Jason Aldean and Kid Rock to Embark on Rock the Country Festival Tour of Small Towns with Special Guests

Jason Aldean and Kid Rock take back roads.

On Monday, the country musicians announced that they will join forces for the Rock the Country tour, which will see them perform at seven festivals in “small towns” across the United States from April to July 2024.

Topping the bill for all seven stops are Aldean, 46, and Kid Rock, 52, who will be joined by Miranda Lambert, Hank Williams Jr., Lynyrd Skynyrd and more on select dates.

“Rock the Country is for anyone who moves this country and loves America. Nobody knows how to party like Small Town America,” Kid Rock said in a statement.

Poster of the ‘Rock the Country’ festival tour.

Rock the Country

Jason Aldean defends ‘Try It Small Town’ but says he would change the location of the controversial music video

Rock the Country will make stops in Kentucky, Alabama and South Carolina, with the seven-stop tour kicking off in Louisiana on April 5th and 6th. All seven stations will include two days of performances. Other acts performing at various shows include Travis Tritt, Lee Brice, Nelly, Warren Zeiders, Big and Rich ft. Gretchen Wilson, Randy Houser, Uncle Kracker and others.

“This festival is our way to give back to these communities and provide an experience like never before. We are passionate about curating events that combine top musical talent with small-town American charm, and we can’t wait for fans to join us on this historic musical journey,” Nathan Baugh, president of 46 Entertainment, shared in the post.

“Rock the Country is more than just a festival; it’s a celebration of music, community, and the shared love of country music that binds us all together,” Baugh continued.

Pre-sale tickets for the tour will be available on Thursday, with public sales starting on Friday.

Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images

Jason Aldean insists he ‘ain’t sayin’ nothing that ain’t true’ on controversial song ‘Try That in a Small Town’

The festival run comes after the controversies of both Aldean and Kid Rock.

Originally released in May, Aldean’s chart-topping song “Try That in a Small Town” drew criticism over the summer from listeners who accused the singer of inciting violence and racism with the song’s lyrics. Aldean also shot his music video at the site of a 1927 lynching in his hometown of Columbia, Tennessee.

Speaking with CBS Morning last month, Aldean claimed that “people of all colors were doing things in the video.”

“There were white people there. There were black people. I mean, this video didn’t shine a light on one particular group and say, ‘That’s the problem.’ And anyone who saw that in the video, then you didn’t watch the video carefully enough, that’s all I can tell you,” he said.

Jason Aldean.

Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images

The musician also referred to the location of the video at the Maury County Courthouse, where 18-year-old black man Henry Choate was lynched nearly 100 years ago. As Aldean explained, he wasn’t aware of the building’s history when he filmed the clip and he “probably won’t” be filming there again.

“But also, I think, again, I’m not going to go back 100 years and check the history of this building,” he said. “If you’re in the South, you could probably go to any courthouse in a small town — you’d be hard-pressed to find one that hasn’t had racial issues at some point over the years. I mean, that’s just a fact.”

Despite the controversy, Aldean defended his intentions to release the song, adding that he would “do it all over again, every time … without the environment, knowing what I know now, obviously, you know, knowing that it was going to be a thing.”

“I know what the intentions were behind the location, the music video, the song, all of that. And, you know, I stand behind all of that,” he said.

Kid Rock. Gary Miller/Getty

As for Kid Rock, the “All Summer Long” singer received backlash earlier this year after he went viral for shooting Bud Light cans with a semi-automatic rifle. The clip came shortly after the beverage brand tapped influencer Dylan Mulvaney for a sponsored video, prompting both transphobic and hateful rhetoric from conservative figures on social media.

Check out Aldean and Kick Rock’s 2024 Rock the Country festival dates below.

5.-6. April – Gonzales, LA – Lamar-Dixon Expo Center

19.-20. April – Ashland, KY – Boyd County Fairgrounds

11.-10. May – Rome, GA – Kingston Downs

7.-9. June – Ocala, FL – Majestic Oaks Ocala

21.-22. June – Mobile, AL – The Grounds

28.-29. June – Poplar Bluff, MO – Brick’s Offroad Parks

26.-27. July – Anderson, SC – Anderson Sports and Entertainment Center

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Source: HIS Education