Shinedown is shedding more light on the behind-the-scenes tension surrounding Kid Rock’s Rock the Country festival—and the picture coming into focus is one of growing friction that ultimately led to the band stepping away.
Speaking with Rolling Stone, frontman Brent Smith described a level of fan backlash and internal disruption the band hadn’t encountered before.
“We saw infighting that we had never seen before,” Smith said, explaining how conversations around the festival escalated quickly across their audience.
According to him, the situation reached a point where the band felt it had to step in. “It was our job to diffuse it,” he added.
That unrest wasn’t just external. Comments from drummer Barry Kerch, shared during an appearance on The Vinyl Road podcast, reveal how unexpected the reaction was—even for the band itself.
“There’s been tons,” Kerch said when asked about pushback. “The knives come out when they don’t like it… especially now.” He added, “And we are an apolitical band. But the knives have come out. It’s crazy.”
Kerch also explained that the band didn’t initially realize the broader context surrounding the festival when they agreed to join. “I had no idea, and neither did Brent,” he said. “It was just, ‘Hey, here’s an offer. It looks like a cool lineup… Okay, we’ll play it.’”
According to Kerch, it wasn’t until later that they became aware of how the event was being perceived. “Then all of a sudden we find out, ‘Oh, this has got some… leaning to it.’”
For Smith, the turning point came when the tone among fans shifted from excitement to division. “A lot of people right now don’t feel united,” he said, reinforcing the band’s decision to step back rather than contribute to further tension.
While acknowledging that not everyone agreed with the move, Smith noted that many fans supported it. “You’re entitled to your opinion 1,000 percent,” he said.
Shinedown’s departure was one of several that reshaped the Rock the Country lineup in recent weeks. Artists including Morgan Wade, Carter Faith, and Ludacris also exited the tour, while Creed was later removed from the festival’s website. The cumulative impact of those changes led to the cancellation of at least one major stop.
A planned two-day event in Anderson, South Carolina, was officially called off in early February. Local officials said they were notified shortly before the announcement, with no initial explanation provided. The show was expected to draw a large crowd and deliver a significant economic boost, as in previous years.
Festival organizers later addressed the situation in a statement, saying they were “truly disappointed” not to bring the event to Anderson. They emphasized that the decision was made to maintain production standards and ensure fans receive the experience they expect.
Despite the setbacks, Rock the Country is still scheduled to continue in other cities, with Kid Rock and a rotating lineup of major acts attached to remaining dates.
As for Shinedown, the band is moving forward with its own plans, including the upcoming release of EI8HT and a world tour set to begin in May. “At the end of the day,” Smith said, “we’re still who we are.”