Harley-Davidson Festival, Day One: Kid Rock and Joan Jett Rouse the Leather-Clad Throngs

Photo: Brad Fedie

For bikers, this year’s Harley-Davidson Festival is a big deal: Organizers are expecting more than 100,000 Harley riders and guests to descend on Milwaukee this weekend to celebrate 105th birthday of the H-D motorcycle. Many rode to Milwaukee from all around North America; some came from as far away as New Zealand. On day one of the Festival, thousands came to Miller Park for fifteen hours’ of comedians, merch booths, bike stunts and beer, beer, beer. Oh, and music, too: The two big acts on day one, Kid Rock and Joan Jet, were like politicians speaking to their bases, turning out brassy, biker-friendly rock to a sea of sun-burned, leather-clad men and women very much in the mood to be entertained.

When I talked to him before his show, Kid Rock, a Harley owner himself, told me he might tweak his set list to make it more biker-appropriate. He may have done just that: The gig was light on rapping and included the Detroit rock medley – snippets of Seger, Nugent, the Temptations and Eminem -- he thought the Harley folks would like. But less because of setlist tweaks than Rock’s natural greaseball charm, the crowd ate up all of Rock’s set, standing on bleacher seats and pumping fists in between trips to buy cups of Miller.

Rock was flanked flanked by a big incarnation of the Twisted Brown Trucker band, which featured two guitarists, a drummer, a bassist, a percussionist, a sax player, a DJ, and two female backup singers. The band ran kind of like a Harley – noisily and powerfully– as Rock, dressed in what looked like a custom jogging suit, ran through much of his most recent album, the very blue-collar-friendly Rock N Roll Jesus: Among others, there was the sweet, Skynyrd-quoting reminiscence (and current hit) “All Summer Long,” and the sleazetastic title track.

Rock did not always rock. He took time out for a version of his sad rock star ballad “Picture,” where he duetted with one of the backup singers, and he performed an interlude – exactly the same one I saw him do in Oklahoma City a few years back -- in which he showed off his skills on turntables, drums and guitar. After announcing, “it’s time for a little honky-tonkin’,” Rock also turned in “Half Your Age,” a country song that seems to be about getting a new girl after his marriage to Pam Anderson failed (chorus: “She’s half your age and twice as hot”). Only this time, his drummer, Stephanie Eulinberg, stepped from behind the kit to deliver a tweaked chorus that got a giant cheer “He’s half your age, with twice the cock.”

You can quibble with the material, but not the effort – Rock sweated his way through nearly two full hours, telling the crowd he was pleased to be “rockin’ all you drunk fuckers in Milwaukee.” Whether or not he meant it, the crowd believed him.

Jett didn’t get quite as enthusiastic a response – she was playing mid-day to a smaller crowd --but she rocked just as efficiently. Wearing leather pants and a skimpy bikini top, she came out firing with two of her best known songs: “Bad Reputation,” and “Cherry Bomb.” After a mid-set lull that featured largely newer, less-known material, Jett broke out the familiar cuts that got the crowd up: the fist-pump-able “I Love Rock N’ Roll,” the arm-waveable “Crimson and Clover.”

Between shows, the RS staff talked to a bunch of bikers. The best quote came from avid biker (and “American Idol” Contestant and Harley Fest Performer) Amanda Overmyer. After borrowing a bike from some dude – she decided to leave hers at home – to ride for our video team, she repaid the guy by telling him, “ Dude, letting someone ride your bike is like letting someone fuck your wife.” (Expect video footage of Overmyer here shortly). In addition to covering the big remaining shows this weekend, we’ll try to bring you more biker coverage. Just don’t expect me to get on a Harley. I like my limbs just the way they are.