Kid Rock’s performance of “Bawitdaba” during Turning Point USA’s All-American Halftime Show was criticized for being out of sync. In fact some thought he may not have been singing at all.

There was nearly a half-second gap between audio and video. That’s an eternity in music — surely something the millions watching would notice.

Response ranged from disappointment to anger to mockery.

Was Kid Rock Lip Syncing?

If Kid Rock was lip syncing, he’s literally the worst lip syncer of all time. “Bawitdaba” is 26 years old and he’s performed it hundreds of times, the exact same way. As viewers, we heard him while the microphone was down by his leg. A performance that bad would embarrass a newcomer — this is a man who’s performed on hundreds of stages.

Review: Let’s Be Honest About Kid Rock’s Halftime Show Performance

Turning Point USA hasn’t said the show was pre-taped, but they never said it’d be live either. The pace of the production (especially the transitions) was too clean and quick to have been done in real time. More likely, the show was filmed somewhere and pushed to YouTube live as a finished product. In fact, there are a few social media leaks claiming just that.

That means they could have done a second take if needed. It also means a producer could have whiffed on syncing audio / video for this portion of the show. If true, that person deserves a talking to.

Another possible scenario is a bit more technical. Live streaming pre-recorded content requires use of a third party platform. Taste of Country used one in 2019 to do a ACM Awards pre-show and midway through it skipped, kind of like a record. From that point on, audio and video were off by a second or more.

These programs glitch all the time, especially with a large audience. YouTube itself isn’t perfect either. Anyone who’s tried to stream has likely experienced catastrophic failure that remains unexplainable. Sometimes it all just quits, or skips or something stranger.

It’s possible two things could be true: Kid Rock did lip sync and the program skipped. Turning Point USA owes us an explanation because — even though they never said it — the expectation was that this was a “live” live show.

There’s a lot of reasons to criticize Kid Rock. This just may not be one of them, yet.

Following Shinedown’s announcement that they would no longer perform on the Rock the Country Festival tour last week, organizers canceled the tour’s planned stop in Anderson, South Carolina.

Set for July 25 and 26, the weekend’s lineup was slated to include Kid Rock and Jason Aldean, along with Creed, Brantley Gilbert, Gretchen Wilson, and Parmalee. When the tour was initially announced in January, Ludacris and Morgan Wade were also on the bill for the South Carolina date but the rapper and country songwriter both pulled out of the tour.

On Monday, the Rock the Country Festival issued a statement to Rolling Stone about the cancellation of the Anderson date.

“Rock the Country was created to unite people together through music. Our lineups and our crowds reflect that sentiment — a wide range of voices, backgrounds, and stories that make up this country,” the festival said. “We’re truly disappointed we won’t be bringing the show to Anderson. Our fans work hard for their money, and we refuse to put on a show that doesn’t meet the standard they deserve.”

Rock the Country was originally scheduled to visit eight towns across the U.S., beginning May 1 and 2 in Belleville, Texas. With South Carolina scrapped, the tour will hit seven markets before ending Sept. 11 and 12 in Hamburg, New York.

“Our focus remains where it’s always been: Supporting our artists, honoring our fans, and delivering unforgettable nights throughout the country,” organizers said. “The shows ahead represent the heart of what Rock the Country stands for: music, community, and pride in where we come from.” 

Organizers added, “Loving America isn’t political; it’s who we are.”

First launched in 2024 by non-Super Bowl headliner Kid Rock, the Rock the Country Tour has stopped in Anderson, South Carolina, for the past two years. According to a statement by Anderson County’s administrator, Rusty Burns, “The event was a huge success drawing tens of thousands of visitors, making a multi-million-dollar economic impact on the Upstate… Of course, we are disappointed that Rock the Country will not return to Anderson this year.”

Along with Shinedown, Morgan Wade, and Ludacris, whose rep told Rolling Stone that the hip-hop star “wasn’t supposed to be on there,” country singer Carter Faith also dropped off the tour.

While the Rock the Country festival isn’t explicitly a political event, it has had its share of political statements since its inception and has ties to the MAGA movement.