Brent Smith Says Shinedown Quit Kid Rock Festival Over Infighting
Shinedown frontman Brent Smith has spoken about the band’s decision to pull out of Kid Rock’s Rock The Country festival, saying they encountered a level of internal conflict around the event that they had not seen before. Smith framed the move as an effort to lower tensions, adding that the group felt a responsibility to de-escalate amid a climate where many people “don’t feel united.”
Smith told Rolling Stone the band “saw infighting that we had never seen before,” and said the choice to withdraw did not stop criticism, even though he believes an overwhelming number of people supported the decision.
In the same coverage, Smith reiterated that disagreement was inevitable and emphasised that fans are entitled to their opinions. The report also cited earlier comments from drummer Barry Kerch, who said the band received significant pushback after signing on, and claimed he had not realised at first that the festival was Kid Rock’s project until the political conversation around it intensified.
Shinedown have previously addressed the controversy publicly, including when they responded to backlash over agreeing to play the Kid Rock-linked event while maintaining the group’s stance that it is not a political band.
The latest remarks underline how quickly festival bookings can become flashpoints, particularly when line-ups are perceived as carrying political meaning. For Shinedown, Smith’s comments suggest the withdrawal was less about headline drama and more about avoiding a situation the band believed was becoming needlessly divisive.
