Eric Church Brings “Evangeline vs. The Machine Live” to The Pinnacle for Two Nights Only

When Eric Church’s Evangeline vs. The Machine Live shows at The Pinnacle were announced in March, the superstar and CMA Entertainer of the Year winner told fans it would be a pair of performances like nothing they’d ever seen. The Church Choir quickly sold out the underplays at just 4,500-capacity-times-two before ever hearing the album that was released on May 2, 2025. And the anticipation was at its peak by showtime! With many showing up in “Eric Fucking Church” and “Concert for Carolina” merch, the Church Choir was ready. 

As fans entered the venue, they were met by camera controllers and security in hazmat suits embroidered with Church’s Evangeline vs. The Machine album insignia “M” signifying the “Machine” before a 27-minute visual intro that appropriately included Pink Floyd’s “Welcome to the Machine,” played. The crowd erupted upon seeing his 6-piece band, 4-piece horns, 4-piece strings, 8-piece choir and vocalist Joanna Cotten entering the stage to “Run Like Hell” chanting “Chief, Chief” before the North Carolinian appeared up center stage. 

Performing his eighth studio album front-to-back before transitioning into his catalog hits reimagined with this expanded musical collaboation – including “Desperate Man,” “Give Me Back My Hometown,” “Sinners Like Me,” “Mistress Named Music” and “Springsteen” among others – the two-hour set saw Church equally as ardent as the audience. 

“We created a show that’s only gonna be seen for these two nights,” Church said on stage Saturday night. “My favorite times as a music fan is knowing I’m seeing something live. Not on YouTube, not on TikTok, but live, as I knew I’d never be in that moment ever again. And that is the power of music… and the genesis of these shows.” 

Whether transitioning from Evangeline vs. The Machine’s album closer “Clap Hands” to “Desperate Man,” or citing the sax-solo on “Springsteen,” Whiskey Riff notes Church’s album release shows “showed off not only his country music street cred but also wove in the rock, blues and soul sounds that have influenced the man behind the sunglasses.” 

Photo Credit: Nathan Zucker for Alive Coverage

Free the Machine Tour 2025 Dates are as follows: 
Sept. 12  ||  Pittsburgh, Penn.  ||  PPG Paints Arena  ||  Elle King
Sept. 13  ||  Columbus, Ohio  ||  Nationwide Arena  ||  Elle King
Sept. 18  ||  Philadelphia, Penn.  ||  Wells Fargo Center  ||  Elle King
Sept. 19  ||  Boston, Mass.  ||  TD Garden  ||  Elle King
Sept. 20  ||  Brooklyn, N.Y.  ||  Barclays Center  ||  Elle King
Sept. 25  ||  Green Bay, Wisc.  ||  Resch Center  ||  Marcus King Band
Sept. 26  ||  Milwaukee, Wisc.  ||  Fiserv Forum  ||  Marcus King Band
Sept. 27  ||  Des Moines, Iowa  ||  Wells Fargo Arena  ||  Marcus King Band
Oct. 2    ||  Detroit, Mich.  ||  Little Caesars Arena  ||  Marcus King Band
Oct. 3    ||  Lexington, Ky.  ||  Rupp Arena  ||  Marcus King Band
Oct. 9    ||  Indianapolis, Ind.  ||  Gainbridge Fieldhouse  ||  Marcus King Band
Oct. 10   ||  Grand Rapids, Mich.  ||  Van Andel Arena  ||  Marcus King Band
Oct. 11   ||  Cleveland, Ohio  ||  Rocket Arena  ||  Marcus King Band
Oct. 23   ||  Salt Lake City, Utah  ||  Delta Center  ||  Charles Wesley Godwin
Oct. 24   ||  Boise, Idaho  ||  ExtraMile Arena  ||  Charles Wesley Godwin
Oct. 25   ||  Spokane, Wash.  ||  Spokane Arena  ||  Charles Wesley Godwin
Nov. 6    ||  Vancouver, B.C.  ||  Rogers Arena  ||  Charles Wesley Godwin
Nov. 7    ||  Portland, Ore.  ||  Moda Center  ||  Charles Wesley Godwin
Nov. 8    ||  Seattle, Wash.  ||  Climate Pledge Arena  ||  Charles Wesley Godwin
Nov. 13   ||  Sacramento, Calif.  ||  Golden 1 Center  ||  Charles Wesley Godwin
Nov. 14   ||  Fresno, Calif.  ||  SaveMart Center  ||  Charles Wesley Godwin
Nov. 15   ||  Inglewood, Calif.  ||  Intuit Dome  ||  Charles Wesley Godwin

