It Appears Kid Rock Is Here To Stay

Kool Haus

Toronto, ON

on Oct 12 2008

Andre Mihsin (CHARTattack)

10/15/2007 1:30pm

A lot of hip-hop fans have written Kid Rock off as some kind of joke. Metalheads have done the same, and the holier-than-thou indie community probably doesn't even know he still exists. Or that he ever did.

But all of that was just fine with him and the crowd at the sold-out Kool Haus, which consisted of a healthy mix of bikers, older guys with their sweaters tucked into their pants, cougars, strippers and college kids. If this eclectic mix had anything in common, it was that they were all double-fisting and ready to party.

Of course, it wouldn't be a party without celebrities in the crowd. They included Bubbles, Ricky and Julian of Trailer Park Boys, Verne "Mini-Me" Troyer and Paris Hilton. A-listers they're not, but they're a perfect fit for this particular crowd. (Side note: I wonder what Paris was doing at a Kid Rock show just days after Pam Anderson married that douche from her sex tape? Hmm...)

Kid Rock and his 11-piece band (by my count) started the set with "Rock 'N' Roll Jesus," the title track from his latest record. I wouldn't go as far as to call Kid Rock a rock messiah, but he's certainly experienced a musical epiphany on this record, which is practically free of the straight up hip-hop and self-worship of his early material. Instead, it's a good ol' fashioned rock bonanza.

For example, "So Hott" is an AC/DC-inspired strip club anthem with the opening line, "You got a body like the devil and you smell like sex." "All Summer Long" is a southern rock jam that borrows liberally from Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Half Your Age" is directed toward Anderson, where he boasts that his new girlfriend is "half your age and twice as hot."

The only time he rapped or sang about the glory of being Kid Rock was when he dipped into his back catalogue with "Devil Without A Cause" and "Cocky," which segued into a brief rendition of Metallica's "Sad But True" before that song's main riff lead into "American Bad Ass."

A staple of a Kid Rock performance is when he shows off his skills on the turntables, drums and the guitar. He's been doing for years, so to freshen up the act, Rock and his DJ did a Q&A session where Rock responded by spinning lines from "Welcome 2 The Party." The funniest moment came when the DJ ripped on Kid and asked why he was seen attending a party at Elton John's house, to which he responded, " I like pussy."

Once everyone was properly feeling the effects of all the alcohol, the show turned into a singalong with karaoke favourite "Picture," which featured drummer Stephanie Eulinberg singing the Sheryl Crow part. "Only God Knows Why" had friends hanging off each others shoulders and more than a few drunken makeouts.

For those of you who were in attendance and either got kicked out, passed out or just plain can't remember, the show ended with a rockin' rendition of "Bawitdaba."