6/20/2002 - Erie Civic Center
I was really surprised at this show. I liked a lot of Kid Rock's stuff. My kids turned me on to it around the time of Woodstock. I had been looking for a concert to take my 11 year old daughter to. My son had already seen Cooper with me and my daughter wanted to see a show. She really liked Kid, the price was right ($32 each), and Erie is only about a half hour drive. So I said what the hell. Went and waited in line and got decent seats for me, my son and daughter. Seats weren't the best (section 18 row EE seats 7,8,9). By the time I got my tickets, the great seats were gone. Good thing you can't really get a "bad" seat in Erie. Still don't know why there were a bunch of people in line for general admission floor seats. It doesn't matter when you buy your tickets, what matters is when you get in the door! How hard is this to comprehend?
Earshot was nothing special. They have one song on the radio that is so-so. The music was pretty good, but I could hardly understand the singer. I don't know if they had a bad mix, or he doesn't know how to sing on stage. Vocals were barely audible, and what I could here sounded muffled. Kind of like he had the mic right against his mouth.
When the show started, I had a feeling that I was going to get a better show than I was expecting. When the fireworks went off, and the fire-balls started shooting out of the top of the trailer on stage, I had a really good feeling. The longer the night went on, the happier I got. I knew almost every song he played. And he played them all well. Working and talking to the crowd between songs. Building things up with little stories. He is a very good showman. Every person in his band got a solo, then he did a solo on every instrument as well. I knew he played guitar, and DJ'd, but I didn't know he did keyboards, drums, and harmonica as well.
One of the things that I really liked, was when he mixed in some cover songs. He didn't just do it for filler, since he left out some of his own stuff that was really very good. I think he actually did it as a tribute to some of his favorite stuff. He also mixed in a nice little tribute to Joe C. Everyone went crazy for that.
I know one thing that my 15 year old son appreciated, (I did too for that matter). That was the dancers that Kid had performing on platforms on either side of the stage. I will just say that they were scantily clad, very beautiful, and very entertaining. The rest I will leave to your imagination. Another prop I have to give Kid is that even though he was playing a small venue, he didn't hold back on the show, or the effects.
I was really blown away by this concert. I won't hesitate to catch him again. I would have been well worth it at $50 a ticket. If there was one disappointment, it was the lack of a crowd. The place wasn't very full. I really get tired of people complaining that "no one ever comes to Erie". Well, duh! If no one shows up for the concerts, why should anyone bother playing here.
SETLIST
Trucker Anthem
Forever
Welcome 2 the Party (Ode 2 the Old School)
Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin cover)
Where U at Rock
Devil Without a Cause
3 Sheets to the Wind (What's My Name)
Wasting Time
Lonely Road of Faith
American Bad Ass
You Never Met a Motherfucker Quite Like Me
If I Was President
I'm Wrong, but You Ain't Right
Only God Knows Why
Cowboy
(note : this setlist was taken from another show on the same tour, it should be mostly right, but I am sure there are differences, as I remember a medley of covers in there somewhere)