Jason Aldean is someone who feels passionately about things. And I think it's safe to say that he seldom holds back. The country singer wanted to pay tribute to his friend, the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk. So Aldean performed one of his most powerful (and controversial) songs on Thursday in concert in Detroit, "Try That in a Small Town."
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Kirk, 31, was fatally shot during an outdoor speaking appearance on Wednesday, September 10, at Utah Valley University in Orem. A suspect in the shooting is now in police custody.
The Singer Talked About His Late Friend
Per Country Now, Aldean spoke to the crowd at the Pine Knob Music Theatre about Kirk. "I couldn't get through tonight without addressing something that happened yesterday, as you guys well know. An amazing person by the name of Charlie Kirk was murdered yesterday in Utah. This was a guy that I knew for a few years, had a chance to meet him on quite a few occasions, talk to him, one of the best people ever. I mean, this is not the guy you go after is what I'm trying to say."
He went on to add that "it's a weird country that we live in. When you start taking people out because you disagree with their opinions, that's not what we're about here."
Aldean Said Kirk Supported the Message of That Song
"I remember when we put this song out, people like Charlie Kirk were some of the first ones to come up and go, 'that's what it's about, this country coming together, calling out the [expletive] when we see it, trying to get everything back on track.' This guy wanted nothing more than what was best for all of us and our kids and everything moving forward."
Aldean added, "Charlie's a guy that's going to be very, very much missed, and this is something that his legacy is going to live on forever with Turning Point and what he's done with only 31 years on this planet. It's amazing. So just a really tragic loss for everybody. I know you guys have been feeling it as well, so tonight, since he was one of the ones that stuck out for the song, let's play this one for Charlie."
It Was a Patriotic and Emotional Evening
Per the outlet, people in the audience spiritedly shouted "U-S-A." They also sang with Aldean when he did "Try That in a Small Town." Furthermore, "the big screens lit up with a 'Rest in Peace' tribute photo of Kirk, as well as a 'Never Forget' message in honor of the 24th anniversary of 9/11." A famous Toby Keith track, "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue," was playing in the venue as well.
The Song and Video Stirred Strong Feelings
This song had an impact. Some agreed with its message, others reacted negatively. Per American Songwriter, the track "addressed crime, and the deterioration within smaller towns, and how people can do something about it." Its detractors seemingly construed it as an endorsement of retaliatory gun violence.
Aldean stood firmly behind the song. "When you grow up in a small town, it's that unspoken rule of 'We all have each other's backs and we look out for each other.' It feels like somewhere along the way, that sense of community and respect has gotten lost. Deep down we are all ready to get back to that."
The video was filmed in Tennessee at the Maury County Courthouse. A Black teenager named Henry Choate was reportedly lynched there in 1927 for allegedly assaulting a white teenage girl. Given the location's painful history, it was thought by some to be a bad choice for the video. Per NPR, the production firm responsible for the video simply chose it because it was "a popular filming spot."