About Eric Church
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including 2020’s Entertainer of the Year), TIME100Philanthropy 2025 honoree and 10-time GRAMMY nominee – including three nods for Best Country Album, Eric Church has built a passionate fan base through his critically acclaimed catalog of music. Church’s October 2024 release, “Darkest Hour,” saw the superstar signing over all of his publishing royalties to the people of North Carolina to provide immediate relief following the devastation of Hurricane Helene while also providing ongoing funds to support a more resilient future for his home state. The song is featured alongside current single “Hands Of Time” on his brand new album, Evangeline vs. The Machine, marking his first new music since 2021’s Heart & Soul triple album (“Stick That In Your Country Song,” “Hell Of A View”). That project followed prior releases including 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 4x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 32 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs. Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Stream brand, has his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” his own liquor offering, Whiskey JYPSI, and recently celebrated the first anniversary Chief’s, his six-story venue on Nashville’s famed lower Broadway. For more information, visit EricChurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and Instagram @ericchurchmusic. 

Eric Church's 'Evangeline vs. The Machine' Earns Resounding Critical Acclaim

With his bold new project Evangeline vs. The Machine out now, Eric Church is once again drawing widespread praise from critics and fans alike for challenging conventions and standing firm in his commitment to artistry. Anchored by the 10-time GRAMMY nominee’s uncompromising vision and genre-defying songwriting, the album is being hailed as one of the most powerful statements of his singular career:

Alongside the release, Church also premiered the official music video for current single “Hands of Time,” already climbing the Top 30 at country radio after arriving with a personal-best 135 first-week stations. The official music video served as an introduction to a series of illustrated companion videos for each song on the album, offering an added element to the artistic mission statement of the project.
 
Church will also bring Evangeline vs. The Machine to the ACM Awards live on Prime Video this Thursday, May 8 at 8 p.m. ET, before bringing the next chapter of his critically acclaimed live show to fans in arenas coast to coast with his Free the Machine Tour. Tickets to most shows are available to the general public beginning this Friday, May 9 at 10 a.m. local time (with the Philadelphia date on sale May 16).
 
For more information, visit EricChurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and Instagram@ericchurchmusic.

Eric Church Will 'Free the Machine' With Arena Tour This Fall

With his highly anticipated album Evangeline vs. The Machine arriving this Friday, May 2, Eric Church will bring the next chapter of his critically acclaimed live show to fans in major cities coast to coast as his Free the Machine Tour kicks off a run of 22 arena dates on Sept. 12. 
 
“Eric Church in concert is as much a catharsis as a hell-raising Friday (or Saturday) night,” declares POLLSTAR, with Stereogum adding that he is “at the top of his genre because he breaks its rules in big, exciting arena-filling ways.” Praised by Forbes for his “leave-it-all-on-the-stage mentality,” Church will be joined across varying dates by special guests Elle King, Marcus King Band and Charles Wesley Godwin (support bios are available HERE).
 
“From front to back, these shows will be different than anything you’ve ever seen or heard from us before,” shared Church in a video message sent directly to Church Choir members. “I cannot wait to see you on the road for this tour.”
 
