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<p>Have you cried yet today?! Would you like to cry?! If you answered yes to the latter, then read on, because this is likely to draw a tear even from the most stoic among us.</p><p>In lieu of Sunday&#39;s mass shooting in Las Vegas, which left 58 dead and nearly 500 injured, the latest episode of SNL opened on a sober note. Rather than kicking off the show with banter or gimmicks, the cold open started with Jason Aldean&#39;s sincere message to the victims of the Las Vegas shooting.</p><p>&quot;This week we witnessed one of the worst tragedies in American history. Like everyone, I&#39;m struggling to understand what happened that night and how to pick up the pieces and start to heal. So many people are hurting, there are children, parents, brothers, sisters, friends that are all part of our family. So I want to say to them, we hurt for you and we hurt with you. You can be sure that we&#39;re going to walk through these tough times together, every step of the way. Because when America is at its best, our bond and our spirit is unbreakable.&quot;</p><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p>The national tragedy hits extra close to home for Aldean, who was performing on stage at the Route 91 Harvest festival when the gunman started shooting from the Mandalay Bay Casino.</p><p>After delivering his opening statement, Aldean and his band performed an emotional cover of the late Tom Petty&#39;s anthem &quot;I Won&#39;t Back Down.&quot;</p><div class="oembedall-container sec-iframe sec-oembed-iframe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SNL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SNL</a> opens with heartfelt statement by &amp; cover of &quot;I Won&#39;t Back Down&quot; by Jason Aldean (performing in LVwhen the bullets started flying).</p>&mdash; RobGobbleGobble (@RobGeorge) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobGeorge/status/916870211403501568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div className="ad-splitter"></div><div class="oembedall-container sec-iframe sec-oembed-iframe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Jason_Aldean?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jason_Aldean</a> opens tonight&#39;s show performing &quot;I Won&#39;t Back Down&quot; by Tom Petty: <a href="https://t.co/qnYOCAdmUI">https://t.co/qnYOCAdmUI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SNL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SNL</a> <a href="https://t.co/l26QMwft6e">pic.twitter.com/l26QMwft6e</a></p>&mdash; Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) <a href="https://twitter.com/nbcsnl/status/916886937084022784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p><strong>The performance was simple and beautiful.</strong></p><div class="oembedall-container sec-iframe sec-oembed-iframe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jason Aldean opens SNL with Tom Petty&#39;s Won&#39;t Back Down.<br>This is why music matters.<br>This is why music heals. <a href="https://t.co/imCO2FdPRh">pic.twitter.com/imCO2FdPRh</a></p>&mdash; Eric Alper 🎧 (@ThatEricAlper) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThatEricAlper/status/916870148010795008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p><strong>Somehow, the dedication to the Las Vegas victims and the mourning of Tom Petty&#39;s death naturally tied into each other.</strong></p><div class="oembedall-container sec-iframe sec-oembed-iframe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Wow. Jason Aldean opening SNL singing Tom Petty “I Won’t Back Down.” Emotional. Chilling. Unexpected.</p>&mdash; Jacob Long (@JacobLongSTL) <a href="https://twitter.com/JacobLongSTL/status/916869621915013121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div className="ad-splitter"></div><div class="oembedall-container sec-iframe sec-oembed-iframe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Perfect opening <a href="https://twitter.com/nbcsnl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nbcsnl</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Jason_Aldean?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jason_Aldean</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/tompetty?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tompetty</a> Won’t Back Down <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LasVegasShooting?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LasVegasShooting</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nailedit?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nailedit</a> <a href="https://t.co/wMRFxaaUr4">pic.twitter.com/wMRFxaaUr4</a></p>&mdash; Frank Heinz IV (@frankheinziv) <a href="https://twitter.com/frankheinziv/status/916869755700744192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p><strong>It&#39;s difficult for late night comedy to straddle the balance between acknowledging national tragedy and pushing through with entertainment. </strong></p><p>So, it&#39;s striking when it&#39;s tastefully and sincerely achieved.</p><div class="oembedall-container sec-iframe sec-oembed-iframe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">SNL opens with Jason Aldean performing Tom Petty&#39;s &#39;Won&#39;t Back Down&#39;. A thoughtful acknowledgment of what our country has experienced. <a href="https://t.co/4HKdP7HvBx">pic.twitter.com/4HKdP7HvBx</a></p>&mdash; Adam Owens (@AdamOwensTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamOwensTV/status/916870659518713856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div className="ad-splitter"></div><div class="oembedall-container sec-iframe sec-oembed-iframe"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">SNL cold open: Jason Aldean singing &quot;Won&#39;t Back Down.&quot; Lovely, mournful and perfect.</p>&mdash; Beth Fouhy (@bfouhy) <a href="https://twitter.com/bfouhy/status/916869852014546944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2017</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p><strong>You really should watch the full performance.</strong></p><p>That is, only if you want to cry.</p><oembed>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RRCbVBCRBE</oembed><div className="ad-splitter"></div><p>Following the shooting Aldean <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-entertainment-news-updates-jason-aldean-cancels-weekend-shows-1507070514-htmlstory.html" target="_blank">canceled three California concerts</a> in order to take time to grieve. His tour will resume on October 12 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.</p><div className="ad-splitter"></div>

