Eric Church Puts His Own Spin On Toby Keith’s “I Love This Bar” With Acoustic Cover At BMI Awards

Eric Church country music
Jason Kempin/Getty Images for BMI

You put an acoustic guitar in the hands of Eric Church, and you never know what you’re gonna get.

You just know it’s gonna be damn good.

Last night, Chief was at the BMI Country Awards, which recognizers the songwriters and publishers behind the 50 most-performed country songs of the year, to celebrate Toby Keith and the 30-year anniversary of recording his 1993 hit “Should’ve Been A Cowboy,” as he received the BMI Icon award for the honor.

And Eric did a really, unique stripped-back cover of Toby’s hit song “I Love This Bar,” with Carrie Underwood also bringing it with a great rendition of “Should’ve Been A Cowboy.”

Toby was on hand at the show to accept the award yesterday in person, too, marking one of his first public appearances since battling stomach cancer for the past six months, which is great to see.

Co-written by Toby along with Scotty Emerick, “I Love This Bar” was released as the lead single to his 2003 Shock’n Y’all album, and it reached the top spot of the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

There’s no doubt Eric put his own, unique spin on the song, per the usual, and I’m absolutely here for it:

“I Love This Bar”

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