Jelly Roll burned away the pain at The Honda Center
The tremendously charismatic country artist Jelly Roll brought his Beautifully Broken Tour to the Honda Center, bringing his long and winding 20-year career to a sold out venue of thousands. This truly unique live concert experience could only have come from such a veteran performer, and the show drew a diverse Southern California crowd of cowboys to girls’-night-outers to parents with kids on their shoulders. The show was an amazing experience with top notch production throughout and a tremendous live band. Jelly Roll has assembled a powerful group of talented musicians that are not only brilliant players but also fun to watch. Golden haired drummer Cody Ash absolutely destroyed the drums at the rear of an expansive stage behind dark shades, while a giant mullet flopped all about barely holding on to his wildly banging head.
Jelly Roll had the adoring crowd in the palm of his hand from the first song. After seemingly endless DJ sets, a countdown timer appeared on the huge LED screens above the stage. After the time had elapsed a short movie then played with powerful messages of inclusivity and understanding, indicating that Jelly Roll’s show was a place that you could comfortably be not ok. The performer then made an impressive entrance into the giant arena walking all the way through the crowd on the floor with his wife Bunnie XO in tow, to a small satellite stage with a giant metal house hanging above it.
As he began the show with the song “I am Not OK” the suspended home above him burst into flames providing one of the most memorable and visually stunning concert moments in recent memory. Jelly Roll quite boldly started this huge arena show off by singing a cappella, literally setting the house on fire, and he absolutely nailed it. His voice was hauntingly beautiful and the earnest nature in how he approached his songwriting was moving. His speeches throughout the show about feeling like an outcast, dealing with the impacts of mental illness, and the consequences of drug addiction were so real. This was one of those concerts where you could instantly be converted into a fan, and that very palpable feeling has to be part of the energy driving Jelly Roll’s remarkable success.
With pyrotechnics on multiple stages, giant skull props, huge LED screens, a lot of bling, and an absolutely massive metal stage, not to mention a live video crew that roamed wirelessly providing what looked like a cinematic film experience in real time, Jelly Roll’s concert was nothing short of impressive. At the end of a strong sixteen song setlist Jelly Roll concluded the Anaheim concert with the powerful “Save Me.” Returning to the B-Stage beneath his fiery home, the singer wailed in pain “Somebody save me, me from myself, I’ve spent so long living in Hell, They say my lifestyle is bad for my health, It’s the only thing that seems to help.” As an actual rain shower began to fall from the rafters above him extinguishing the house on fire, the soaked singers anguish turned to huge smiles as he faced a 360 degree standing ovation. This moment was one of many memorable highlights in this show, a visual representation of the fact that music can heal, as it has for many in Jelly Roll’s audience. If you have the opportunity don’t miss this tour which continues through the US into November and catch Jelly Roll at Stagecoach in 2025.
