JELLY ROLL – ROD LAVER ARENA – MELBOURNE – 28.10.2025
Review: Craig Eriksson. Photos: David Harris
For the first time ever, Jelly Roll is currently performing to Australian (then New Zealand) audiences on his Down Under 2025 Tour, along with Shaboozie and Drew Baldridge. Last night he played the first of two sold out Rod Laver Arena shows in Melbourne, having already headlined Harvest Rock festival in Adelaide on Sunday and receiving stellar reviews.
The night started off with a bang featuring American Country singer-songwriter Drew Baldridge opening the show. He warmed up the crowd with a mix of some of his original songs and a few covers. He spoke about how tough it was trying to make it as a country singer in Nashville. After 14 years, he almost gave up and came up with one last idea of going online and offering to do free backyard concerts. He was inundated with requests and spent the next 4 years doing shows in people’s backyards. Last night he opened with Rebel, followed by a Brooks & Dunn cover Brand New Man, along with country rock covers of Jimmy Barnes Working Class Man and AC/DC’s You Shook Me All Night Long. Other standout songs were She’s Somebody’s Daughter, People Can Change and Tough People.
Jelly Roll’s official deckmeister, DJ Chill handled the interval music, playing some absolute bangers on the rear stage that kept the crowd lively with remixes of songs like Afroman’s Crazy Rap, Morgan Wallen’s Last Night, Papa Roach’s Last Resort and Tommmilk’s I Had Some Help. DJ Chill provided a fun set and really got the crowd into party-mode.
Nigerian-American, singer-songwriter and rapper Shaboozey was on next with his blend of hip-hop and country, performing a mixture of heart-throbbing tunes and sentimental ballads. Shaboozey featured on two tracks on Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter album, which launched his career and shortly after, his song A Bar Song (Tipsy) went viral, reaching even more new fans. He had a genuine connection with the crowd last night and kept expressing his gratitude for being given the opportunity to perform in Australia with Jelly Roll. Shaboozey soaked up the energy of the crowd and along with his 6-piece band, which included a violinist and backing singer, provided some magical moments on stage. Standout songs were A Bar Song (Tipsy), Good News, Horses & Hellcats, Blink Twice, Let It Burn and Drink Don’t Need No Mix.
During the second interval, Texas-native Julia Cole performed an acoustic set on the rear stage, blending authentic country storytelling with a soulful vocal performance.
The main act, Jason DeFord known professionally as Jelly Roll is an American singer-songwriter and rapper from Nashville, Tennessee. He got his name from his mother who called him Jelly Roll as a child because he was so chubby. DeFord embraced the nickname, even joking that he spent years trying to grow into the name! JR initially started his career in hip-hop, later transitioning to mainstream country music and his gigs now combine the two genres. His blend of Southern rock, country and hip-hop, give his shows a unique and diverse point of difference to other country-flavoured shows we’ve recently attended. JR had a tough upbringing, in and out of juvenile detention centres and jail before turning to religion and getting his life together, something which has had a strong influence on his music and was obvious in his performance last night.
The show began with Jelly Roll making his way through the crowd to a small rear stage where he performed the anthem I AM NOT OKAY from Beautifully Broken (2024), which featured a burning house stage prop directly above him. On the main stage was JR’s 8-piece band with 3 gospel backing vocalists, creating an incredible wall of sound. The main stage had two catwalks, wonderful cinematic screens showcasing the band throughout the show along with some symbolic visuals such as a church, signature skull with crown and a giant snake. The show also included some impressive pyros and smoke cannons.
JR rolled through a number of his country songs from Beautifully Broken (2024) with HEART OF STONE, GET BY and LIAR showcasing his raw, gritty and soulful tones. His songs are full of emotion and he pours his heart and soul into each one of them. What was clearly evident was his incredible vocal range and how controlled he was transitioning between country, rock and hip-hop. His music is so pure and lyrics so honest, resonating deeply with his fans. The backing vocalists with their gospel harmonies complimented JR’s songs perfectly and the band were all extremely talented musicians, many of them multi-instrumentalists.
Jelly Roll followed with a John Denver cover of TAKE ME HOME, COUNTRY ROADS, which had the crowd singing along. JR did quite a number of covers during the show. A hip-hop cover of Jessie Murph’s WILD ONES, a Keith Urban cover SOMEBODY LIKE YOU, Shaboozey joined JR on stage for AMEN, and a Brandon Lake cover of HARD FOUGHT HALLELUJAH, which included a piano solo where the piano was on fire and looked incredible. Additionally he performed an Alex Warren cover, BLOODLINE and an Avicii cover WAKE ME UP. A medley was also performed mashing together Lynyrd Skynyrd’s SWEET HOME ALABAMA with Nickleback’s HOW YOU REMIND ME. There was even a DMX PARTY UP cover, Miley Cyrus’s FLOWERS and Snoop Dog’s YOUNG, WILD & FREE, highlighting JR’s ability to perform various genres.
JR talked about how much he loved Australia and said that, “If there is a Heaven, I think I’m there!” That led into him singing The Angels AM I EVER GONNA SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN with the crowd chanting back “No Way, Get F*cked, F*ck Off”, which had JR in stitches of laughter, loving every minute of it. JR told us it’s been one of the most fun tours he has ever done and suggested that music knows no location, it is universal and the power of music does not discriminate. It can heal and is good for the heart and soul.
Other standout songs were HALFWAY TO HELL, SON OF A SINNER and the incredible hip-hop ballad BOTTLE AND MARY JANE. Drew Baldridge then joined JR on stage for FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES.
JR closed out the show with an incredible finale making his way back through the crowd to the small rear stage to perform the powerful ballad SAVE ME, where he sang in pouring rain, which looked amazing … a goosebump moment in the show. On his first trip downunder, Jelly Roll delivered an impressive show, pleasing diehard fans and I’m sure making a few new ones too.
