By: David Schultz

Even though Kid Rock has recorded multiple platinum records, dated a bevy of supermodels and spends all his time living a gloriously debauched lifestyle, he still feels under appreciated. At least that’s what you would believe if you took his lyrics at face value. Even if he’s no longer struggling to make ends meet, Rock still finds great joy in singing of the pursuit of the American Dream and continues to mockingly, often profanely, deride those who had the temerity to doubt him. It’s a theme that has gained him fans across all strata of society. After all, anyone who has ever daydreamed about reaching ridiculous levels of success, opting against decorum and gleefully flipping off your enemies and naysayers can find common ground with many of Kid Rock’s songs.

Now that America’s most lovable pimp has become a mainstay of the tabloid headlines, who could blame him if he’s developed a bit of a persecution complex. In naming his latest album Rock N Roll Jesus, Rock surely isn’t suffering from feelings of inferiority when it comes to looking for historical figures to identify with. If the concepts behind his newest release are grand, his choice of venues to initially promote it is not. On the night his album dropped, Rock celebrated the event in New York City at The Fillmore at Irving Plaza, a venue the Michigan native has long outgrown.

At the height of Devil Without A Cause’s success, the Kid headlined Madison Square Garden. Upon each return, the size of the venues has been inversely proportional to his popularity, much to the delight of those who can get tickets. To facilitate his return to the club circuit, Rock’s left behind his lavish, multi-level stage set. Without his customary theatrics, Rock and the Twisted Brown Trucker Band crammed onto the Irving Plaza stage and concentrated on his unique mix of rap, metal, country and southern rock.

Dressed for the occasion, Rock bounded onto the stage clad in a brilliant white suit that accentuated the savior like pose he kept striking during “Rock N Roll Jesus.” Sharp as it may have been, his attire didn’t make it past the opening number. After basking in the cheers of the crowd, who were all ridiculously psyched to be seeing Detroit’s native son in a tiny venue, Rock soon stripped off the formal wear, playing most the set bare chested. Rock truly seemed at home in the club setting. If he weren’t on stage, he’d probably be just as happy rocking out with the crowd.

With a sly grin, Rock asked if anyone had been to the record store today. An apt way to put it as Rock N Roll Jesus is one of the rare new releases not available through iTunes. His new batch of songs are the typical pastiche of genres that people have come to expect from a Kid Rock album and he dedicated a healthy portion of the show to them. The salacious “So Hott” fits right in with Rock’s other boastful anthems and on “All Summer Long,” which continues his long-running love affair with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rock touts the praises of constantly listening to “Sweet Home Alabama” while the TBT band works a riff ridiculously similar to Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves Of London.” Of the other new songs, “Sugar” is one of Kid’s generic self-referential rap-rock come-ons and “Amen” simmers with gospel-tinged passion but “Roll On” is shockingly and disappointingly poppy.

Even before concluding “Welcome 2 The Party,” his signature welcoming tune, Rock had the crowd by the proverbial balls, spending the rest of the night urging them to wave their hands (and middle fingers) in the air while plowing through rowdy rap-metal classics like “Devil Without A Cause,” “You Never Met A Motherfucker Quite Like Me” and a pulsating “I Am The Bullgod.” Rock’s in-your-face, boastfully confrontational songs provide a cathartic release and the crowd lustily joined in on any opportunity to shout profanities at loud decibels. “Cocky” and “American Badass,” with their multiple namechecks of Rock’s favorite bands, also prompted similarly rowdy responses.

All the tabloid nonsense involving his Motley Crue sparring partner and their mutual ex-wife doesn’t seem to be bothering Rock too much. Having weathered a surreal sex tape fiasco that had him sharing headlines with Creed’s Scott Stapp, Rock is used to being a target of the sensationalistic media. He takes it all in stride with a good-natured, self-deprecating aplomb, saving his witty braggadocio and more pointed retorts for his songs. Unsurprisingly, The Fillmore sided with Rock. After closing his set by pulling out the Frampton-era fuzz box for a powerful version of “Only God Knows Why” a loud sustained “Fuck Tommy Lee” chant persisted until Rock came back for the encore. Taking a swipe at the other celebrity to whom he’s inextricably linked with in tabloid stories, Rock related how much he loved getting married and what a pain in the ass it was to actually be married. If Rock doesn’t get the last word on his brief marriage to Pamela Anderson, he will have the most enduring. “Half Your Age,” which praises his new girlfriend as being half his old one’s age and twice as hot, may not have the eloquence of “Positively 4th Street” but it makes it point just as scathingly.

Rock saved his two biggest hits for his encore with “Bawitdaba” prompting a mosh pit to break out in the center of the crowd during the song’s final throes. While “Bawitdaba” was the song that first got him noticed; “Cowboy” was the song that proved he deserved the attention. One of his biggest hits, “Cowboy” has never translated well into a live setting . . . until tonight. In the hands of Marlon Young, who absolutely devoured the delicious southern funk guitar riff, “Cowboy” finally sizzled with the proper gritty charm.

Rock’s outsized stage presence and bombastic live show had The Fillmore bursting at the seams. Those lucky enough to get into the club this past Tuesday night may very well have experienced one of New York City’s best shows this year.