In 2013, Kid Rock won praise from fans — and attention from the music industry — when he rolled out a pioneering $20 concert ticket model.
The business-savvy Detroit star clearly knows when he’s on to something good: In unveiling his summer tour plans this morning — including at least six DTE Energy Music Theatre shows in August — Rock will announce the return of the $20 price point that led to packed houses across the country two years ago.
Rock has set DTE dates for Aug. 7-15, with the 31-city tour scheduled to kick off June 24 in Hartford, Conn.
The six announced hometown shows could be just a start: With an adjacent 11-day gap in the tour schedule, there’s room for him to add DTE dates, matching or topping the sold-out eight-show stand he waged there in 2013. That run tied Bob Seger’s 36-year-old record for the most concerts in a single summer at the former Pine Knob.
Tickets for the entire tour will go on sale via LiveNation.com at 10 a.m. Feb. 24 — release day for Rock’s new album, “First Kiss.” Fan club members will have access to seats starting Thursday, while anyone who preorders the new album at KidRock.com can buy tickets starting Friday.
Classic rock band Foreigner will open all tour dates.
Ticket details are similar to 2013: Both pavilion and lawn tickets are $20 face value, topping out at no more than $30 after service charges and other fees. Tickets purchased at participating Walmart stores and venue box offices will be $20 flat. (Box office tickets for the DTE shows will be sold at the Palace of Auburn Hills.)
Walmart buyers will also get $2 off a purchase of Rock’s CD.
The first row of seats at each show will be reserved for night-of upgrades for selected fans, and 1,000 seats for each show will be held for sale through Live Nation’s Platinum Ticket program, where fans bid on premium seats.
Food and merchandise will also be available at reduced prices, including $4 draft beers, $20 T-shirts and $20 meal packages.
The concept was hatched in 2013 by Kid Rock and promoter Live Nation in an innovative deal, with Rock foregoing a traditional guaranteed fee in exchange for revenue sharing from ticket, concession and merchandise sales.
Watched closely at the time by concert-industry executives, the model has since been cited in academic papers and industry studies. It also proved to be a career-rejuvenating bonanza for Kid Rock, who played to capacity crowds at most venues, including markets where he doubled and tripled his attendance of previous tour stops.
All comes in support of the Feb. 24 release of “First Kiss,” Kid Rock’s first album since 2012.
He’s embarking on a heady promotional schedule to hype the record, including a pre-race show at Sunday’s Daytona 500 (12:15 p.m., WJBK-TV, Channel 2) and appearances on “The Tonight Show” (Monday), “Today” (Feb. 24) and “The Howard Stern Show” (Feb. 25).
Rock, a long-reluctant social-media adopter, will hold a fan Q&A via Twitter at 5 p.m. Thursday.
The busy concert summer follows a relatively light year of performing for Rock, who played just a smattering of festival appearances and other special events in 2014 as he completed work on the album.
[Detroit Free Press]