Brutal…
Eric Church is wrapping up his Free the Machine tour in Tampa, Florida tonight after 45 dates that kicked off last September. But this weekend, he’s sporting a new accessory for the final two shows: A boot.
No, not the kind he sings about in “These Boots.” Church showed up on stage Friday night at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida in a walking boot after breaking his foot two days prior. And it didn’t happen because he stood toe to toe with the biggest baddest Joes: Turns out he lost a fight with…a suitcase.
Church addressed his injury early in Friday night’s show:
“I have made it 44 tour dates unscathed. And 48 hours ago – I wish I could give you a better story – I jumped out of bed, I forgot about a suitcase at the end of the bed, and I kicked the sh– out of that suitcase, and I broke my foot. So tonight, what I lack in mobility, I’m gonna make up in passion.”
Brutal.
The injury didn’t stop Church from ripping through a 29-song setlist that included deep cuts like “Look Good and You Know It,” “Lynyrd Skynyrd Jones,” and “Mixed Drinks About Feelings.” But of course, before he closed out the show, he had to perform…”These Boots.”
Church told the crowd that as he was limping around backstage, his youngest son told him he had to play it, given the irony of the moment. And he and Joanna Cotten had a good laugh as he changed the lyrics to reflect his current situation:
“These boots have had to dance with the devil
And nearly had to kick that suitcase, across the road”
@mercury.southeast You have to sing “These Boots” when you break your foot and are in a walking boot. @Eric Church @MCA #ericchurch #livemusic #theseboots
Classic Church.
The Free the Machine tour has been unlike any other in country music: Each date has featured a full choir, orchestra and horns section on stage with Church as he opened the show by playing his entire Evangeline vs. the Machine album front to back. The full ensemble remains on stage with him for much of the show, but slowly starts to drop out until it’s just Church and his original band, and finally just Church and his powerhouse background vocalist Joanna Cotten to end the night.
There were also plenty of surprises along the way courtesy of special guests, in the form of the opening acts that Church brought along with him on tour. I was lucky enough to be in Texas when Church welcomed Stephen Wilson Jr. to the stage for back-to-back performances of “Seven Spanish Angels,” and I can tell you that it was one of the most magical things I’ve ever witnessed (two nights in a row).
Church regularly played for 3 hours on each of the 46 scheduled dates, and with just one show left on the schedule he’s managed to play well over half of the songs he’s released in his career – by my count there are only 40 of 108 that haven’t made an appearance on the tour so far. Can you imagine any other artist breaking out that much of their catalog on a single tour?
Of course the shows have also featured Church’s typical energy and passion from the stage, that same passion that he brings to everything he does – including, apparently, kicking a suitcase.
