Kid Rock goes for it during a concert at DTE Energy Music Theatre in Detroit, August 2013. (Photo by Chris Schwegler)
Kid Rock will show off his rocking harmony and bad boy persona across America this summer to promote his newest album First Kiss — and to entice fans he’s offering entertainment at the low price of $20 a ticket.
The Detroit-city cowboy rocker teamed up with Live Nation for the “$20 Best Night Ever” tour that went on sale Feb. 24, selling out at most venues. Kid Rock and the Twisted Brown Tucker Band will trek across the country with special guest Foreigner, with the first show touching down June 24 at Xfinity Theatre in Hartford, Conn.
Additionally, the rock star will perform seven shows near his hometown Detroit at the DTE Energy Music Theater.
“It’s always exciting to have Kid Rock at our venue,” said Bryant Fillmore, public relations manager for Palace Sports and Entertainment, which manages the DTE Energy Music Theater. He said the atmosphere of a Kid Rock concert is hard to beat, especially in Michigan, home state of the rocker.
“If you’re not even a big fan, you will become one quickly because he puts out one of the best shows that I’ve ever seen,” Fillmore said. “He’s been at our venue many of times. He did eight shows in August of 2013.”
The tour will end on Sept. 5 at the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn, Wash.
This isn’t the first time that Live Nation and Kid Rock offered a killer price for concert tickets. In 2013, Kid Rock had his first $20 tour, selling out venues throughout the nation.
Tickets for the 2015 tour “will be handled as they were for the last run, with every effort made to keep fees down and scalpers at bay,” according to a press release. “Tickets from the second row to the lawn will be $20, with reduced parking and service fees keeping the total ticket price $30 or under.”
The $20 (all-in) tickets were sold at participating Walmart stores and venue box offices, and tickets purchased at Walmart included a $2-off coupon for Kid Rock’s new album, according to the release.
“This is very exciting,” Fillmore said of the $20 tour. “We had over 1,000 fans in line for (the tickets).”
A thousand tickets from each venue were put on a platinum ticket program through livenation.com to decrease scalping, the press release stated.
“The first row of seats for every show will be held back and given as free upgrades for lucky fans attending a Kid Rock show this summer. Plus, $20 special food packages will be available during the shows,” stated the release. “And, of course, since they were so popular last time around, there will be $4 drought beers and special $20 T-shirts available throughout the amphitheaters.”
Kid Rock made several guest appearances on network TV shows to promote the tour and his new album.
He appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, on Feb. 23 and he graced the Today Show, and on Feb. 25 he visited Howard Stern.
Fan club members were able to purchase tickets five days earlier than others on Feb. 19.
“The ‘$20 Best Night Ever’ tour set all sorts of attendance records proving that the combination of top notch entertainment and affordable tickets are a win-win for everyone,” stated the press release.
Interviewed for this story: Bryant Fillmore, (248) 377-0107