Kid Rock - Freedom 250 Tour

"Where I'm going's where I'm at." So says Kid Rock on the title track of his 9th studio album. And considering everywhere Rock has gone during the past 22 years, we can have faith that we're headed for another fascinating, fornicating, galvanizing, eyebrow-raising, endlessly surprising --- at the very least interesting -- trip on the 14 tracks of REBEL SOUL. He has, after all, been our Early Mornin' Stoned Pimp, the Devil Without a Cause, the Cowboy, the Bullgod, the Rock N Roll Jesus, the American Bad Ass and, lest we forget, a proud Son Of Detroit -- all while eating some Grits Sandwiches For Breakfast, doing a bit of Yo-Da-Lin In The Valley and getting 3 Sheets To The Wind. Rock has taken us out to the party and into the bedroom, and on contemplative trips through the Midwestern American spirit. Where he's going tends to be a lot of places. And Rock jots them all on REBEL SOUL, the follow-up to 2010's platinum BORN FREE and the finest, fiercest and funkiest embodiment to date of the punk rock/hip-hop/Southern rock synthesis he described on his 2001 hit "Forever." It is, in his own words, "a greatest hits with all new songs and everything I've touched on in my career at this point -- whether it's the writing style, the singing style, the attitude, the playing...It's all the things I've learned for so many years, on my own and from so many of the people that influenced me.” "I was talking to somebody the other day, trying to explain the record," he adds, pausing before he lets out a laugh. "I said 'It's really confusing -- so it's a perfect Kid Rock record!" REBEL SOUL also represents one of the "easiest" albums Rock has made to this point, a mark of the confidence, assuredness and -- dare we say it -- maturity he and his team have developed over time. The evolution has been genuine and organic, over the course of 26 million record sales and a slew of hits -- from "Bawitdaba" to "Born Free" -- that have criss-crossed the rock, pop and country charts. And let's not discount the impact made by his pair of studio facilities, The Warehouse and the Allen Roadhouse, in the Detroit exurbs, which contributed significantly to the almost offhanded manner by which REBEL SOUL came to be earlier this year. "We had a bunch of songs written and were just learning them to see how they felt," Rock recalls. "Everyone was playing really well, so I said, 'Let's hook this [recording gear] up and take a crack at it. If we don't use it we don't use it, but we're gonna learn something about all these songs as we play 'em. And lo and behold, we got started and just kept going and made a record." Working with the members of his crack Twisted Brown Trucker band and sprinkling in some choice guests -- guitarists Blake Mills (Jackson Browne, Fiona Apple), Audley Freed (the Black Crowes, the Dixie Chicks, Jakob Dylan), Keith Gattis (Kenny Chesney, Gary Allan, Eli Young Band) and Sponge's Vinnie Dombroski -- and with old friend and former TBT member Uncle Kracker co-writing three tracks, Rock says a balance of feel and arrangement was his musical focus for REBEL SOUL. "I wanted to let people get in there and play and not give them too much direction or try to make it too perfect," he explains. "But then I took it and added some more parts afterwards. I look at Eagles records and things like that where they have these great guitar lines and great parts, whether it's a keyboard riff or something else. But I was careful not to change the feel." Rock also deliberately took REBEL SOUL all over the musical map. The gleeful "Chickens In The Pen" kicks things off with Southern grit and tribal vocals, while "Let's Ride," REBEL SOUL's first single and Rock's tribute to troops in service overseas, is heavy, guitar-drenched riff rock. A roadhouse-style blues shuffle drives the politically tinged "3 CATT Boogie," while his Dixie inclinations fortify the title track “Rebel Soul,” "Redneck Paradise," the John Eddie co-write "Happy New Year" and the mournful "Cocaine and Gin." "God Save Rock n Roll," meanwhile, is Rock's version of the classic rise and fall tale that's a kindred spirit to the likes of Bad Company's "Shooting Star" and Foreigner's "Jukebox Hero." "Detroit, Michigan" offers a joyous, Motown-spirited shout out to Rock's beloved home town, while "Celebrate" is a vintage slice of soul-rock that nods to Nutbush, Tenn. Rock also gets deep into some characters on REBEL SOUL, starting with "Mr. Rock n Roll," a dynamic production piece that doubles as a history lesson, or what Rock calls "a journey through music." "It's just saying how soulless records are now, so how about this -- right in your face," Rock explains. "This guy's dad was a roadie for REO Speedwagon in the 70s and his mom was a high-priced call girl in Hollywood, and he was a product of that. That's why he's got eyeliner on and a big sequined suit. It's a Captain Fantastic, Ziggy Stardust kind of thing." Then there's "Cucci Galore," a return to rap-rock roots with hot tubs, leopard-skinned Lamborghinis, edible bikinis, a slinky guitar line, Public Enemy's Flavor Flav on board for quality control -- and yet another Rock persona, Bobby Shazam. "I thought there should be this other dude in the song, who's just way out of his fucking gourd," Rock says. "He's that rock 'n' roll who's beyond the 'I don't give a fuck attitude.' I love to get into characters like that and just have fun with them." Fun, in fact, was crucial for REBEL SOUL, especially after the rich earnestness heard on BORN FREE. "Yeah, it's a fun record," Rock says. You've got a lot of total Kid Rock songs. A lot of this stuff I could just feel how it's going to be when we do it live." REBEL SOUL packs plenty of gravitas, too. "The Mirror," for instance, is as dark and heart-wrenching a song as Rock has ever put on album, with Auto Tune-laced vocals that give the lyrics an eerie, spectral feel. "Let's Ride" was written as "a theme song for the kids that have to go into the shit and fight," many of whom Rock has met during his many trips into the battle theaters of Iraq and Afghanistan. And the album-closing "Midnight Ferry" is a rootsy, funereal reflection that resolves into handclapping "Hallelujah!" celebration. "You kind of go in and out of those moods at times -- you dive into them and come out of it," Rock notes. "Sometimes you're sitting around and feeling reflective and thinking about things, and other times you're like, 'Let's get this fuckin' party started!' But they're all human emotions. We all have all of them, and it wouldn't be honest not to reflect them." The full breadth of the human experience is Rock's palette, of course -- in his music and also beyond. He's become active in humanitarian and philanthropic concerts, working with organizations such as Operation Finally Home, which builds houses for disabled returning veterans, establishing the Kid Rock Foundation to help fund various projects and initiatives around the country, and raising $1 million for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. There was also his pre-election "Americans" video with actor Sean Penn, which delivered the message "Don't let politics divide us. Thinking differently. It's what made this country great." "I'm fortunate; I have the means and the resources to go beyond the music and all the rock 'n' roll hype and everything and do some good work," Rock notes. "I want to do stuff that does fit me, and I want to do stuff that absolutely doesn't fit -- just do stuff that's different, with the music and with everything that comes along with it."

