I have to agree with Felker here.
At this point, I’m sure you’ve already heard about Charley Crockett’s most recent controversy regarding satanism (of all things). In case you haven’t, let me catch you up to speed.
Back in March, the “Jamestown Ferry” singer announced his sprawling, 49-show Age of the Ram Tour that began back in April and will conclude in early October. Unsurprisingly, Crockett grabbed a ton of openers, employing the likes of Nat Myers and Durand Jones & The Indicators as primary openers during a majority of the tour. Additionally, he called upon the likes of Kashus Culpepper, Sierra Hull, Margo Price, Lee Fields, Honky Tonkin’ Queens, Wild Horses, Pony Bradshaw and Twin Temple as support on select dates.
If you’re familiar with the alternative/independent country scene, a majority of these names are sure to ring a bell. With that being said, however, there was one major outlier, at least aesthetically: Twin Temple.
Taking to Instagram early in July, Twin Temple announced that Crockett and Co. had removed them from their upcoming shows that were slated for July 14th and 18th due to their satanic imagery. The duo would apologize to fans and express how grateful they are for their support, finishing the post by hailing Satan.
In response, Crockett would go on a bit of a social media tirade (which has all been wiped on Instagram as of writing). First, he’d take to Instagram to upload a photo of Johnny Cash posing in front of a church, along with Kris Kristofferson’s “To Beat The Devil” playing in the background. In the caption, he’d simply write:
“If they did it to Jesus, imagine what they’ll do to you.”
He’d follow that up with yet another post on Instagram, saying he is “not sorry” for canceling them as openers, clarifying that he is not politically aligned on the left or the right, adding that “God is the fabric that ties all of life together.” Crockett would also explain here how he feels about the entertainment industry, summing it up by saying there are many involved who he believes would “kill a relative” to get famous or make it, seemingly implying that Twin Temple are nothing more than soulless shock rockers.
After a week or so of silence, in an interview with Rolling Stone on July 14th, the husband and wife duo would confirm that the removal came from the “Jamestown Ferry” singer himself, with Alexandrea noting that they got a call from his agent, explaining that she thought it could bring different types of people together and finally expressing that they have no ill-will towards Crockett and still like his music.
“We still like his records, and we still respect what he’s doing for American music.”
Over the last few weeks, it seems as if everything has died down. Twin Temple has not made any further comments and recently played on The Daily Show. Crockett, on the other hand, has continued to play shows and promote his new album, Clovis, while also defending himself from recent claims that he’s “pro data center.”
Though it seems like both Twin Temple and Crockett have laid the controversy to rest, fans certainly haven’t.
Earlier this morning, the iconic Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma, announced a must-see, one-night show with both Crockett and Turnpike Troubadour’s frontman Evan Felker headlining on Wednesday, August 26th. If you’re in the area, and maybe even if you’re not… this won’t be one you want to miss.
Given how long the two go back, with Felker and Turnpike helping Crockett launch his career back in the day and “Welcome To Hard Times” singer making headlines earlier in the year by offering up his Grammy nomination to the band, fans were absolutely ecstatic about the announcement. That still didn’t stop a few fans from trying to stir the pot regarding Twin Temple…
A few hours after the announcement, one commenter would ask if the Satanic duo would be in the lineup:
“Will Twin Temple be in the lineup?”
Almost immediately, Felker would respond with a simple yet hilarious remark:
“I think they were unavailable.”
In typical fashion, the Turnpike frontman said a little with a lot here. While I’m a bit surprised he even took the time to respond to the obvious troll, you’ve got to love Felker sticking to his guns and shutting it down with a little bit of sarcasm thrown in. In all seriousness, did we really expect the writer of tracks like “Heaven Passing Through” to want anything to do with that controversy? I certainly don’t think so…
Before you go, fire up “Heaven Passing Through.”
