One of Sam Mullins’ earliest TV memories is watching MX motorcycles leap across the screen in the gonzo video for “Bawitdaba,” the genre-mixing late-‘90s song that pretty much put Kid Rock on the map.

“I get grief, man. To this day I get it from my girlfriend; from my friends,” jokes Mullins, who made the trip from Hoover with a carload of (Kid Rock-friendly) pals to check out his longtime hero at Friday’s Rock the South. “I just tell everybody it’s not even a guilty pleasure anymore. I don’t even apologize to anybody. Listen to that song, man. That song’s great. Hey — that video is great. I’ve pretty much always been pro-Kid Rock. Kid Rock for president.”

A self-confessed hip-hop and EDM fan who’s not exactly part of the country music demographic that Rock the South’s typically known for, Mullins may just be the kind of elusive crossover ticket-buyer the Cullman-based concert series, now in its eighth year, is looking for.

“We’re going both days; I mean, we kind of planned to just make it a whole weekend and just have fun,” he said. “But for sure, Kid Rock is pretty much the whole thing; it’s the only thing here I’m gonna know for sure — but I’m gonna know every song,” he joked.

Day One of this year’s Rock the South (and megastars like Brooks & Dunn and Kid Rock with it) is already in the books. But the festival keeps going strong today, with Chase Fouraker getting the party re-started at 2:30 p.m. From there, it’s a strong path to the finish line, with performances from Tyler Braden, Hardy, Colt Ford, Morgan Wallen, and Jake Owen.

Closing out this year’s event at 11 p.m. tonight is Florida Georgia Line — making a return trip to Cullman for their second Rock the South appearance. Visit rockthesouth.com for up-to-date info on lineups, parking, and getting around the new-for-2019 RTS venue.