After
delaying the show open to allow the new record-setting concert crowd
of 56,521 fans into Nissan Stadium, multi-Platinum superstar Eric Church appeared
at the end of his 50-yard-line catwalk beneath a single spotlight to
set the tone for the marathon Saturday night ahead. Adorned in his
trademark aviators, t-shirt and a Gibson guitar, Church opened his first
headlining stadium show with “Drowning Man” before meeting powerhouse
backup singer Joanna Cotten center stage for “Country
Music Jesus” and what could have been the official mantra of the
evening: “That’s Damn Rock & Roll.”
Church, praised by Esquire as “one of the most singular working
artists in any genre,” has long done things his own way – perhaps never
more evident than on his current Double Down Tour. Continuing
the trend of the tour thus far, the country music renegade
performed nearly four hours of music and just under 40 songs spanning
the catalog of all six of his studio albums. With no opening act –
making him the first artist to play Nissan Stadium alone in the venue’s
20+ year history – Church had the record-setting crowd in the palm of
his chest-pounding hand the entire evening (the previous attendance
record of 56,112 was set in 2018).
“I
came here 15 years ago and I had dreams,” he explained of Nashville to
his loyal Church Choir, “but I’m not sure I could dream this big.
Tonight is a special night for me and you know this if you’ve been to
any of our shows on the Double Down Tour… I’m gonna give you everything I’ve got all night long, and tonight is going to be a revival. I promise you.”
As the night went on, Church indulged the crowd with everything from hits like current single “Some Of It” – the music video directed by award-winning Reid Long
having debuted on stadium screens prior to the show – and No. 1 hits
“Drink In My Hand” and “Record Year” to deep album cuts
including fan-favorites “Pledge Allegiance to the Hag” and “Knives of
New Orleans.” His extensive catalog was evident throughout both halves
of the marathon set punctuated only by a 25-minute intermission, making
it no surprise that Church has earned 30 million RIAA certifications, a
feat he was recognized for with a plaque presentation prior to the show.
He also paid homage to Nashville as he’s done in each tour city thus far
– putting the ‘music’ in Music City with stadium-worthy covers
of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Night Moves,” “It’s A Great Day to be Alive,”
“Sweet Caroline,” “Piano Man,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “I Love Rock
‘n’ Roll” during his signature “Mistress Named Music” medley. As the
epic show drew to a close after midnight, Church sent the satisfied
Nashville crowd into Sunday morning with an encore including his classic
hit “Springsteen” – the melody sounding like a memory that is sure to
remain a soundtrack to this May Saturday night for years to come.
For more information visit www.ericchurch.com, download the new Eric Church app and follow on Facebook and Twitter @ericchurch and on Instagram @ericchurchmusic.
Upcoming Double Down Tour Dates
June 28 & 29 George, Wash. || The Gorge Amphitheatre
Sept. 13 & 14 Green Bay, Wis. || Resch Center
Sept. 20 & 21 Calgary, Alberta || Scotiabank Saddledome
Sept. 28 San Francisco, Calif. || Chase Center
Oct. 4 & 5 Grand Rapids, Mich. || Van Andel Arena
Oct. 11 & 12 Philadelphia, Pa. || Wells Fargo Center
Oct. 25 Little Rock, Ark. || Verizon Arena
Oct. 26 Birmingham, Ala. || BJCC Arena
Nov. 1 Manchester, N.H. || SNHU Arena
Nov. 2 Hartford, Conn. || XL Center
Nov. 15 & 16 Washington, D.C. || The Anthem
Nov. 22 & 23 Sacramento, Calif. || Golden 1 Center
About Eric Church
The three-time Country Music Association and six-time Academy of Country
Music Award winner released his highly-anticipated album Desperate Man atop the Billboard Country Albums chart on October 5. The album also debuted at No. 5 on the all-genre Billboard 200. Rolling Stone Magazine describes the album in their July 2018 cover story as
“classic Church: expertly crafted and country-radio-friendly, while
also pushing boundaries in a way that sounds natural and unforced” and American Songwriter notes
that it “sublimates the pain of a tumultuous year into his most
adventuresome album yet.” Church has returned to the road for his 2019 Double Down Tour, visiting
nearly 30 markets for back-to-back nights of two unique shows
sans-opening act to give fans 6+ hours of his iconic music in each city.
The tour also included a massive stop at Nissan Stadium in Nashville
where Church nearly tripled the attendance record he set at Bridgestone
Arena in 2017.
Photo
Credit: John Shearer