Tickets to most shows are available to the general public beginning next Friday, May 9 at 10 a.m. local time (with the Philadelphia date on sale May 16). As always, premium members of the Church Choir will have early access to tickets through the Church Choir presale beginning Monday, May 5 at 10 a.m. local time. Premium members should check their email for presale details and can log in at EricChurch.com or the official Eric Church app to access their unique codes. A registration presale via Seated, available to non-premium Church Choir members and the general public, kicks off Tuesday, May 6 at 10 a.m. local time. To register, please visit EricChurch.com and sign up for your desired date.
 
Having consistently taken industry-leading precautions to protect fans from scalpers, Church is reserving all pit tickets on the Free the Machine Tour for premium Church Choir members to ensure his most passionate and loyal fans are closest to the stage. Premium Church Choir members will receive request instructions via email. Pit tickets will be will-call only to deter resale (except where prohibited by state law).
 
The news of a tour comes just ahead of the imminent release of Church’s latest album, Evangeline vs. The Machine, available everywhere this Friday, May 2. Expanding the legacy of one of country music’s most fearless storytellers and anchored by lead single “Hands of Time” – which debuted as the most-added song at Country radio and earned Church a new personal record for first-week impact with 135 stations – the album is available to pre-order/pre-save HERE.
 
In addition to the tour kicking off this fall, Church will bring the new music and his esteemed catalog to life onstage with a run of high-profile shows this spring and summer, beginning with two To Beat The Devil residency shows at London’s revered Royal Albert Hall on May 16-17. He will then take over Nashville’s Pinnacle for a sold-out, two-night installment of Evangeline vs. The Machine Live on May 23–24. In July, he heads west for what has become a roughly once-a-decade experience at Colorado’s iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre, where fans can expect a unique set each evening across three sold-out shows: Eric Church vs. The Machine; Eric Church vs. The ECB; and Eric Church vs. The Guitar.
 
For more information, visit EricChurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and Instagram@ericchurchmusic. 

Free the Machine Tour
*on sale Friday, May 16 at 10 a.m. local time
Sept. 12  ||  Pittsburgh, Penn.  ||  PPG Paints Arena  ||  Elle King
Sept. 13  ||  Columbus, Ohio  ||  Nationwide Arena  ||  Elle King
Sept. 18  ||  Philadelphia, Penn.  ||  Wells Fargo Center  ||  Elle King*
Sept. 19  ||  Boston, Mass.  ||  TD Garden  ||  Elle King
Sept. 20  ||  Brooklyn, N.Y.  ||  Barclays Center  ||  Elle King
Sept. 25  ||  Green Bay, Wisc.  ||  Resch Center  ||  Marcus King Band
Sept. 26  ||  Milwaukee, Wisc.  ||  Fiserv Forum  ||  Marcus King Band
Sept. 27  ||  Des Moines, Iowa  ||  Wells Fargo Arena  ||  Marcus King Band
Oct. 2    ||  Detroit, Mich.  ||  Little Caesars Arena  ||  Marcus King Band
Oct. 3    ||  Lexington, Ky.  ||  Rupp Arena  ||  Marcus King Band
Oct. 9    ||  Indianapolis, Ind.  ||  Gainbridge Fieldhouse  ||  Marcus King Band
Oct. 10   ||  Grand Rapids, Mich.  ||  Van Andel Arena  ||  Marcus King Band
Oct. 11   ||  Cleveland, Ohio  ||  Rocket Arena  ||  Marcus King Band
Oct. 23   ||  Salt Lake City, Utah  ||  Delta Center  ||  Charles Wesley Godwin
Oct. 24   ||  Boise, Idaho  ||  ExtraMile Arena  ||  Charles Wesley Godwin
Oct. 25   ||  Spokane, Wash.  ||  Spokane Arena  ||  Charles Wesley Godwin
Nov. 6    ||  Vancouver, B.C.  ||  Rogers Arena  ||  Charles Wesley Godwin
Nov. 7    ||  Portland, Ore.  ||  Moda Center  ||  Charles Wesley Godwin
Nov. 8    ||  Seattle, Wash.  ||  Climate Pledge Arena  ||  Charles Wesley Godwin
Nov. 13   ||  Sacramento, Calif.  ||  Golden 1 Center  ||  Charles Wesley Godwin
Nov. 14   ||  Fresno, Calif.  ||  SaveMart Center  ||  Charles Wesley Godwin
Nov. 15   ||  Inglewood, Calif.  ||  Intuit Dome  ||  Charles Wesley Godwin

