Shinedown drummer Barry Kerch has spoken out against rapper Ludacris for his recent decision to pull out of the 2026 ‘Rock The Country‘ festival lineup, allegedly in response to fan backlash. That festival has been seen as having a right wing-oriented political bent in light of the outspoken political beliefs of its various performers and the prominent involvement of conservative rap rock/country star Kid Rock.
Rock co-headlined the touring festival last year, alongside Canadian hard rock legends Nickelback. Last year’s event billed itself as, ‘a festival for we the people’, with organizers for the event further stating
‘Rock The Country is more than a festival; it’s a movement, a gathering of hardworking, God-fearing patriots who love America and believe in the power of live music to bring people together. Here, the beer flows, the love pours, and the music rains down like a monsoon. Are you ready to stand with We The People and experience the force of live music?’
Rock echoed those sentiments in a statement he made for this year’s edition of the festival:
“It’s this simple. ‘Rock The Country‘ isn’t just a music festival; it’s a movement. In 2026, as America celebrates its 250th anniversary, this is a place for hard-working, God-fearing patriots to gather as one and celebrate freedom, music, and the party of the year.”
Ludacris and rapper Nelly were somewhat unexpected additions to the bill for this year’s festival, which was announced on January 12th. Kid Rock, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Jelly Roll, Creed, Shinedown and many more have all been booked for the event. It would also seem that a portion of those artists have since faced significant backlash online for agreeing to play the fest.
Ludacris withdrew from the bill days after being announced for it, with his representative claiming that his involvement in the festival was a “mix-up” and the result of “crossed” lines. However, some have speculated that the multi-platinum rapper/actor withdraw in response to public uproar. Chatting recently with The Vinyl Road, Kerch had the following to say about the matter when asked if his own band had received pushback for signing on for the fest:
“There’s been tons. The knives come out when they don’t like it, especially now politically. And we are an apolitical band. But the knives have come out. It’s crazy. And to be honest, I had no idea, and neither did Brent [Smith, Shinedown vocalist] — I think Zach [Myers, Shinedown guitarist] maybe had a clue — I had no idea this was Kid Rock‘s thing. It was just, ‘Hey, here’s an offer. It looks like a cool lineup, and it’s a mix of country and rock. Okay, we’ll play it.’ We took the offer and played it, and then all of a sudden we find out, ‘Oh, this has got some political leaning to it.’
“I don’t care. I’m just gonna go play a show. I really, really don’t care. You can keep your politics to yourself. I have no opinion one way or the other on Kid Rock. I love his music. This is about music. Ludacris wasn’t tough… I mean, it’s not like he needs the money, Jeez. If he’s not tough enough to stick it out, that’s just silly. That’s him being a coward, in my opinion.”
Kerch was then asked by the podcast host if Shinedown would turn down a festival offer due to another performing artist’s political beliefs or backlash, he replied:
“I would hope not, but [Shinedown] is a democracy. There’s four of us to vote. My vote would be no, but if three of the other guys vote against it, then, again, it’s a democracy. I can’t change their vote. But I would hope not. ‘Cause I like to stick by my grounds. And listen, I don’t do politics when it comes to the business of Shinedown. I have my own beliefs. I keep those to myself, and so do the other three guys. I just wanna go play a rock show with some country bands ’cause it looks like fun.”
[via Blabbermouth.net]
