I’m really diggin’ these videos Eric Church has been posting on Instagram as he gears up for his fall Gather Again Tour.
Chief posted a video a couple of weeks ago to give thanks to those who tour with him, set to his song “Doing Life With Me” that was featured on his Heart & Soul triple album.
Now, he’s going a little more in-depth with his latest video.
Sent out to Church Choir members yesterday and posted to Eric’s Instagram today, the video kicks off by showing some behind the scenes footage of Eric and his crew, set to the very first single released off of the triple album, “Hell Of A View.”
We then get a behind-the-scenes peek at his tour rehearsals, being held in Lititz, Pennsylvania.
Eric shows off the new stage they’ll be using for this tour, one that will allow him to play “in the round” for the first time in his career:
“It’s kind of like cage match. Once we get out there, the crowd’s everywhere. They’re in front of you, behind you, they’re on the sides… I love that.
I think it’s always been about, you know the reason it’s called the ‘Gather Again’ tour is because we want people on top of us, and they will be.”
The biggest question for this whole tour, though, will be the setlists: With as many hits as Eric’s already churned out, he now has to figure out how to work in the new music from his Heart & Soul triple album – while also managing to change up the setlist every night like he’s always done.
“The hardest thing I’ve done thus far in my career is this setlist. Because you have 28 songs… It’s not a normal record, it’s three.
So you add 28 songs, to what we already had on, which is a pretty stacked and packed setlist…We’re still gonna play a different set and get people different experiences, it has been maddening.”
Eric also drops some hints that some of our old favorites may sound a little different this time around, as he discusses reimagining old songs in ways diehard Eric Church fans won’t even recognize:
“It’s the most musical we’ve ever been. I think the way to see the new music happens in the show, is something I’m excited about… And also we’re trying to reimagine songs we’ve played 100 times.”
Buckle up folks, this is gonna be one hell of a tour.