About Eric Church
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including 2020’s Entertainer of the Year) and 10-time GRAMMY nominee – including three nods for Best Country Album, Eric Church has built a passionate fan base through his critically acclaimed catalog of music. Church’s October 2024 release, “Darkest Hour,” saw the superstar signing over all of his publishing royalties to the people of North Carolina to provide immediate relief following the devastation of Hurricane Helene while also providing ongoing funds to support a more resilient future for his home state. The song is featured alongside current single “Hands Of Time” on his forthcoming album, Evangeline vs. The Machine arriving May 2, marking his first new music since 2021’s Heart & Soul triple album (“Stick That In Your Country Song,” “Hell Of A View”). That project followed prior releases including 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 4x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 32 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs. Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Stream brand, has his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” his own liquor offering, Whiskey JYPSI, and recently celebrated the first anniversary Chief’s, his six-story venue on Nashville’s famed lower Broadway.

Eric Church Joined Willie Geist on ”Sunday TODAY" Ahead of 'Evangeline vs. The Machine' Release This Friday 5/2

As the release of his highly anticipated new album Evangeline vs. the Machine approaches this Friday, May 2, Eric Church sat down with Willie Geist on NBC’s “Sunday TODAY.” The two discussed Church’s nearly two-decade journey defined by consistent risk-taking and rule-breaking as he enters a bold new chapter with his most sonically ambitious project yet. Watch the in-depth and wide-ranging conversation HERE, and hear the full, extended interview via the “Sunday Sitdown” podcast HERE.
 
“In the day we live in now, with all the social media… you can release a song on Tuesday, another song on Friday, another song on Tuesday,” explained Church in the feature. “I’m an album artist, always have been, and I think we’ve gotten away from that now. The ‘machine’ is consumption; the ‘machine’ is the world we live in – and the interesting thing about ‘Evangeline’ is it’s kind of creativity versus the machine, and ‘Evangeline’ represents that creativity.”
 
Reflecting later in the interview on a short span that included performing at the Route 91 Harvest Festival that was tragically impacted by a mass shooting, then facing a life-threatening blood clot and the death of his brother, Church notes, “You can listen to the music, maybe, and you can see that I was brash, arrogant in a lot of ways. But it changes when you have those things happen to you, and I think it made the music more humble, and maybe more observant.”
 
Church further expanded on the album’s themes during a separate appearance on “The Steam Room” podcast with basketball icons Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson, noting, “Everything I look at today involves kids on iPads and kids doing whatever they do on ‘machines,’ and it’s a little bit of a crux between creativity versus the ‘machine’ that tries to manipulate that creativity.” Hear the full conversation HERE.
 
Driven by that sense of artistic purpose, Evangeline vs. the Machine expands the legacy of one of country music’s most fearless storytellers. Anchored by lead single “Hands of Time” – which debuted as the most-added song at Country radio and earned Church a new personal record for first-week impact with 135 stations – the album is available to pre-order/pre-save HERE.
 
Following the release, Church will bring the new music and his esteemed catalog to life onstage with a run of high-profile shows, beginning with two To Beat The Devil residency shows at London’s revered Royal Albert Hall on May 16-17. He will then take over Nashville’s Pinnacle for a sold-out, two-night installment of Evangeline vs. The Machine Live on May 23–24. In July, he heads west for what has become a roughly once-a-decade experience at Colorado’s iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre, where fans can expect a unique set each evening across three sold-out shows: Eric Church vs. The Machine; Eric Church vs. The ECB; and Eric Church vs. The Guitar.
 
