Need to see a Childers cameo ASAP.
After a solid decade of being overlooked, underrated and one of Appalachia’s hidden gems, Tyler Childers has cemented himself as a bona fide star in country music. Though you’ll never see him step on stage at the CMA and ACM Awards, he’s garnered one of the most eclectic, diehard fanbases in the genre right now, and it just keeps growing.
2025, in particular, was the Kentucky native’s most successful year to date. Though Snipe Hunter didn’t come without its controversy, it once again proved why he’s one of the best in the business and pushed his sound in a new directions. It ended up paying dividends for him as well. Upon its release, Snipe Hunt debuted at #7 on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart, along with a #1 entry on their Americana/Folk Albums chart and a #2 entry on their Top Country Albums list.
Additionally, he’d score not one but three Grammy nominations for Best Contemporary Country Album, Best Country Song (“Bitin’ List”) and Best Country Solo Performance (“Nose On The Grindstone”) for the record, taking home his first career Gramophone with “Bitin’ List.”
Riding the highs of 2025, Childers is currently on his biggest run of shows to date on the Snipe Hunt Tour, which kicked off back in April. And last night, he played arguably the biggest show of his career so far, performing to a sold-out crowd of over 40,000 at the iconic Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, with Jon Batiste and Wednesday.
Unsurprisingly, the 35-year-old singer/songwriter delivered a stellar setlist, filled with new tracks like the aforementioned “Bitin’ List,” “Eatin’ Big Time” and “Dirty Ought Trill,” along with past hits such as “Lady May,” “All Your’n,” and the unreleased staple, “Jersey Giant.”
One of the bigger surprises of the night didn’t come in the form of a song or performance. Instead, it was the brand new guitar Childers debuted early in the set during “Dirty Ought Trill.”
In a somewhat out-of-left-field (no pun intended) move, Childers broke out a Cithara electric guitar, which was custom-made with all the main members of South Park on it, complete with the likes of Cartman, Kenny, Kyle and Stan on the body.
@schmaggsie Oh my god, he killed Wrigley!@Tyler Childers ♬ original sound – Margaret
Though the show has definitely lost some of its luster in the past few years, it still remains one of the longest-running animated shows in the U.S., spanning nearly 30 years across 28 seasons. With that being said, however, it’s been nothing short of a cultural phenomenon for decades at this point, even calling upon country music’s very own Brad Paisley back in 2012 when he played himself in an episode.
Can’t say seeing Childers rock a custom-made South Park guitar at Wrigley Field was on my 2026 bingo card, but I’m totally here for it. Definitely going to need to see him follow in the footsteps of Paisley and make an appearance on the show next season.
Snipe Hunt Tour Dates
July 14 – Kansas City, Missouri – Morton Amphitheater – with Wednesday
July 15 – Des Moines, Iowa – Casey’s Center – with Wednesday
July 18 – Boulder, Colorado – Folsom Field – with Jon Batiste & Wednesday
September 30 – Sacramento, California – Golden 1 Center – with Wednesday
October 2 – Seattle, Washington – Climate Pledge Arena – with Wednesday
October 3 – Portland, Oregon – Moda Center – with Wednesday and Scott T. Smith
