Alright, so Eric Church stirred up some drama at Stagecoach with his gospel-inspired set. The country music festival crowd was not having it, with some fans even walking out. Church, however, defended his performance, calling it “the most ambitious set of [his] career.”
In a statement to Yahoo Entertainment, Church explained that he wanted to take it back to the roots of country music by channeling the influences of artists like Bob Seger, Bruce Springsteen, and Willie Nelson. He brought out a 16-person choir and covered songs like “Hallelujah” and even “Gin and Juice.” Yup, you read that right.
But not everyone was feeling the vibes. Some attendees were less than impressed, with one fan tweeting, “He hasn’t gotten off the stool and most songs are covers with the choir. This isn’t what we came for.” Ouch. The Desert Sun even compared the exodus from Church’s set to Moses parting the Red Sea. Yikes.
On the other hand, some folks watching from home actually enjoyed the unique performance. One Twitter user who’s worked at an Eric Church show selling merch said that this is exactly the kind of stuff Church fans live for. So maybe it’s just a matter of perspective.
This isn’t the first time Church has left fans scratching their heads. Back at the 2023 CMA Fest, he faced criticism for not playing hits like “Springsteen” and going for more soulful tunes instead. Church explained to Rolling Stone that he was just trying to give a sneak peek of what he had in store for his upcoming tour.
Regardless, Church is unapologetic about his artistic choices and isn’t afraid to push boundaries. As he put it, “if you can always challenge yourself that way, it always cuts sharper than any other edge.” So, love it or hate it, you gotta respect the man for staying true to his vision.
And hey, at least he’s shaking things up and keeping things interesting in the world of country music. Who knows, maybe next time he’ll cover some Cardi B or throw in a bit of EDM. Anything’s possible with Eric Church at the helm.