Stop and listen to any of Brantley Gilbert’s lyrics and you know a little about him. Listen to his albums and you will feel like family. Brantley Gilbert was born and raised in the small town of Jefferson, Georgia, just outside of Athens city limits. It is that upbringing and small town influence that Gilbert credits toward allowing him to cultivate his unique sound. Gilbert’s taste in music always swayed toward a southern country rock feel, but his true-to-life testimony of heartache, trials, triumph, and success found a home in country music. Gilbert’s career began on the stage: Night after night, he played acoustic sets at various venues in his hometown and slowly began to notice familiar faces in the crowds. Gilbert soon realized that his acoustic shows — however intimate — didn’t satisfy his audience’s thirst for his rock-infused country music. “We went from these acoustic shows to a bona fide Country- Rock-Soul show that is wide open,” says Gilbert. “Even when we play a ballad, it’s high energy.” While on the road the past five years, Gilbert has built his brand through his compelling lyrics and dynamic live show – a combination that attracted a strong underground band of believers who shared Gilbert’s passion for life and music; pretty soon his following had taken on a life of its own. As Gilbert tells it, “[W]e don’t have fans, we have friends. I like to think that those people in the crowd are just like me. They listen to the songs, they get the meaning and get the purpose and they get something out of it.” It is this rabid fan base that became the first members of what is now known as the BG Nation. These dedicated fans and their insistence on new music from Gilbert encouraged him to bring his unique style to Nashville, Tennessee where he soon signed with Warner/Chappell Publishing and began to develop music for a debut album release on an independent record label. On March 16, 2010, the rising star released his sophomore album, HALFWAY TO HEAVEN, the follow-up to his debut national release, A MODERN DAY PRODIGAL SON. The sophomore effort peaked at #2 on iTunes Country Album Charts, and at #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Album Chart for all genres. “The Best of Me,” a song from Gilbert’s first album was recorded by Country superstar Jason Aldean and earned a spot on his iTunes release WIDE OPEN. Then, in August 2010, Brantley’s song “My Kinda Party,” became a #1 smash for Aldean, as well as the title track to Aldean’s platinum-selling album. The superstar’s latest single, “Dirt Road Anthem,” was also written by Gilbert. “It’s an honor that someone like Jason would want to record one of my songs,” says Gilbert. “It’s a big step for me as a songwriter and I couldn’t have asked for a better artist to perform the song. After all, he is a Georgia boy!” As tour dates multiply throughout the South, Gilbert’s fan base continues to expand. The rising star’s Facebook post see views of 7 million a month and his MySpace page has garnered more than 16 million total song plays— a number that has brought him to the #1 spot on MySpace Music Charts for both Country and Southern Rock. He also continues to sell out venues throughout the country – proof that the BG Nation is relentlessly growing. In February 2011, Gilbert passed another career milestone when he signed with Big Machine Label Group’s imprint The Valory Music Co. -- home to superstars Reba and Jewel as well as #1 chart-topper Justin Moore. Brantley Gilbert’s first single on The Valory Music Co. debuted in the Top 40 at Country radio on its official impact date – an impressive feat by a new artist. Gilbert is currently in the studio with award winning producer Dann Huff working to finish his first album on The Valory Music Co. for a late summer release. “I’ve realized that life can be very short, and everyone should take advantage of it,” says Gilbert. “If you’re gonna live, do something with it. Make it great.”

Born and raised in the Bama clay, these boys are as southern as they come. Taught how to bend a string and break a heart by Skynyrd and Hank, brothers James and Frank Ford along with their hometown friends Andrew Davis and Ben Crain formed the southern rock band known as Them Dirty Roses. Piling into an RV with their belongings, their instruments, and all the whiskey they could carry (in the cooler), they made their way from Gadsden, AL to Nashville, TN. All living all under one roof, Them Dirty Roses are a living example of the quintessential rock and roll American Dream. Their live show calls for a shot of whiskey and a 2 for 1 special -- BUT what that really means is you better be ready to throw back 12 for 6 and shake it with Them Dirty Roses.