage," Rock said. "Or they just don't want to go to a concert to deal with the riff-raff that usually shows up."
"What we're doing kind of reminds me of `Hail Hail Rock and Roll' where Keith Richards puts together that great band for Chuck Berry ... With my band and how we tied it all together, I don't think Run-DMC's songs have ever sounded better."
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