Diving into the country music vault today.
As much as the internet seems like a vast wasteland of useless blabbering, political nonsense and downright moronic behavior, it’s also a catalog… and a time machine. You can dig through the deepest corners of YouTube for vintage footage of Jimi Hendrix, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, or whatever other video content you want. Old TV shows, old movies… great moments in American history… if someone got it on video, you can probably find it.
Now, this particular moment isn’t exactly one of the legendary moments in time … and probably not even featured in any other blogs, but it is one of my all-time favorite covers of The Band’s “The Weight.”
Released in 1968 on The Band’s debut album Music from Big Pink, “The Weight” went on to become one of the biggest rock hits of all time, covered by everybody from Waylon Jennings and John Denver to the Black Crowes, Mumford & Sons and more. But back in 2015, at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater, Eric Church, Ryan Bingham and Joanna Cotten took the stage for a version of their own. And it goes without saying, but they absolutely crushed it.
It’s now become a staple in Eric’s live show, and for good reason… I mean, just listen to the crowd. And as good as Eric and Ryan are, just wait until Joanna steps to the mic. The crowd erupts, and even Eric and Ryan just stand back and smile.
Eric Church Joins Chris Stapleton
Remember how I said it’s a song that Eric covers quite often, well how about adding Chris Stapleton to the mix.
Back in 2015, alongside the great Chris Stapleton, Eric gave the fans in Bozeman, Montana, a performance they’ll never forget. But not only do we have Chris and Eric, two of the best in the business, but we have the always impressive Joanna Cotten, and Morgane Stapleton ripping it up on stage as well.
If you’re having a shitty day, a shitty week, or let’s face it, a shitty year (most of us)… this should help.
