Reviewed by: Brianna Guinigundo
Photographed by: Bailey Guinigundo
(Camping World Stadium, Orlando FL) Lightning storms and heavy gray clouds loomed overhead, but miraculously they cleared up enough that we got to experience the best performances of our lives - some may say that this weather improvement may have been because some people “only talk to God when they need a favor”, one of Jelly Roll's big hits. This top song, along with many others, highlights the profound religious journey that shaped country and rock artist Jelly Roll, who continuously expressed how sincerely thankful he was to be opening for Post Malone.
Jelly's grateful outlook was contagious, as he acknowledged early on in his performance that even thought it was still sprinkling, “I’ll be honest, some of the best shows in my life have been in weather just like this…I’m not sure what heaven feels like, but I’m starting to think it feels like Post Malone on a Tuesday night.”
For the majority of his songs performed, Jelly Roll would take a moment to talk to the crowd in a way that was so genuine and heartfelt each time that it made you feel like you knew him personally. He gave thanks to the audience members who may not necessarily have been familiar with Jelly Roll as an artist but still came to give him a chance. Noting that not everyone may be familiar with his story, Jelly explained that he never thought he “would be here today” because the only life he thought he could have was “a life of drug overdose, a life of prison” as he said this was the life he lived before.
Pulling at the audience’s heartstrings, he drove his message home, explicitly saying he “(came) with a message of love”, that “it’s okay to not be okay, and just know that God loves you no matter what at the end of the day.” This moving message is how Jelly introduced his own original song, “I Am Not Okay”, saying that this one was for anyone struggling with mental health. This particular song choice smoothly preceded the following song, “Need a Favor”, continuing the country blues feel of being at a low point in one’s life.
Fortunately, Jelly showed us that things do get better. He told of how he was a “proud girl dad” and when his daughter was ten years old, she was listening to “Purple Rain” all by herself without his influence, lightheartedly joking that this was the first time he “felt like a good dad”. With that, he then covered “Sweet Home Alabama” and “How You Remind Me”. He noted that he only wished his wife could have been there tonight, and that his beautiful wife asked him to tell the crowd that she, too, loved them, and requested that Jelly sing “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus.
Finally, Jelly Roll took off his hat and bowed to the crowd with his hands before his last song, “I’m Lost”, further exemplifying just how appreciative he was of the individuals in the audience that night.
The quote of his that struck me the most was in that exact moment right before he performed his last song as he said, “I love y’all, get ready for one of the greatest shows you’ve ever seen. You changed my life, you changed my wife’s life, and you changed my daughter’s life. I love you Orlando, thank you for being here.” As happy as us audience members were to be there and to see Post Malone perform next, we were just as equally sad to see our new friend Jelly Roll exit off the stage.
Photographed by: Bailey Guinigundo
(Camping World Stadium, Orlando FL) Lightning storms and heavy gray clouds loomed overhead, but miraculously they cleared up enough that we got to experience the best performances of our lives - some may say that this weather improvement may have been because some people “only talk to God when they need a favor”, one of Jelly Roll's big hits. This top song, along with many others, highlights the profound religious journey that shaped country and rock artist Jelly Roll, who continuously expressed how sincerely thankful he was to be opening for Post Malone.
Jelly's grateful outlook was contagious, as he acknowledged early on in his performance that even thought it was still sprinkling, “I’ll be honest, some of the best shows in my life have been in weather just like this…I’m not sure what heaven feels like, but I’m starting to think it feels like Post Malone on a Tuesday night.”
For the majority of his songs performed, Jelly Roll would take a moment to talk to the crowd in a way that was so genuine and heartfelt each time that it made you feel like you knew him personally. He gave thanks to the audience members who may not necessarily have been familiar with Jelly Roll as an artist but still came to give him a chance. Noting that not everyone may be familiar with his story, Jelly explained that he never thought he “would be here today” because the only life he thought he could have was “a life of drug overdose, a life of prison” as he said this was the life he lived before.
Pulling at the audience’s heartstrings, he drove his message home, explicitly saying he “(came) with a message of love”, that “it’s okay to not be okay, and just know that God loves you no matter what at the end of the day.” This moving message is how Jelly introduced his own original song, “I Am Not Okay”, saying that this one was for anyone struggling with mental health. This particular song choice smoothly preceded the following song, “Need a Favor”, continuing the country blues feel of being at a low point in one’s life.
Fortunately, Jelly showed us that things do get better. He told of how he was a “proud girl dad” and when his daughter was ten years old, she was listening to “Purple Rain” all by herself without his influence, lightheartedly joking that this was the first time he “felt like a good dad”. With that, he then covered “Sweet Home Alabama” and “How You Remind Me”. He noted that he only wished his wife could have been there tonight, and that his beautiful wife asked him to tell the crowd that she, too, loved them, and requested that Jelly sing “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus.
Finally, Jelly Roll took off his hat and bowed to the crowd with his hands before his last song, “I’m Lost”, further exemplifying just how appreciative he was of the individuals in the audience that night.
The quote of his that struck me the most was in that exact moment right before he performed his last song as he said, “I love y’all, get ready for one of the greatest shows you’ve ever seen. You changed my life, you changed my wife’s life, and you changed my daughter’s life. I love you Orlando, thank you for being here.” As happy as us audience members were to be there and to see Post Malone perform next, we were just as equally sad to see our new friend Jelly Roll exit off the stage.
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