Jelly Roll Hit Saint Louis With High Energy Performance Wednesday

Sean Derrick October 26, 2024 0 Comments Alexandra Kay, country concert, Jelly Roll, Saint Louis concert review and photos, Warren Zeiders

–by Sean Derrick

Fresh off his tribute to Ozzy Osbourne at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Saturday Jelly Roll made a mid week stop in Saint Louis for a sold-out performance at Enterprise Center.

In town to promote his latest album, Beautifully Broken, Jelly Roll is riding high. Beautifully Broken debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Charts after it was released October 11 and appears poised to stay there for a while.

Jelly Roll (real name Jason Bradley DeFord) has dipped his hand in several genres, starting off in hip hop but has clearly found his niche in country music. And while he has soared as a country star he still infuses hip hop and rock into his songs and live shows.

Jelly Roll is the hottest thing in music today, literally. He is #1 on the Billboard 100 Artist Chart (it ranks artists based on album and single sales, radio airplay, and audience impressions across all genres.) and is in the middle of a highly successful tour with sold-out shows at nearly every stop.

The fact that a sold-out major arena show occurred in the middle of the week did not go unnoticed by Jelly Roll as he thanked the crowd several times for taking time on a work/school night to spend it with him, especially when he was playing venues like the Firebird and Pop’s just a few years ago. But that is the nature of Jelly Roll, a humble rock/rap/country star that has taken the music world by storm since his single “Dead Man Walking” took off.

Jelly Roll also mentioned that the first rock station to play his music was the St. Louis alternative station 105.7 The Point in 2022, which undoubtedly helped his meteoric rise so quickly, and a fact that leaves a special place in his heart.

He came out and began his show on a satellite stage by the soundboard near the back of the floor seats, performing “I am Not Okay” under a house frame lowered from the rafters and set ablaze. It was an unusual place to begin a show, but epic, nonetheless.

After making his way to the main stage Jelly Roll didn’t slow down, hitting “Halfway to Hell” and “Get By” with power and emotion flying high, setting the stage for the rest of the show.

One of the most poignant moments of the show (there were many) came when he performed “She” (a song that addressed the heroin/fentanyl addiction issue) on a stool with guitarist Jack Fowler playing a piano that was on fire.

Throughout the night Jelly Roll kept fans on their feet singing and clapping along to even new songs like “Burning” and “Heart of Stone”.

Beautifully Broken is his 10th studio album and by the sound of the new songs he played he is set to continue his success well into next year with some great singles.

A Jelly Roll show is a fast moving cross-genre experience mixed with songs that hit home with many in attendance. He said it is “more than a concert. It’s about redemption, recovery, and freedom. All the other bullshit can be left at the door.”

It’s like Jelly Roll connects with everyone on a personal level at his shows, from his stories about being a former dealer who turned his life around and found redemption to commenting on fan’s posters, it is apparent that Jelly Roll sincerely cares about his fans. At one point he talked directly with a fan on one of the side sections about a sign she had which said his music helped her get by being bullied.

The show ended with Jelly Roll also on the satellite stage with the house burning again for his megahit “Save Me”, but the fire was quickly doused by rain. Epic start, bigger message ending.

Jelly Roll had steamrolled through a 2-hour set that mostly stayed within the last 3 albums but also included some of his earlier songs like “Fall in the Fall”, “Smoking Section” and “Same Asshole”. He also did some covers including a tribute to Toby Keith with “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” where he brought out opener Alexandra Kay to sing the Shania Twain classic.

Alexandra Kay performing at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Photo by Sean Derrick/ Thyrd Eye Photography.

Kay, who grew up 30 minutes away in Waterloo, Illinois had an upbeat set and bubbly attitude to compliment her dynamic voice. She is an independent artist who has worked hard to make a name for herself with songs like “Painted Him Perfect” and “Backroad Therapy”.

Her 30-minute set seemed too short. So, with that (and the fact it was a hometown show) she announced that she would have a headlining show at Saint Louis Music Park on June 20, 2025. (Tickets are on sale for that show now HERE)

Warren Zeiders held the support slot for the show with a fiery set (literally) that included “Intoxicated”, “Pretty Little Poison”, and an unreleased song, “Bad”.