Over the weekend, singer and rapper Kid Rock made an abrupt exit from the stage during a Nashville performance, abruptly ending his set due to a lack of audience enthusiasm. On Saturday evening, Rock was a featured guest at the 63rd birthday bash for Bon Jovi keyboardist and founding member David Bryan, held at JBJ's Nashville, a venue owned by Jon Bon Jovi.
Taking to the stage with a band that included Bryan on keyboards, Rock embarked on a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary." However, halfway through the song, he halted the performance, frustrated by the audience's lack of participation.
"Hey, hey, stop!" Rock declared, bringing the music to a halt along with his fellow musicians and the accompanying singer. "If you're not going to clap, we're not going to sing. That's the deal." He then demonstrated how he wanted the audience to clap, beating his hands overhead.
When the performance resumed, some members of the audience joined in, but their participation fell short of Rock's expectations. Once again, he cut the song short, exclaiming, "You know what? Forget you all. If you're not going to clap, I'm outta here."
Following Rock's departure, the band continued with the show. The next day, Bryan shared a clip of Big Kenny's special appearance on Instagram, thanking the Big & Rich singer for his contribution. "THANK YOU FOR THE BIRTHDAY WISHES! Rocking at @jbjsnash last night with @bigkennytv!" Bryan captioned the post.
A representative for Bon Jovi declined to comment, and USA TODAY has reached out to Rock's team for a statement.
Recently, the 54-year-old Rock hit the stage in January as part of President Trump's inaugural events, performing a four-song set. In March, he will embark on a tour alongside Chris Janson and Uncle Kraker, followed by his Rock the Country tour with Nickelback in April.
