Kick Rock, who last released a Top 25 single in 2008, will headline the 2018 NHL All-Star Game in Tampa Bay.
The 2018 @Honda #NHLAllStar Game will feature @KidRock as the headlining entertainment! pic.twitter.com/rhwYqjr4Em
— NHL (@NHL) January 17, 2018
Kid Rock continues a tradition of underwhelming, and arguably irrelevant, artists to play NHL events. One can only assume Kid Rock was booked after the NHL failed to book no less than 250 other artists. I refuse to believe the NHL’s first choice in musical entertainment for an All-Star Game in Tamp Bay, Florida was a fake Senate candidate and country-rap singer from Detroit.
Regardless of the NHL’s preferences, they can’t be surprised by the backlash from fans on Twitter. With Kid Rock’s controversial history of performing with Confederate flags on stage and ability to ruin classic rock songs with god-awful lyrics, no one could expect this announcement to be met with a ton of positive reactions. From media members to fans, the NHL got some harsh and hilarious feedback after the Kid Rock announcement.
Check it out:
Did the NHL get turned down by 10,000 more prominent musicians of was Kid Rock a first choice? Either way, amazing.
— Travis Yost (@travisyost) January 16, 2018
The NHL is your grandma buying you a BlackBerry because she heard that's what "the kids are using" these days. If the BlackBerry was racist.
— @alishagrauso.bsky.social (@AlishaGrauso) January 17, 2018
artists the nhl could have booked for all star weekend instead of kid rock:
– literally any elvis impersonator
– the jonas brothers
– the ghost of frank sinatra
– a roomba with an ipod attached to it— 🪴 (@goalietandem) January 17, 2018
— player/coach (@CMPunk) January 17, 2018
Reminder: For a decade, Kid Rock displayed confederate flags at his concerts.
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) January 17, 2018
NHL ☎️ Kid Rock’s Agent
Agt: Hello?
NHL: Hello we would like to have Kid Rock perform at our All-Star game.
Agt: ummmm Are you sure?
NHL: Yep
Agt: You do know he openly supports Trump right?
NHL: Yep
Agt: You know you will be horribly ridiculed on social media right?
NHL: Yep— Kevin (@theeKMc) January 17, 2018
https://twitter.com/BForanNHL/status/953424035441934336
NHL: The fans and podcasts sullied the game with the John Scott voting. No one will watch.
Result: Record ratings
NHL: We're going to lock down voting, not let the players go to the Olympics, and infuse the game with entertainment. Here's Kid Rock.
Result….— Kishore Hari (@sciencequiche) January 17, 2018
Kid Rock’s Sunday performance will take place during the All-Star Game’s second intermission, the most valued performance slot of the weekend. All-Star Game Weekend’s musical performances begin with Florida’s own, Flo Rida performing at the NHL Skills Competition. So, while you watch some of the best hockey players on the planet, you can finally get your fix of autotune and racist country rappers.