Erik Church provides some context after fans were stunned during his Stagecoach set over the weekend.
The “Record Year” singer took the stage for the seventh time at the Indio, California, music festival on Friday, delivering a surprising and polarizing performance that included a cover by a 16-member choir and his longtime collaborator Joanna Cotton. heavy 75 minute setlist. Church performed “Gin and Juice” by Snoop Dogg, “California Love” by Tupac Shakurs, “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen, “Oh Happy Day” by Edwin Hawkins, “Take Me to the River” by Al Green and “Stand By Me.” ” by Ben E. King , “Danny’s Song” by Loggins & Messina and “This Little Light of Mine”. After more than an hour, loudly ReportsChurch mixed in some of his own tunes, including “Springsteen” and “Country Music Jesus.”
“That was the most difficult performance I have ever done,” said “Mr. Misunderstood” singer in a statement on Saturday. “I’ve always found that when you go back to where it started, back to chasing who Bob Seger loves, who Springsteen loves, who Willie Nelson loves, you’re chasing back to the source. The origin of everything is still the purest form.” And we don’t do that as much anymore. It felt good in that moment to go back and take a choir and do that.
He added: “For me it was always something with records, with performances, I was always the one who thought, ‘Let’s do something really, really strange and crazy and take a risk.’ Sometimes it doesn’t work, but it’s okay to live on that edge, because that edge, that cutting edge, is going to be the place that all new people are drawn to anyway, so if you can always challenge yourself in that way. it always cuts sharper than any other edge.”
Church, Miranda Lambert and Morgan Wallen headlined this year’s three-day festival.
Lambert created her own element of surprise by invitation Reba McEntire on stage to perform Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart” and “Gunpowder & Lead” together, as well as McEntire’s “Fancy” on Saturday.
On Sunday, Church returned to the stage as a surprise guest during Wallen’s performance to sing their 2023 collaboration “Man Made a Bar.” During his show, Wallen also welcomed Hardy, Bailey Zimmerman, Ernest and Post Malone, who sang their unreleased song “I Need Some Help.”
For more information about Stagecoach 2024, see the links below.
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