Detroit turned its annual NFL Thanksgiving Day Classic into a once-in-a-generation music moment when Jack White and Eminem shared a stage for the first time, transforming the Detroit Lions vs Green Bay Packers halftime slot into an arena-level event that immediately lit up the internet.
What was billed as a standard Thanksgiving game at Ford Field became an unexpected hometown celebration when White, scheduled as the official halftime performer, tore into his solo track That’s How I’m Feeling before introducing a “special guest” partway through his seven-minute set. The roar from the 65,000 fans inside the stadium left no doubt: Detroit’s own Eminem had walked onto the field wearing a hoodie and custom Lions jacket.
The two Detroit icons launched into a mash-up of The White Stripes’ Hello Operator and Eminem’s powerhouse anthem ‘Till I Collapse, pushing the stadium from football crowd to full-scale concert. White then closed the performance with a thundering Seven Nation Army, complete with Lions-blue guitar and a band decked out in home-team colours.
Fans immediately called it the best NFL halftime moment in years – some even placing it above several recent Super Bowl productions. Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) erupted with clips and praise. “Detroit definitely brought it,” wrote one user. “Imagine getting last-minute tickets and stumbling into an Eminem concert,” said another.
The event also carried deeper meaning for Detroit music history. The performance arrived just weeks after The White Stripes’ induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and three years after Eminem entered the Hall himself. It also landed during the 10th anniversary of White’s Third Man Records reopening in Detroit, reinforcing the city’s cultural lineage.
Produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment – the team behind Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show and the 2024 Michigan Central opening concert – the Lions Thanksgiving set marks the first feature in a new three-year partnership between the Detroit Lions, Jesse Collins Entertainment, and Eminem with longtime manager Paul Rosenberg.
Only hours after the performance, White and Eminem released a surprise three-song live EP, Live At Ford Field, across all major streaming platforms via Third Man Records, Shady Records and Interscope. The release captures That’s How I’m Feeling, the Hello Operator / ‘Till I Collapse mash-up, and Seven Nation Army directly from the Ford Field mix.
CeCe Winans opened the afternoon by performing the U.S. National Anthem, continuing the day’s strong Detroit presence. For Lions fans, the Packers ultimately took the win, 31-24. The halftime show was the real victory.
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