For more information, visit EricChurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and Instagram@ericchurchmusic.

About Eric Church
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including 2020’s Entertainer of the Year) and 10-time GRAMMY nominee – including three nods for Best Country Album, Eric Church has built a passionate fan base through his critically acclaimed catalog of music. Church’s October 2024 release, “Darkest Hour,” saw the superstar signing over all of his publishing royalties to the people of North Carolina to provide immediate relief following the devastation of Hurricane Helene while also providing ongoing funds to support a more resilient future for his home state. The song is featured alongside current single “Hands Of Time” on his forthcoming album, Evangeline vs. The Machine arriving May 2, marking his first new music since 2021’s Heart & Soul triple album (“Stick That In Your Country Song,” “Hell Of A View”). That project followed prior releases including 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 4x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 32 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs. Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Stream brand, has his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” his own liquor offering, Whiskey JYPSI, and recently celebrated the first anniversary Chief’s, his six-story venue on Nashville’s famed lower Broadway.

Eric Church joined Willie Geist on NBC’s “Sunday TODAY” yesterday, April 27. | Photo Courtesy of NBC

TUNE IN 4/27: Eric Church Joins NBC's "Sunday TODAY" Ahead of 'Evangeline vs. The Machine' Out 5/2

Eric Church, hailed by Esquire as “one of the most singular working artists in any genre” and named NPR’s “gold standard for mainstream country,” joins Willie Geist for an exclusive conversation on NBC’s “Sunday TODAY” this Sunday, April 27. The in-depth and wide-ranging interview previews his highly anticipated new album, Evangeline vs. the Machine, arriving next Friday, May 2. “Sunday TODAY” airs at 6 a.m. PT / 8 a.m. ET (check local NBC listings).
 
Filmed at the Terminal 5 concert venue in New York City, where Church performed in 2010 on the cusp of releasing his breakthrough album, Chief, the sit-down interview offers an intimate look at his nearly two-decade journey marked by consistent risk-taking and rule-breaking as he enters a bold new chapter with his most sonically ambitious project yet.
 
Evangeline vs. The Machine expands the legacy of one of country music’s most fearless storytellers. Anchored by lead single “Hands of Time” – which debuted as the most-added song at Country radio and earned Church a new personal record for first-week impact with 135 stations – the album is available to pre-order/pre-save HERE.
 
Following the release, Church will bring the new music and his esteemed catalog to life onstage with a run of high-profile shows, beginning with two To Beat The Devil residency shows at London’s revered Royal Albert Hall on May 16-17. He will then take over Nashville’s Pinnacle for a sold-out, two-night installment of Evangeline vs. The Machine Live on May 23–24. In July, he heads west for what has become a roughly once-a-decade experience at Colorado’s iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre, where fans can expect a unique set each evening across three sold-out shows: Eric Church vs. The Machine; Eric Church vs. The ECB; and Eric Church vs. The Guitar.
 
For more information, visit EricChurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and Instagram@ericchurchmusic.

Eric Church joins Willie Geist on NBC’s “Sunday TODAY” this Sunday, April 27 (check local listings). | Photo Courtesy of NBC

About Eric Church
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including 2020’s Entertainer of the Year) and 10-time GRAMMY nominee – including three nods for Best Country Album, Eric Church has built a passionate fan base through his critically acclaimed catalog of music. Church’s October 2024 release, “Darkest Hour,” saw the superstar signing over all of his publishing royalties to the people of North Carolina to provide immediate relief following the devastation of Hurricane Helene while also providing ongoing funds to support a more resilient future for his home state. The song is featured alongside current single “Hands Of Time” on his forthcoming album, Evangeline vs. The Machine arriving May 2, marking his first new music since 2021’s Heart & Soul triple album (“Stick That In Your Country Song,” “Hell Of A View”). That project followed prior releases including 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 4x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 32 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs. Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Stream brand, has his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” his own liquor offering, Whiskey JYPSI, and recently celebrated the first anniversary Chief’s, his six-story venue on Nashville’s famed lower Broadway.

