Eric Church Set to Deliver Unique Live Experience with “Evangeline vs. The Machine” Shows
By Christian Lamitschka for Country Music News International Magazine
Widely renowned for his innovative and captivating concerts, Eric Church is once again poised to redefine the live music experience. Forbes has previously noted his tendency to “frequently look to shake up just how fans experience live music,” and he’s staying true to form with an exclusive pair of shows scheduled for May 23 and 24 at Nashville’s newest live music venue, The Pinnacle. These special performances will celebrate the release of his highly anticipated new album, Evangeline vs. The Machine, set to drop on May 2.
These one-off shows promise a unique experience, as Church will perform the new album in its entirety and in sequence for the very first time. In addition to this debut performance, attendees can also look forward to compelling renditions of his most iconic and beloved hits.
A self-proclaimed “album artist,” Church has consistently championed the power of cohesive storytelling within his musical projects, and Evangeline vs. The Machine is no exception. Reflecting on his creative approach, Church shares, “An album is a snapshot in time that lasts for all time. I believe in that time-tested tradition of making records that live and breathe as one piece of art – I think it’s important.”
He further elaborates on his artistic philosophy, stating, “I’ve always let creativity be the muse. It’s been a compass for me. The people that I look up to in my career and the kind of musicians I gravitate to never did what I thought they were going to do next – and I love them for it. I never want our fans to get an album and go, ‘Oh, that’s like Chief or that’s like this.’ Painstakingly, I lose sleep at night to try to make sure that whatever we do creatively, they go, ‘Wow, that’s not what I thought.’ I think that’s my job as an artist.”
The lead single from the upcoming album, “Hands Of Time,” has already made a significant impact, setting a new personal record by becoming the most added song at Country radio this week with 135 first-week stations. The track has garnered immediate praise from both fans and critics. Stereogum lauded it as a “juicy, fired-up Southern rocker about living in a world that increasingly makes no sense to you.” Rolling Stone celebrated its “nostalgic jukebox” feel, noting its allusions to influential songs and artists in Church’s career, including Bob Seger’s “Hollywood Nights,” Tom Petty’s “Even the Losers,” AC/DC’s “Back in Black,” and Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings’ “Luckenbach, Texas.” Billboard highlighted how “the song builds into a punchy, rock-fueled anthem as Church sings of turning to simple pleasures – particularly music – to fend off the impact of the passing decades.”
Among the other notable tracks on the forthcoming Jay Joyce-produced album is “Darkest Hour.” This song was released ahead of the project to support relief efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in September 2024. Church has pledged all of his publishing royalties from the track to provide ongoing funds in support of a more resilient future for his home state of North Carolina. Reflecting on the song’s impact, Church states, “That song had the chance to change things—it already has. The greatest concert I’ve ever played was the Concert for Carolina – that’s the greatest thing I’ve been involved with. This song played a big part of that night and is a rallying cry for the people there that still need a lot of help. As a person who writes and performs a song, seeing it truly impact people’s lives is the greatest thing you can hope to accomplish.”
The album also features “Johnny,” a soul-stirring reinterpretation inspired by “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and the tragic Covenant School shooting in Nashville. Church has previewed this powerful track in limited settings at both his Chief’s To Beat The Devil residency and the recent Country Radio Seminar, leaving audiences deeply moved. When introducing the song at CRS, he explained, “About a year ago, we had a shooting here in Nashville at the Covenant School. Where my kids go to school, my two boys, is about a mile from that school. I will tell you something, the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life – parent or otherwise – is dropping them off at that school the day after the shooting and watching them walk inside. I sat in the parking lot for a long time, and as fate would have it, as I was pulling out, Charlie Daniels was playing, ‘The Devil Went Down to Georgia.’ I remember thinking, man, we could use Johnny right now, because the Devil’s not in Georgia, he’s everywhere. I went home and wrote ‘Johnny’.”
For more information on Eric Church and his upcoming projects, fans can visit EricChurch.com and follow him on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and Instagram @ericchurchmusic.
Evangeline vs. The Machine Track List
- Hands Of Time (Eric Church, Scooter Carusoe)
- Bleed On Paper (Tucker Beathard, Casey Beathard, Monty Criswell)
- Johnny (Eric Church, Luke Laird, Brett Warren)
- Storm In Their Blood (Eric Church)
- Darkest Hour (Eric Church)
- Evangeline (Eric Church, Luke Laird, Barry Dean)
- Rocket’s White Lincoln (Eric Church)
- Clap Hands (Tom Waits)
About Eric Church
A highly decorated artist, Eric Church has earned seven ACM Awards, four CMA Awards (including the prestigious 2020 Entertainer of the Year honor), and ten GRAMMY nominations, including three nods for Best Country Album. He has cultivated a passionate and dedicated fan base through his critically acclaimed and diverse catalog of music. In October 2024, Church released “Darkest Hour,” demonstrating his commitment to his home state by signing over all publishing royalties to aid the people of North Carolina following the devastation of Hurricane Helene, providing both immediate relief and long-term support for a more resilient future. This impactful song is featured alongside his current single, “Hands Of Time,” on his forthcoming album, Evangeline vs. The Machine, which arrives on May 2. This marks his first new collection of music since his ambitious 2021 Heart & Soul triple album, which featured hit singles like “Stick That In Your Country Song” and “Hell Of A View.” His impressive discography also includes the RIAA Gold-certified Desperate Man (“Some Of It,” “Desperate Man”); Platinum-certified Sinners Like Me (“How ’Bout You,” “Guys Like Me”), Carolina (“Smoke a Little Smoke,” “Love Your Love the Most”) and Mr. Misunderstood (“Record Year,” “Round Here Buzz”); Double-Platinum certified The Outsiders (“Like a Wrecking Ball,” “Talladega”); and the 4x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as an impressive 32 Gold, Platinum, and multi-Platinum certified songs. Beyond his musical achievements, Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Stream brand, hosts his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” has launched his own liquor offering, Whiskey JYPSI, and recently opened Chief’s, a six-story venue on Nashville’s famed lower Broadway.