Welcome to the Honky Tonk

Kid Rock

Kid Rock is not like many of the other artists this blog has covered. Robert James Ritchie (Kid Rock) did not become famous in Nashville or have any major ties to the city. Kid Rock was born on the north side of Detroit's metro area. His father owned an orchid farm and a car dealership, so his family was in the upper-middle class. Kid Rock enjoyed hip hop and break dancing growing up. He eventually joined a group called the "Beast Crew," where they would perform at house parties. Eventually, the group became big enough that Jive Records was interested in some of the members. One of those members happened to be Kid Rock himself. He released an album inspired by the Beastie Boys called "Sandwiches For Breakfast," Which was ultimately a huge flop and landed on Billboard's top 20 worst albums list. Kid Rock's final feature with Jive Records was when he put out a very flagrant song on a college radio station that was, in a way, a tribute to oral sex. He received a hefty fine from the FCC and was later released from Jive Records.

Kid Rock's career after this would actually skyrocket. This is because Kid Rock would sign with Atlantic Records and move away from hip-hop. Rock decided to release more of a country rock album titled "Devil Without a Cause," and it would sell over 14 million copies! Because of this, Kid Rock was more in the spotlight. He gained so much traction that he was able to headline Woodstock in 1999. After all this, he was nominated for two Grammy's one of which was "New Artist of the Year." However, he did not win the awards he was nominated for. 

Moving on in Kid Rock's career, he released his most famous album yet. This album was titled "Rock' n Roll Jesus." It was his first album to top Billboard's top 100 charts. Because of this, he ended up performing the Super Bowl Halftime show with Janet Jackson back in 2004. Rock was critically acclaimed because he wore a pancho made of the American flag, and people saw it as slander towards the United States. 

As for his career and more towards his life, Kid Rock had a very complicated and costly marriage with Pamela Anderson. They started dating in 2001, Rock proposed in 2002, and the couple filed for divorce in 2003. The couple decided to rekindle their love in 2006 and remarried each other, but they got a divorce just 4 months later. After all of this, Rock ran into a couple of legal troubles. To keep it simple, Kid Rock loved to get into fights with other men. Kid Rock first assaulted a DJ in a gentlemen's club, two months after he and five others assaulted a man outside of Waffle House, and finally Kid Rock got into a fight with Tommy Lee, Motley Crue's Drummer (He was married to Pamela Anderson). 

To wrap up Kid Rock as a person, his bar definitely embodies who he is. The bar name, Kid Rock's Big Honky Tonk and Steakhouse definitely can be seen within Kid Rock himself. 

The Honky Tonk Bar

Kid Rock's Big Honky Tonk and Steakhouse is arguably the most lively bar on Broadway. The main music played in the actual bar is between Country and Rock. The building has 5 stories, 4 stages, and 6 bars. On the first floor, there is an elevated three-tier stage so you can see every band member. The second floor, just like most Broadway bars, is a balcony that overlooks the stage on the first floor. When you keep going up, each floor has a stage on it. The fun part about Kid Rock's Honky Tonk is that the windows are open on each floor, so the whole street can see how much fun the guests are having. This is a smart tactic to attract customers walking by or even from other bars on Broadway.

The food that is offered at the bar is pretty typical of a regular steakhouse. Good old-fashioned American food, between chicken, burgers, and giant steaks, the food is definitely a safe pick. The Mixed drinks are all customized to American memorabilia. For example, "The Bobby" is to Rock's favorite movie, Talladega Nights, and Rick Bobby. The other main mixed drink is "Born Free. "This one is self-explanatory. All in all this bar is going to be an absolute party all night long, and even if you want to go grab a bite and listen to some music, it will still be a great time. This place is tailored not just to nightlife but also to families during the day!