Jelly Roll’s hometown concert at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville was an unforgettable night filled with music, healing, and unexpected surprises. With tears in his eyes, he shouted, “There’s no place like home, baby, there’s no place like home,” as the crowd erupted in emotion, making it a truly magical and powerful experience. And the highlight of the night? The special appearance of Snoop Dogg

Jelly Roll, Photo Courtesy of Andy Pollitt

Jelly Roll wrapped up his massive headlining Beautifully Broken Tour with a star-studded homecoming show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday evening (Nov. 26).

The genre-bending superstar, whose real name is Jason DeFord, delivered a show that was as emotional as it was electrifying. For the final stop of his sold-out 58-date trek, Jelly Roll made sure his hometown crowd got the concert of a lifetime — one that will certainly go down in history as one of the best shows Bridgestone Arena has ever hosted.

Sold Out Nashville Homecoming Concert

“There’s No Place Like Home”

The 39-year-old singer/songwriter and his wife, Bunnie XO, made their grand entrance walking through the crowd from stage right of the arena floor to the b-stage that is situated in the back of the arena. The beloved couple shared a kiss before Jelly Roll stepped onto the stage, greeting his hometown crowd with a big smile on his face, beneath a burning shell of a house.

“There’s no place like home baby, there’s no place like home,” Jelly Roll shouted with tears in his eyes, making it clear that this was a special night for both him and his fans. “Nashville, Tennessee for the 58th and final stop of the Beautifully Broken Tour, we have finally came back home to the Bridgestone Arena baby! And I can tell you right now that tonight will be a night of healing. Tonight will be a night of surprises, tonight will be a night of fun and love baby, but Nashville I hope this is the best show you’ve seen in your f**king life.”

Wearing a royal blue bomber jacket with his late father’s name, Buddy DeFord, on the front, Jelly Roll kicked off his performance with his sixth chart-topping hit, “I Am Not Okay,” a track from his first-ever No. 1 album in the United States, Beautifully Broken. He then powered through “Halfway To Hell,” “Get By” and “Burning” before pausing for a moment to address the crowd.

Jelly Roll, Photo Courtesy of Andy Pollitt

“I’m a Nashville Motherf**ker Tried And True”

“I’ve been introducing myself the way I’m fixing to do it on the road my entire career. It sounds a little different here, though. My name’s Jason ‘Jelly Roll’ DeFord, and I am from Nashville, Tennessee. I was born right across the street in a little hospital called Baptist Hospital. I grew up in Antioch, Tennessee, I went to Antioch High School. I’m a Nashville motherf**ker tried and true, baby. And I know one thing’s for sure, when I say this, I know they feel it back home. I’m still the kind of guy that will burn it down Saturday night, but show up on Sunday morning every single time, Nashville,” he stated before prompting a sing-along with “Son Of A Sinner.”

He delivered a 20+ song set that highlighted his genre-blending talents, offering something for every fan—whether they first discovered him as a country singer, rapper, or rock artist. His lengthy set includes performances of songs such as “Winning Streak,” “Creature,” “Same Asshole,” “Believe,” “Heart of Stone,” “Need A Favor” as well as covers of “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life” by Green Day, “Country Roads” by John Denver and more.

Slew Of Surprise Guests

Throughout his headlining set, he surprised the sold-out crowd with a slew of special guests, including ERNEST, Struggle Jennings, Yelawolf, Alexandra Kay, Skylar Grey, Zach Myers of Shinedown and hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg.

ERNEST (and his son Ryman) joined Jelly Roll for a cover of Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places,” while Struggle Jennings performed “Fall in the Fall” with him, and Yelawolf hit the stage for “Unlive.” Alexandra Kay stepped in for Jessie Murph to sing “Wild Ones” alongside Jelly Roll.

Snoop Dogg, Jelly Roll, Photo Courtesy of Andy Pollitt

“Past Yesterday” with Skylar Grey

Jelly Roll also invited Skylar Grey to perform their emotional new duet, “Past Yesterday.” Before the performance, Jelly Roll detailed the emotional story behind the tune.

“This next song is on my new album. It’s one of the hardest songs that I’ve ever written in my whole life because of the content of it, but I knew that it could help people because I believe music can help people. I called my friend Mrs. Skylar Grey and I ask her to help me write this song,” Jelly Roll prefaced before performing “Past Yesterday” with Skylar Grey.

He continued, “If y’all don’t mind, we flew Skylar here tonight from California to sing it with us right here at the Bridgestone Arena, and my sister showed up for me and my city. Skylar is one of the greatest songwriters I’ve ever met in my life, and when me and Jessie Jo Dillon hit a brick wall on this, we sent it to Skylar, and she put the voice that it needed to have on there. She spoke for every woman in the world that’s ever been through anything like this in their entire life.”

Seated side-by-side on stools next to a flaming piano, the two hitmakers shared a heart-wrenching performance of their raw, new song. As the evening continued, the surprises didn’t stop. Jelly Roll also brought Keith Urban onstage to perform “Don’t Want To” and “Liar,” before welcoming the final guest of the evening.

Snoop Dogg Hits, Debut Of New Song “Last Dance With Mary Jane”

The capacity crowd erupted into deafening screams when Jelly Roll introduced hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg, who delivered a three-song medley of his iconic rap hits like “Next Episode,” “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and “Gin And Juice,” as Jelly Roll admire his performance in the background. As Snoop Dogg finished out his epic performance, Jelly Roll then returned to the spotlight.

