Eric Church stunned the audience at Stagecoach Festival’s Friday night event with what he describes as “the most ambitious set of his career.”
As a veteran of the festival, Church made his seventh appearance, marking his fifth time headlining. However, this performance stood out as he revisited the musical roots that shaped his journey. Armed with nothing but an acoustic guitar and a 16-person choir, including longtime collaborator Joanna Cotten, Church embarked on a 75-minute, non-stop Gospel-infused journey.
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The electrifying set kicked off with “Hallelujah” and featured covers of iconic tracks such as “Take Me To The River,” “Stand By Me,” “Danny’s Song,” and even “Gin and Juice,” interwoven with elements from his albums “Mr. Misunderstood” and “Heart & Soul.” This blend created a nostalgic Outsiders revival, culminating in a grand finale where Church’s band emerged from beneath the stage to join the spectacle.
Whiskey Riff termed the show ‘career suicide’ and went on to list all the social media posts of people complaining about the set but if you dig deeper into Church’s explanation below you might want to take a different view.
Reflecting on the performance, Church confessed, “This was the most difficult set I have ever attempted.” He emphasized the importance of returning to the roots of music, drawing inspiration from legends like Bob Seger, Bruce Springsteen, and Willie Nelson. For Church, this journey back to the origin represents the purest form of musical expression, a sentiment he felt compelled to share with his audience.
Pushing the boundaries of his craft, Church remarked, “I’ve always been the one that’s like, ‘let’s do something really, really strange and weird and take a chance.’ Sometimes it doesn’t work, but it’s okay if you’re living on that edge.” Embracing experimentation, Church believes that pushing oneself creatively is essential to staying ahead of the curve and inspiring the next generation of artists.
In delivering a groundbreaking performance at Stagecoach, Eric Church reaffirmed his status as a visionary artist unafraid to challenge conventions and push the boundaries of country music.
