Review: Jelly Roll an unlikely Nashville star at Mystic Lake Amphitheater

He's not Taylor Swift big. No one is. Or even Morgan Wallen big. But Jelly Roll is pretty big and hot right now.

The TikTok video of him cutting off his mullet last week has accumulated more than 30 million views. Last month, his "Need a Favor" became the first song ever to land in the Top 10 on Billboard's mainstream rock and country radio charts at the same time. All 7,000 tickets for his concert Friday night at Mystic Lake Casino Amphitheater sold out in 15 minutes.

Jelly Roll, Nashville's newest star, kicked off his much-anticipated 2023 tour in Prior Lake with a mix of pyro, middle-finger salutes, pro-marijuana proclamations, and heady lyrics about sin, addiction, love, church and redemption set to rap, rock and country sounds.

It seemed like an odd mix by an unlikely star. But maybe it wasn't. Jelly Roll welcomed all comers Friday into his dysfunctional, messed-up family, and they were excited to join.

In a don't-judge-a-book-by-its-cover story, the 300-pound, heavily tattooed, blinged-out ex-con and longtime rapper is an unexpected combination of pain, vulnerability and tenderness. His work has been formidable enough to attract A-list cowriters like Miranda Lambert and Ashley McBryde on "Whitsitt Chapel," his June release and probably the 19^th or 20^th album of his heretofore underground career.

Before he took the stage, Jelly Roll, 38, reminded the faithful of some of his key philosophies in a photographed series of lyrics posted on the marquee of Whitsitt Chapel: You can't unlive where you're from…I'm far past my last chance…I only pray when I ain't got a prayer… you can't scare me to heaven…hungover in a church pew.

His concert was part therapy, part church, part party, part pep rally, part karaoke, part hit parade and all inspiring.

Backed by a seven-man band that included a pedal steel guitarist and a DJ, Jelly Roll projected potent visual images on a giant backdrop, whether gloomy trailer homes, a crucifix or a cracked window over his live face during "Dead Man Walking," his No. 1 rock hit from 2022.

The suburban Nashville native, who was born Jason DeFord, was very much in the moment. After someone tossed a sparkly Native necklace onstage, Jelly Roll commented about other singers recently complaining about fans throwing objects during concerts.

"Someone throw me a joint," he urged. When one immediately arrived, he proclaimed: "You're my hero."

Jelly Roll's rapping, especially on "Only" ("I only feel right when I'm doing wrong"), was more impressive than his singing. His oldies medley of "Should've Been a Cowboy," "Don't Rock the Jukebox" and "Take It Easy" wouldn't have passed the audition for "American Idol." While his mid-range was his vocal strong point, he had challenges in his upper register. Maybe he was too stoned to sing with precision and control.

Nonetheless, Jelly Roll's songs connected by the power of his presence, the gravitas of his story and the authenticity of his smart words. His performance isn't practiced, it's real.

He may not be an original gangster, but he has a long rap sheet, having been incarcerated 40 times for everything from aggravated robbery to drug dealing. Yet, back in the day, he was ambitious and entrepreneurial enough to offer free mixtapes of his rap music with the purchase of a quarter ounce of cocaine.

Jelly Roll performed only a few selections from "Whitsitt Chapel," notably "She," about addiction, and the hit "Need a Favor," about someone who only talks to God when he needs a favor. Both are ballads, like his other big winners Friday — "Son of a Sinner," his first No. 1 country song, and "Save Me," the 2020 power ballad that started with Jelly Roll's teary eyes and ended the 90-minute encore-less show.

"I'm a lost cause," he crooned. "Baby, don't waste your time on me. I'm so damaged beyond repair. Life has shattered my hopes and my dreams."

But Jelly Roll paused before the final chorus and declared, "I want to come back next year, and I want to play in the same arena the Minnesota Timberwolves play in. Would y'all come back and see me again? We're gonna sell out that [bleep]."