As Kid Rock tries a regular-guy approach to concert touring, he has discovered it's tough to be a populist pop star because Republican legislators have passed state laws that favor wealthy business people.
In addition to charging only $20 for concerts on his upcoming tour, Rock wants to make rows two through 18 available via paperless ticketing. Many states have outlawed the practice, which infuriates Rock, whose stumping for GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney was one of the craziest aspects of Romney's dysfunctional campaign.
"That's one of the times I'm fucking embarrassed to be a Republican," he tells Rolling Stone. "It's fucking Republican lawmakers passing those laws, you dumbasses. They already did it in New York and they're trying to do it in Michigan. I've even called some of those guys to try and stop it."
He's also livid with Ticketmaster. "They're taking a fucking five-dollar service charge," he says. "It's 25 percent of the fucking ticket! That's fucked up, but I've beaten them up as much as I can. Then Walmart stepped in and agreed to charge just $20, and it includes parking."
Many of Kid Rock's musical peers have been basically pointing their middle fingers at him since he campaigned for Romney last year. "People in this country just hate each other for voicing an opinion, especially in my business," he says now.
"I'm like the fucking lone wolf. Look, I tend to vote Republican, but I don't like the hardcore views on either side and I'm not in bed with anybody. I'd probably be more Libertarian, but I'm a firm believer you have to pick a side. I can't be playing the middle. If you think differently, that's fine. I'd love to grab a beer and hear why you think that way."
Unlike most Republicans, Rock supports gay marriage and abortion rights.
Might he endorse Hillary Clinton in 2016 if she ran against someone as socially conservative as, say, Rick Santorum? "That's a tough one," he says with a big laugh. "Jesus. I'm not letting you snake me into that. Nice try, though."
