That Eric Church, you just never know what he’s got up his sleeve.
Chief has been around long enough that he’s constantly trying out new things for his fans. During his Outsiders Revival Tour last summer, Church dug deep into his catalog, left several hits off the setlist, and performed reimagined versions of some of his biggest songs. It was incredible.
He’s also currently in the middle of a 19-show To Beat The Devil residency at his new downtown Nashville bar, Chief’s. The intimate shows feature never-before-heard songs and acoustic storytelling from one of the greatest storytellers in country music.
But on Friday night, Church took some time to make a headlining appearance at Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California. And once again, he had quite the surprise in store for the crowd.
Instead of his regular high-energy show, Church stripped it back and performed an hour and a half-long acoustic medley, along with a gospel choir and the occasional brass instrument.
If you’ve ever seen him live, you know that a frequent part of Church’s live show is his “Mistress Named Music” medley where he intersperses a variety of songs from a variety of genres into his own song. Well, this was that on steroids, for the entire set.
And as an Eric Church fan myself, I have to say, it was incredible.
The set featured not only his own songs, but covers of everything from “Gin and Juice” to “Oh Happy Day.”
@dena.g7 Eric Church doing cover songs at Stagecoach with a few of his snuck in. #stagecoach #ericchurch #ericchurchmusic #countrymusic ♬ original sound – Dena G
It’s safe to say that it was unlike anything Church has ever done, and any headlining festival set attendees had ever seen.
So naturally, there were quite a few people who were upset about it:
Now, to be fair, Church did bring in the band at the end of the show for part of “Country Music Jesus” and “Springsteen.” But it’s safe to say that was a unique show, and definitely not what folks were expecting for a show like a headlining set at Stagecoach.
Was it a bold move? Absolutely. It’s one that most artists wouldn’t even think about making, much less be able to actually pull off.
If you’re an Eric Church fan, chances are you loved it. If you only know “Springsteen” and “Drink In My Hand,” chances are you hated it.
But that’s what makes Church such an incredible artist. Who else would have the balls to do that on that big of a stage?
Was it career suicide like some people are saying? Of course not. Church has heard that time and time again, but it’s never stopped him from taking risks. And that set was a big risk from an artist who’s proven time and time again that he’s not afraid to go against what’s expected of him.
And to be fair, there were quite a few people on Twitter who were loving it too:
Eric Church, always keeping fans on their toes.
