When you’ve got a catalog as deep as Eric Church, even a 4-year-old could come up with a setlist full of hits.
And that’s exactly what happened at Red Rocks last night, thanks apparently to Church’s young nephew Tate.
Chief is in the middle of a three-night run at the iconic venue, and if the first night was for those of us who have been around since Sinners Like Me was released back in 2006, last night was for everybody else who’s come along for the ride over the past 20 years.
Before Church even took the stage, there was a noticeably larger light setup behind him than there was the first night. And that should have been a hint for those in the crowd: This one was going to be a party.
“Knives of New Orleans” opened the show before Church launched into “Stick That In Your Country Song,” which set the tone for the entire evening: It was going to be a night full of hits, and it wasn’t going to slow down until the very last song.
Most artists craft a setlist with highs and lows, the bangers and the ballads to bring the crowd along for a rollercoaster ride of ebbs and flows throughout the evening.
But then again, most setlists aren’t crafted by 4-year-olds: As Church recalled, his young nephew burst into his room earlier in the day (“at the crack of noon”) with a list of requests for the show that evening. And by the end of the show, it was clear that the kid has great taste in music even at his early age.
The show felt like one big storm that just kept gaining strength. From beginning to end, the energy was off the charts from both the crowd and from the stage, feeding off of each other like a wildfire being flamed by the Santa Ana winds. And it was packed with chart toppers and fan favorites that kept all 9,500 people between the rocks on their feet from beginning to end.
Of course this time around he played the classics like “Drink In My Hand” and “Smoke A Little Smoke,” for everybody who may have been disappointed on Monday to not hear the radio singles. And there were also two songs, “Bleed On Paper” and “Evangeline,” from Church’s latest album Evangeline vs. the Machine, played live for the first time with just the original band and not the entire orchestra and choir ensemble.
But he also threw in some fan favorites that you don’t find on the setlist very often: “Ain’t Killed Me Yet,” “Longer Gone” and “Over When It’s Over” were surprising additions that had fans afraid to leave for a bathroom break for fear of missing a surprise appearance of their favorite deep cut.
Gotta think Tate had a hand in some of those.
At one point, Church looked at his setlist and chuckled:
“Tate did make my playlist. I looked down and I’m like, ‘Oh, crap.’ The only reason I didn’t say ‘Oh s–t’ is because he’s four.”
After the show, the crowd was still buzzing over the impressive setlist: On the bus back to our hotel, there were more than a few people who suggested that Tate should be given the reigns every night, clearly a ball-knower even at his young age.
But that’s who last night’s show was for. It was for all of the fans who have been along for the ride over the past two decades, whether they joined in 2006 with Sinners Like Me or in 2011 when Chief was the #1 album in the world. There was something for everybody, and by the end of the night even the woman who yelled at me on the bus for having the music up too loud managed to crack a smile. (Ok maybe not, but the other 9,499 people there couldn’t stop smiling).
It’s going to be hard to top last night’s show, but Church is back between the rocks tonight for the last of his 3-night run. We’ll see what he has in store – and whether Tate has any say in tonight’s setlist.
Red Rocks Night 2 Setlist
1. Knives of New Orleans
2. Stick That in Your Country Song
3. Ain’t Killed Me Yet
4. Fat Bottomed Girls
5. Pledge Allegiance to the Hag
6. Bleed on Paper
7. Drink in My Hand
8. Round Here Buzz
9. Mr. Misunderstood
10. Desperate Man
11. Carolina
12. Chattanooga Lucy
13. Evangeline
14. Smoke a Little Smoke
15. Longer Gone
16. Homeboy
17. Creepin’
18. Country Music Jesus
19. Some of It
20. The Outsiders
21. Give Me Back My Hometown
22. Over When It’s Over
23. Cold One
24. Hell of a View
25. Springsteen/Born To Run
26. Record Year
27. Holdin’ My Own
28. Lynyrd Skynyrd Jones
