With hundreds of thousands Super Bowl fans roaming the crowded streets of Detroit, one would figure that there would be no one going to see a concert. Well, a sold out crowd of 17,000 packed into Joe Louis Arena to see Kid Rock put on a 2 hour, 20 minute show. The concert incorporated a few surprises, and satisfied most people in the audience.

Decked out with a full length black fur coat, Rock came out to his Twisted Brown Trucker band ripping through a scorching tease of Bawitdaba, before launching into the Monday Night Football theme sounding Son of Detroit. The hip-hop tinged Where U At Rock helped bring the older (and far superior) Rock material into the show. The group would have been better off just playing Rock’s signature first hit.

The show seemed to follow the set list from the previous night’s show, as well as many shows in the past. The material seemed to be dominated early by old school rap-rock and his semi-countryifed Cocky album. The title track of Devil Without A Cause generated a lot of excitement; and the singalong of deceased midget rapper Joe C was almost deafening. Early strong cuts included I Am The Bullgod, Jackson, Mississippi, and Forever.

After a rendition of “America the Beautiful”, Rock sizzled through his best track to this day, the blissfully over the top American Bad Ass, with the Trucker band playing tight around him. I don't know why the best song of the entire show was played halfway through the concert. Rock ought to think about always ending with this song, instead of shoving it in the middle of the set list.

After an entertaining turntable banter with Trucker DJ Paradime, the show took a turn for the sappy. It almost seemed as Rock reached out to the droves of the 35 year old groups of women who see Rock as a grimier version of Jon Bon Jovi. Rock started touching on lighter material, such as the massive hit Picture and the power ballad Only God Knows Why.

The crowd was in cardiac arrest when Detroit legend Bob Seger came out, and did Rock & Roll Never Forgets. Even though most fans were ecstatic, this reviewer would have rather heard an older Kid Rock song (no offense to Seger). Rock did recover at the end with the song he and his band teased us with at the beginning, the aforementioned Bawitdaba.

Even with the lull in the show, Rock still proved he is a dynamic stage presence, and always seems to bring the party. And the fans of Detroit will always respond….

But I would love to pick his set list, because some the current songs have to go.