It was a night of high energy and deep emotion when Jelly Roll brought his Beautifully Broken tour to Raleigh. Jelly’s show at the newly named Lenovo Center was one for the books, with a setlist as unorthodox and eclectic as the man himself.
Opening Acts
Before Jelly took the stage, the Raleigh crowd was treated to a lively opening act from independent country artist Alexandra Kay, who was personally invited by Jelly Roll to be a part of his tour. Alexandra made the most of her time onstage, wowing the crowd with some of her most notable hits like “Easy” and “More Than You.”
It was certainly “easy” to see why Jelly was so adamant about adding Alexandra to his concert lineup. The young artist’s musical style reveals a breadth of emotion and heart-wrenching soul that is arguably comparable to that of the show’s headliner.
Following Alexandra was Warren Zeiders, a talented up-and-coming country star who recently burst onto the scene with his first big radio single, “Pretty Little Poison.”
Of course Warren had much, MUCH more to offer the crowd than that one song. The long-haired country singer performed many of his headbanging hits like “Relapse” and “Intoxicated,” and even gave the audience a sneak peek of some of his unreleased musical projects.
But of course, Warren knew to end his gritty, thrashy set with the song that helped launch his career to stardom. After a deeply moving rendition of “Pretty Little Poison,” Warren exited the stage and cleared way for Jelly Roll.
Jelly Roll Hosts A Family Reunion In Raleigh
“This is not just a concert. This is a family reunion!” This was the mantra repeated by Jelly Roll throughout his show. Jelly is outspoken in his struggles with mental health, as well as his history of drug addiction and body image issues. That transparency shines through in his music, which masterfully puts words to struggles that many of his fans experience on a near daily basis. These struggles, according to Jelly, are what bond his fans together like kin.
This sentiment was on full display in the performances of songs like “I Am Not Okay” and “She,” along with his first ever country single, “Son Of A Sinner.”
Don’t misunderstand, though. Anyone who’s been to a Jelly Roll show knows that, while there are plenty of emotionally charged down-tempo beats, he offers no shortage of hard-rocking, all out nasty bangers. His songs “Halfway To Hell” and “Need A Favor” were perfect additions to his setlist, lighting the stage on literal fire to illustrate the intense fervor that his music evokes.
But it wasn’t just his own hits that Jelly Roll performed in Raleigh. The musical megastar stunned the audience with a restrained but stirring cover of Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life).” In a shocking moment, Jelly also brought Alexandra Kay back on stage, giving her one more moment to shine solo as she put on an electric performance of Shania Twain’s “I Feel Like A Woman.”
The Full Setlist
Jelly Roll’s tour stop in Raleigh was an unforgettable experience. There were laughs, there were tears, there were thousands of beautifully broken souls banding together as one. If you missed the show, however, don’t worry! You can still be a part of the family reunion with this full set of songs that Jelly Roll performed in Raleigh.
