Most music lovers agree that country and rock are a great combination. Bands like the Eagles and Creedence Clearwater Revival rode the blend to success. At the same time, country artists have been seasoning their sound with rock and roll swagger since the 1970s. When they genres blend well, it’s like a perfectly balanced peanut butter and jelly sandwich. When they don’t, though, the result is like combining oil and water, or putting Lenny Kravitz in front of a CMA Fest crowd.
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Kravitz has been making hit rock tunes since the early 1990s with tracks like “It Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over” and the 1993 smash “Are You Gonna Go My Way.” He has a wall of Gold and Platinum records from the RIAA, multiple Grammy Awards, and tens of millions of fans around the world. However, when he brought his brand of rock to CMA Fest in 2013, it fell flat.
Kravitz opened his abbreviated set with his 1998 hit, “Fly Away,” and received a promising reaction from the crowd. After another song, Kravitz brought Jason Aldean out for a rendition of “American Woman,” followed by “Are You Gonna Go My Way.” Then, Aldean left the stage and Kravitz ripped into a nearly 15-minute-long rendition of his 1989 debut single “Let Love Rule.” The crowd’s reception was so cold that Kravitz gave the crowd the bird with both hands as he walked off the stage.
CMA Fest Crowd Shows Lenny Kravitz No Love
No one can say that Lenny Kravitz didn’t try to bring the CMA Fest crowd along on a funky rock and roll journey. He even went into the crowd in an attempt to get a call-and-response sing-along started. It didn’t work. By the time Kravitz and the band were ready to wrap up “Let Love Rule,” his frustration was obvious. He erased any doubts with his double one-finger salute.
While the video above shows some concertgoers were digging Kravtiz’s performance, Most of the crowd watched the Grammy-winning rockstar like he was a local opening act they’d never heard of.
The lackluster reaction likely boiled down to a lack of familiarity. Most people who were alive in the 1990s and had a radio or watched MTV heard “American Woman,” “Fly Away,” and “Are You Gonna Go My Way.” So, they were, at the very least, familiar with those songs. On the other hand, “Let Love Rule” wasn’t a huge hit and didn’t receive the same widespread airplay.
Then, there is the fact that the average country song clocks in at around three-and-a-half minutes. As a result, most aren’t looking to hear an extended version of a song unless it’s “Freebird,” and that might be pushing it.
The only thing one can know for sure is that Lenny Kravitz left it all on the stage at the 2013 CMA Fest, even if the crowd didn’t get it.
Be sure to tune-in to #CMAfest presented by @SoFi on Thursday, June 26 at 8/7c on ABC to relive your favorite performances!
Featured Image by Lev Radin/Shutterstock
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