It's been a rough start of the year for one Robert Ritchie, better known to the masses as Kid Rock. For one, his headlining gig at the Turning Point USA "alternative halftime show" was marred with mishaps, not the least of which was being outdrawn by the friggin' Puppy Bowl by a 2 to 1 margin. It didn't help, then, that accusations of lip-syncing were levied against the one-time early mornin' stoned pimp.
Not usually one to kick a man while he's down or punch downward, Conan O'Brien took aim at Kid Rock and TPUSA during his gig hosting the Academy Awards last weekend, quipping:
"Tonight could get political, and if that makes you uncomfortable, there's an alternate Oscars being hosted by Kid Rock. It's at the Dave & Buster's down the street."
Not sure why D&B's is catching strays here, but still, damn. Kid Rock took advantage of the free(?) publicity to plug his Freedom 250 tour and strike back at the late-night and Simpsons legend, stating:
"I love a good joke, even when I am the butt of it, unfortunately this was not a very good one."
I love a good joke, even when I am the butt of it, unfortunately this was not a very good one.
— KidRock (@KidRock) March 16, 2026
Either way, if you want to see a REAL good show this spring / summer that celebrates America and 250 years of Freedom - make sure you buy your tickets from (ugh) Ticketmaster for my… https://t.co/krNt2iJnHP
It would seem that Rock's showmanship isn't very good, as reports suggest that tickets for his Freedom 250 tour are not moving as well as anticipated, and even with all of the fighting Live Nation and Ticketmaster, the front five rows of prospective devils without a cause at these shows will be shelling out a small fortune for the show. The fifth-row seats are priced at $1,000, with each row moving up increasing by another grand, ending with $5,000 for front-row seats, according to a report from MSN's Zara Irshad.
Even the nosebleeds are $50, and the tour is only ten shows in total, so even setting aside the cultural irrelevance of Kid Rock in the year of our Lord 2026, maybe it's the pricing that's keeping folks from partying with their Rock n Roll Jesus. Either way, even though he went platinum seven times once upon a time, it appears as though the streets ahead of him are paved in pyrite rather than gold.
