It is no secret ‘round these parts that I have a first class seat on the Eric Church bandwagon. He is one of the best songwriters and performers country music has produced in decades. But don’t take my word for it. Just ask the 18,000 plus fans who packed into Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena this past Saturday(1/10) breaking the venues all time attendance record.
We are talking about an arena in Nashville. Music City. A town in which the biggest stars in country are made and artists of all other genres aspire to perform. Furthermore, the Bridgestone is also home to the Nashville Predators NHL team. Notwithstanding all of that Eric still managed to draw the biggest turnout ever witnessed from that stage.
A testament to the raw talent and drawing power of Church is that not only did fans come from miles around to attend, but fellow artists stopped in for the highly anticipated show. Cole Swindell and Sam Hunt were spotted. And the queen herself, Reba, posted an Instagram pic of her view.
His fourth album, The Outsiders, has garnered praise across the board among fans and critics. Eric never fails to artistically mature with each studio release and always has something new and unexpected for listeners. This latest offering once again blends his writing prowess with that country/rock sound he has become synonymous with. But unlike some of the other artists attempting to find dollar signs in that amalgam Church remains original in every lyric and on every track.
From the double entendre laced “Cold One”, the sultry candor of “Wrecking Ball”, to the unexpected horns in “The Joint”, The Outsiders is one of those records you can put on and walk away from. Not one song warrants use of that skip button.
If you have missed Eric’s live shows thus far you are in luck dear reader. Church has just announce an extension to his Outsiders World Tour. One of the most sought after tickets of the year the show will continue to feature fringe dwelling, or “outsider”, artists such as Drive-By Truckers, Cadillac Three and Brothers Osborne.
The Outsiders World Tour runs all the way till the end of August 2015 with a plethora of dates across our fair land. Some of the big ones coming up include, Austin, Tampa, Seattle, Cincinnati, Newark, Buffalo and Jacksonville. Even our neighbors in the great white north get a visit when Eric pops into Vancouver, BC in April.
For a complete list of dates check EricChurch.com
Take my advice, you do not want to be an outsider when it comes to Eric Church music.
