Nickelback headlining Rock the Country tour that celebrates American patriots

Members of Nickelback pose with RCMP officers on the red carpet at the Juno awards in Calgary, Sunday, April 3, 2016. (Jeff McIntosh / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Nickelback, one of the most recent additions to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, are on tour this summer -- across America, where they’re co-headlining the Rock the Country tour with Kid Rock.

The tour is visiting small towns and big ones across the U.S. that started in April and continues through July, where it ends in Anderson, S. C. on July 26.

There’s a rotating lineup of bands joining the tour, including Three Doors Down, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ella Langley, Hank Williams Jr. and Big & Rich, the Kentucky Headhunters, Little Texas and others.

The Rock the Country poster promotes the show as a celebration of American patriotism.

“Rock The Country is more than just a festival—it’s a gathering for the true heart of America.

“This is where hardworking, God-fearing patriots unite under the open sky, celebrating the freedom we hold dear and the power of live music to connect us all,” it says.

On the Rock the Country Facebook page, one commenter, Catherine Roberts, pointed out the irony in having the largest-selling Canadian band in music history co-headlining a music festival that promotes American patriotism at a time of strained relationships between the two countries.

“Love that Kid Rock states “God-fearing patriots who love America”, then why is Nickelback a Canadian rock band one of the headliners playing at these festivals? Just curious, was not sure if they changed nationality," Roberts wrote.

Nickelback have become famous on both sides of the border for being the band people love to hate, and now some commenters on social media say this is a new reason not to like them even more.

“If you hated Nickelback before, how about now that they’re doing a MAGA-friendly festival tour ?” asked @AudricMoses.

Some of the comments under Moses’ post agreed and some didn’t.

“Not cool,” said Warren Piers.

“I didn’t hate them, I actually liked them,” said Carol. “Now they are dead to me.”

A poster named Jonathan Simkin took exception to the Nickelback haters, however.

“What are you talking about?” he wrote. “They should be hated for playing in a festival with an artist whose politics you don’t like? Wow. This is exactly what is wrong with the world.”

For more information about Rock the Country, go here.