Jelly roll has built up a following in the world of country that many can only dream about. The mere mention of his name in a mis-tagged social media post earlier this week about his upcoming performance in Midland, Michigan caused such a stir with Midland, Texas fans that the Midland County Fair had to release an official statement that the “Son of a Sinner” singer would not be in attendance. Even though Midland, Texas fans couldn’t fulfill the dream of seeing the Nashville singer, fans in attendance of Wednesday night’s rodeo got all they could dream of and more. They weren’t the only ones.
“I’ve been dreaming of this Houston Texas!” yelled Jelly Roll as he walked across the star-shaped stage in front of his band. He paused to bask in the moment, at times almost looking overwhelmed, before regaining his composure spinning slowly around the stage to take it all in. “Let’s go baby! This is officially the biggest show of my entire life!”
As the audience of 74,494 cheered at Jelly Roll celebrating the achievement the band immediately began to break into the next song. Jason “Jelly Roll” DeFord gave his all for the Houston crowd Wednesday, singing, rapping, and talking to the crowd about the musical influences that have shaped him. From talking about his mom introducing him to country, to his sister introducing him to rock, to his brothers introducing him to rap (and a substance he said “smelled like a skunk” wafting from behind his older brother’s bedroom door), DeFord takes the time to show respect and pay homage to the artists that have come before him. At one point he did a medley of classic hip hop songs by icons like DMX, Biz Markie, and Outkast. The audience sang along as the band played through “Ruff Ryders Anthem”, “Just A Friend” and “Ms. Jackson”. Moments later he was shouting out the names of legends like Nirvana and George Strait, even playing songs by Tony Keith and Alabama before abruptly pausing the show.
“I grew up listening to Texas rap. I grew up listening to Texas country,” he explained as fans anxiously looked at the black SUV slowly making its way through the stadium floor dirt towards the rodeo stage. The doors opened and fans screamed at the emerging Cody Johnson. As Johnson took the stage, he and Jelly Roll embraced before the Huntsville balladeer turned to the audience with a huge smile.
“Y’all thought I was Slim Thug,” he laughed before performing “Whiskey Bent” a duet with Jelly Roll from Johnson’s 2023 release Leather.
DeFord’s show is a mix of multiple musical styles, and while the prevailing is obviously country, another prevailing genre is gospel. Parts of the show play like a Christian revival as Jelly Roll takes the time to speak about serious topics like drug abuse and the healing power of music. Whether talking about his appearance in front of congress to speak about the fentanyl epidemic or how his music career helped to save him and his family, DeFord speaks on the healing power of music almost like it is medicine. That seriousness is wrapped up in an air of relatability that makes him so appealing.
“I back the blue,” he said while grabbing the mic as a single spotlight lit up the stage. “So, I know this is not their fault…but I know it’s time for Texas to stop treating weed like it’s illegal or some kind of crime.”
As the crowd burst into applause and laughter he broke into “Bottle and Mary Jane” from his 202 release A Beautiful Disaster.
Wednesday night at the Texas Livestock Show and Rodeo marked the biggest show of Jelly Roll’s career, and with that kind of fan response, the possibility that Houston will be seeing the singer on the rodeo stage again soon.
Setlist
Halfway to hell
The Lost
If you’re gonna play in Texas (Alabama)
Son of a sinner
Should’ve been a cowboy (Toby Keith)
Boyz n the hood (Eazy-E)
Ruff Ryder’s anthem (DMX)
Lose yourself (Eminem)
Ms. Jackson (Outkast)
Just a friend (Biz Markie)
Whiskey Bent (Cody Johnson)
Creature
Dead Man Walking
Smoking Section
Bottle and Mary Jane
Need a favor
Save me
