Playing to a packed house at Darien Lake Amphitheater, Country rapper Jelly Roll brought his Backroad Baptism to Western NY on Aug. 3. Fans in attendance were in for one hell of a show by Jelly Roll and opening acts Struggle Jennings and Caitlynne Curtis.
While I did not make it in time for the opening acts, I did manage to catch the end of Struggle Jennings set. Not knowing much about him, I did talk to a few fans, and he seems to have a good following, as everyone I spoke with said that he is a regular on their streaming services. What I did get from his set was that, like Jelly Roll, Struggle Jennings (William Curtis Harness Jr) has a troubled past with prison time included. Lucky for him and for us, he has found the right path and is making the most of every opportunity. He has a voice that one cannot just describe, yet it matches his style and muse perfectly.
Wake up tomorrow and make it the best fucking day of your life
Struggle Jennings
Like his successor on stage, Jennings is a humble dude. He spoke about how everything happens for a reason, and you need to take advantage of every opportunity that is thrown your way, and he used his own daughter as an example. With him being incarcerated, and the mother of his child passing away, his daughter was in and out of foster care and dealt with her own demons along the way, but kept her head up and graduated with high honors and is heading off to college.
After dabbling in the rap and hip-hop markets for about ten years, the Tennessee native entered the country market and immediately made a name for himself. His unique vocals, inspirational messages, and powerful range have led him to be one of the most recognizable names in music today. With his current tour barely underway, Jelly Roll is riding high on music charts as well, with his latest album Whitsitt Chapel sitting at number two in iTunes’s top 100 country albums and is up there on Billboard rock/alternative chart as well.
Getting back to the show at Darien Lake, Jelly Roll hit the stage around 9 p.m., with his drummer welcoming him with a solid little beat. He starts the night off in absolute style, with “The Lost,” “Hate Goes On,” and “Halfway to Heaven,” with the latter heating up with pyrotechnics joining the party. It is clear at this point the next 90 minutes are going to be loud, fun, and hot. Talking about his roots and how he came to country music, Jelly Roll spoke about the power of 90s country and unleashes a mash-up of covers starting with the very vocal Toby Keith.
Naturally, the crowd sang along as he rolled through four or five songs. At this point, I think the only fans left sitting were way back on the lawn. The crowd was pumped up and made Jelly smile from ear to ear. He talked about Buffalo and the area and of course the well-known Bills Mafia. He played Darien Lake on Tuesday, after a Buffalo Bills Monday night game and he said the crowd was something he had yet to see, with the Mafia out in full force. He added that it really made an impression on him about the passion that Bills fans have.
Onward with the music, he does a couple more covers, starting with a mix of The Animal’s “The House of The Rising Sun.” Very much making it his own, he nailed the melancholy rhythm and with some effects of the fire towers on stage, this arrangement instantly becomes a talking piece. His next cover was that of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man,” which holds a special place in Jelly’s heart. With an acoustic vibe, this piece was done perfectly and with the crowd chiming in for the final verse, the mix became complete.
As Jelly Roll finished his set, one can look around and see what a diverse group he gathers. Out on the lawn, there are grown men, chugging Bud Light and rocking t-shirts. You see the younger crowd, discretely vaping and dancing to every beat. There are groups of older folks who you might have thought took a wrong turn on the way to bingo, yet they are having a time listening to this 38-year-old rapper turned country star. Jelly Roll is the star that doesn’t just attract country music fans of a certain demographic. He manages to lure in everyone with his humbleness, simple messages, and simple charm. While he has been in the music business for several years, Jelly Roll is now just making his mark and defining who he is in the field of music.
our windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror for a reason. Cuz what’s in front of you is much more important that what’s behind you…”
Jelly Roll
Set list: The Lost, Hate Goes On, Halfway to Hell, Creature, Dead Man Walking, Son of a Sinner, Country Medley/mix, She, Dancing With The Devil, Teaks Could Talk, Dirty South, Bottle And Mary Jane, Need a Favor, House of Rising Sun medley, Wheels Fall Off/Kill a Man, Fall in the Fall, Simple Man (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Smoking Section, Save Me
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