Jason Aldean dedicates Tom Petty cover to Las Vegas victims on SNL. Get out your tissues.

Bronwyn Isaac

Have you cried yet today?! Would you like to cry?! If you answered yes to the latter, then read on, because this is likely to draw a tear even from the most stoic among us.In lieu of Sunday&#39;s mass shooting in Las Vegas, which left 58 dead and nearly 500 injured, the latest episode of SNL opened on a sober note. Rather than kicking off the show with banter or gimmicks, the cold open started with Jason Aldean&#39;s sincere message to the victims of the Las Vegas shooting.&quot;This week we witnessed one of the worst tragedies in American history. Like everyone, I&#39;m struggling to understand what happened that night and how to pick up the pieces and start to heal. So many people are hurting, there are children, parents, brothers, sisters, friends that are all part of our family. So I want to say to them, we hurt for you and we hurt with you. You can be sure that we&#39;re going to walk through these tough times together, every step of the way. Because when America is at its best, our bond and our spirit is unbreakable.&quot;The national tragedy hits extra close to home for Aldean, who was performing on stage at the Route 91 Harvest festival when the gunman started shooting from the Mandalay Bay Casino.After delivering his opening statement, Aldean and his band performed an emotional cover of the late Tom Petty&#39;s anthem &quot;I Won&#39;t Back Down.&quot;#SNL opens with heartfelt statement by &amp; cover of &quot;I Won&#39;t Back Down&quot; by Jason Aldean (performing in LVwhen the bullets started flying).&mdash; RobGobbleGobble (@RobGeorge) October 8, 2017 .@Jason_Aldean opens tonight&#39;s show performing &quot;I Won&#39;t Back Down&quot; by Tom Petty: https://t.co/qnYOCAdmUI #SNL pic.twitter.com/l26QMwft6e&mdash; Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) October 8, 2017 The performance was simple and beautiful.Jason Aldean opens SNL with Tom Petty&#39;s Won&#39;t Back Down.This is why music matters.This is why music heals. pic.twitter.com/imCO2FdPRh&mdash; Eric Alper 🎧 (@ThatEricAlper) October 8, 2017 Somehow, the dedication to the Las Vegas victims and the mourning of Tom Petty&#39;s death naturally tied into each other.Wow. Jason Aldean opening SNL singing Tom Petty “I Won’t Back Down.” Emotional. Chilling. Unexpected.&mdash; Jacob Long (@JacobLongSTL) October 8, 2017 Perfect opening @nbcsnl @Jason_Aldean @tompetty Won’t Back Down #LasVegasShooting #nailedit pic.twitter.com/wMRFxaaUr4&mdash; Frank Heinz IV (@frankheinziv) October 8, 2017 It&#39;s difficult for late night comedy to straddle the balance between acknowledging national tragedy and pushing through with entertainment. So, it&#39;s striking when it&#39;s tastefully and sincerely achieved.SNL opens with Jason Aldean performing Tom Petty&#39;s &#39;Won&#39;t Back Down&#39;. A thoughtful acknowledgment of what our country has experienced. pic.twitter.com/4HKdP7HvBx&mdash; Adam Owens (@AdamOwensTV) October 8, 2017 SNL cold open: Jason Aldean singing &quot;Won&#39;t Back Down.&quot; Lovely, mournful and perfect.&mdash; Beth Fouhy (@bfouhy) October 8, 2017 You really should watch the full performance.That is, only if you want to cry.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RRCbVBCRBEFollowing the shooting Aldean canceled three California concerts in order to take time to grieve. His tour will resume on October 12 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.