Jelly Roll Shares A Grateful Spirit As He Headlines Music City Rodeo Show

With the hometown crowd fired up and ready to go, Jelly Roll hit the stage that had just been lowered from the ceiling a short time ago. With rodeo dust still in the air, the stage now covered part of the thick dirt floor, where cowboys had wrapped up competition on Day 2 of the Music City Rodeo, less than an hour ago.

He kicked things off with his song “Heart of Stone.”

Jelly, who is currently on tour with Post Malone, did a show in Pittsburgh the night before. He’d flown into Nashville at around 2am that morning. He was clearly happy to be back in town.

“Aww, Nashville,” he said in a booming voice. “There’s no place like home! I’ve traveled the world, been across the United States, and there’s no place like home!”

The Nashville-native’s warm references to home would set the tone for the next hour-and-a-half where he sang his hits but also stopped several times to talk directly with the audience, often getting emotional. He wanted to express his gratitude, and perhaps a little bit of awe, over his spectacular rise to fame as a country music superstar over the past three years.

Throughout the show, he touched on different aspects of his life and journey, when circumstances indicated none of what he’s accomplished might be remotely possible. From the days of sneaking into bars as a teenager and selling his mixed tapes on Lower Broadway – to the negative life choices that would later land him in jail.

His appearance tonight had special meaning. It marked his third time playing the Bridgestone Arena. He admits four or five years ago, he couldn’t imagine playing in much smaller venues. But three years ago, with just two hit songs to his name, the powers that be took a risk on Jelly Roll and booked him here.

“I would have never guessed that hometown show was going to launch me to play 80 arenas across the United States of America and have one of the biggest shows of last year. I never thought a kid from Antioch, Tennessee, was going to end up on tour with Post Malone and selling out stadiums across the world!”

The crowd roared with applause.

“I want y’all to know I’d never take this for granted, what ya’ll have done for me in this city, and how y’all have changed my life.”

He noted how special it was to play this particular show, as Nashville hosts its first-ever professional rodeo. Reba McEntire headlined the first night, Jelly Roll the second, with Tim McGraw capping things for night three.

“I’m honored to be here tonight, but I want to be clear, this not a Jelly Roll show. This is the first Music City Rodeo, and they let Jelly Roll do a show. I’m just here to support the cowboys, and I want to thank the cowboys that stuck around to support me.”

Backed by his spectacular band, he rocked the house with familiar songs like “Get By,” “Liar,” “Lonely Road (Country Roads),” “I Am Not Okay,” “Need A Favor,” “Save Me,” and more. He also did covers of Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been A Cowboy,” and Garth Brooks’ “I Got Friends In Low Places.”

And between songs, he continued sharing his thanks, as well as his faith.

“I’ll be honest, coming from where I came from, I didn’t think I was going to live to be 30 years old, and if I did, I assumed I’d be in prison, spending the rest of my life there. But God had a different plan for me. And it’s by God’s grace and God’s grace alone I am here tonight!”

He hopes sharing his story will inspire others.

“I know it sounds cliché’ but I’m a human example that not only do dreams come true, but bad people can be good people. I come here with a message of love, hope, healing, self-belief, second chances, redemption, God’s grace, and testimony of the most high. If you believe in change and you’re willing to work for that change, then God’ll get in the middle of it and it’ll change, baby!”

In a world where so many of Jelly’s dreams have come true, he decided to step out, and share another.

“I want to be the first act to play Nissan Stadium when it opens in the Spring of 2027, y’all. Please let the local boy open up the new stadium. Sorry, I know that’s crazy, but I’ve got to speak it into existence. I believe it.”

Jelly Roll has proven – believing is key.

As the show drew to a close, he remarked on the power of music to heal broken hearts and serve as medicine or therapeutic.

“I believe music says what the soul cannot say.”

He’s grateful so many of his own songs written because they said what “he” needed to hear, are now resonating others.

He reminded the crowd for anyone struggling to keep in mind, “It might not always be okay, but I can promise you, it’s always alright.”

He wrapped things up with his song “I Am Not Okay,” which says exactly that.

Right after his Music City Rodeo show, Jelly Roll thanked and bid Nashville farewell, for now. He headed off to board a plane to rejoin Post Malone on tour.