“Nashville, I was telling them I said, I gotta call in the big dog, ‘this is my hometown, it’s the final show of the tour. I know it’s right before Thanksgiving, but I need you to get here from Los Angeles, California,’ and he said ‘Nephew, I’m on the way!’” Jelly Roll explained. “Now Snoop, I don’t want to put you on the spot, but I know that you got an album coming out real soon that was produced by the legendary Dr. Dre, but what I’m not sure if these people know is that you gave me the honor of being a feature on that album that’s coming out. Snoop Dogg, I know this is a lot to ask of you, but can we debut our song right here in my hometown, right now.”

Snoop Dogg, rocking his signature sweatsuit, and Jelly Roll then debuted their new, unreleased collaboration, “Last Dance With Mary Jane.” The track is set to appear on Snoop Dogg’s upcoming album, Missionary, arriving on December 13. The crowd cheered as Snoop Dogg shared a joint with Jelly Roll before leaving the stage.

Joined by his very talented band, Jelly Roll then flawlessly transitioned from “Last Dance With Mary Jane” to the father of two’s fan-favorite track, “Bottle And Mary Jane,” which was the perfect follow-up song.

Powerful Ending

After taking fans to church with a powerful performance of “Need A Favor” (joined by Zach Myers of Shinedown) and “Heart of Stone,” Jelly Roll made his way to the b-stage to close out the show with “Save Me.”

“I ain’t going to lie, I’ve been coming to Bridgestone my whole life, and I don’t feel like I’ve ever seen it this packed,” he yelled as his guitar began to strum the opening chords of “Save Me” and the rain poured down from the arena ceiling. As he performed, his closest family, friends, wife Bunnie XO, Uncle Buford (the oldest living DeFord), global superstar Post Malone, country star Kelsea Ballerini, Outer Banks actor Chase Stokes, and a slew of other special guests watched from the sold-out crowd.

Unbreakable Bond Shared With His Fans

The unbreakable bond between Jelly Roll and his fans was evident throughout his 2+ hour set, as he took every opportunity to engage with them. From reading fan signs and dedicating songs to fans or their late loved ones, to signing autographs and greeting them up close as he moved through the crowd, Jelly Roll made sure to show his gratitude for their support through heartfelt interactions.

The connection he shares with his fans is unlike anything ever witnessed at a concert. There were grown men and women crying as they sang along to Jelly Roll’s relatable song lyrics. People from all walks of life—different ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, and backgrounds—along with those who had been incarcerated or were in recovery, gathered together for a night of music and healing. The show wasn’t just a concert; it felt almost like a therapy session or a healing experience for many in attendance, who are often not recognized by others.

“There are people who are still a prisoner of their past. There’s no better night than tonight to let go of it. There’s no better night than tonight to find freedom…” Jelly Roll added. “This is more than music, this is more than a concert. This is a family reunion of people who are healing together. Tonight we get to turn our mess into a message, tonight we get to turn our obstacles into opportunities, tonight is that magical moment where we finally take all of this pain and we take it and turn it into purpose at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville… I make real music for real people that have been through real s**t in real life.”

Jelly Roll, Photo Courtesy of Andy Pollitt

Transformative Power Of Music

Jelly Roll’s homecoming concert was a reminder of the transformative power of music. “Thank y’all for coming here tonight, thank y’all for spending your time with me on this Tuesday night in Nashville, and I want you to know that I truly believe that the power of music is in the building with us tonight. I believe the power of prayer is with us tonight, I believe the power of the Holy Spirit is with us tonight… It’s not music, to us, it’s more than music, because music is magical. Music is medicine, music is therapeutic, music is healing, music is helpful, music is there in the darkest corners when we need it the most. There were times in my life where the only friend I had was music. I believe in the power of music, it’s just what I believe.”

Nashville Native ERNEST Served As Direct Support

Jelly Roll’s fellow Nashville native, ERNEST, served as support on the show and delivered a memorable set that included songs such as “Smokin Gun,” “Tennessee Queen,” “I Went To College / I Went To Jail,” “Why Dallas” and more from his sophomore album, Nashville, Tennessee.

ERNEST also surprised the crowd with his longtime friend and collaborator Morgan Wallen for performances of “Flower Shops” and “Cowgirls.” To close out his set, ERNEST delivered an impressive version of Hank Williams Jr. classic hit, “Family Tradition.”

Alexandra Kay Opened The Show With Confidence

Alexandra Kay opened the show with a confident set of songs from her debut album, All I’ve Ever Known. A standout moment of her set was her performance of “Everleave,” a track that was never released as a single, but has been making waves for the 2024 Music Mayhem Artist to Watch and quickly become a fan-favorite track.

Kay’s set served as her Bridgestone Arena debut and marked a milestone in her career as during the show it was revealed that she signed a record deal.

“I have dreamed of playing this venue ever since I was a little girl… I want to say thank you to everybody in this crowd who has ever streamed a song of ours who has ever come to a show, bought a piece of merch, watched a video, liked or shared anything on social media. I know that that seems really, really small, but I’m a completely independent artist standing on an arena stage tonight, opening for the biggest artist in the game right now. And that’s because of you,” Kay said during the show. “My dreams are coming true because of you. So thank you from the bottom of my heart and I want to say one more thing about Jelly Roll because it’s never almost in this industry that an artist chooses to bring an independent female out to open their arena tour. So shout out to Jelly Roll for believing in independent artists and for giving me a platform.”