Eric Church's 'Evangeline Vs. The Machine' Listening Events Set for May 2-4 at Indie Record Stores Nationwide

Indie record stores across the country will come alive the weekend of May 2–4 as over 100 locations celebrate the arrival of Eric Church’s highly anticipated new album, Evangeline vs. The Machine, with exclusive listening events. The first fans in each store will be treated to a limited-edition Eric Church poster and all attendees will have the chance to enter a special grand prize giveaway. Full details including participating locations can be found at recordstoreday.com.
 
Arriving May 2, Evangeline vs. The Machine marks another ambitious and sonically rich chapter in the groundbreaking career of one of country music’s most fearless storytellers. Anchored by lead single “Hands of Time” – which debuted as the most-added song at Country radio and earned Church a new personal record for first-week impact with 135 stations – the album is available to pre-order/pre-save HERE.
 
Fans attending the listening events will hear the new project in full, an experience Church places heavy importance on when creating. A self-proclaimed “album artist,” Church has always championed the power of cohesive storytelling, and Evangeline vs. The Machine is no exception. “An album is a snapshot in time that lasts for all time,” Church shares of the creative approach behind the highly-anticipated new project. “I believe in that time-tested tradition of making records that live and breathe as one piece of art – I think it’s important.”
 
“I’ve always let creativity be the muse. It’s been a compass for me,” he adds. “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.”

Church will also bring the new music and his esteemed catalog to life onstage later this spring and summer with a run of high-profile shows, kicking off with two To Beat The Devil residency shows at London’s revered Royal Albert Hall on May 16-17 before a sold-out, two-night takeover of Nashville’s The Pinnacle May 23–24 for Evangeline vs. The Machine Live. In July, he heads west for what has become a roughly once-a-decade experience at Colorado’s iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre, where fans can expect a unique set each evening across three sold-out shows: Eric Church vs. The Machine; Eric Church vs. The ECB; and Eric Church vs. The Guitar.
 
For more information, visit EricChurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and Instagram @ericchurchmusic. 

About Eric Church
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including the 2020 award for Entertainer of the Year) and 10-time GRAMMY nominee – including three nods for Best Country Album, Eric Church has amassed a passionate fan base around his critically acclaimed catalog of music. Church’s October 2024 release, “Darkest Hour,” saw the superstar signing over all of his publishing royalties to the people of North Carolina to provide immediate relief following the devastation of Hurricane Helene while also providing ongoing funds to support a more resilient future for his home state. The song is featured alongside current single “Hands Of Time” on his forthcoming album, Evangeline vs. The Machine arriving May 2, marking his first new music since 2021’s Heart & Soul triple album (“Stick That In Your Country Song,” “Hell Of A View”). That project followed prior releases including 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 4x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 32 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs. Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Stream brand, has his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” his own liquor offering, Whiskey JYPSI, and recently celebrated the first anniversary Chief’s, his six-story venue on Nashville’s famed lower Broadway.

Eric Church & Chief Cares Break Ground in Avery County, NC

Chief Cares, the nonprofit founded by country music star Eric Church and his wife Katherine in 2013, has officially broken ground on its first mid- to long-term housing development to support families displaced by Hurricane Helene. The development, called Blue Haven, is located in Avery County, North Carolina – an area close to Church’s heart and home.

Standing before local leaders, supporters and community members Friday, April 11, Church shared a deeply personal vision for the future. “The land we stand on today sits in the heart of a county that has meant so much to me,” he said. “This is a place my family and I are proud to call home… Mountain people, my people.”

Chief Cares, the nonprofit founded by country music star Eric Church and his wife Katherine in 2013, has officially broken ground on its first mid- to long-term housing development to support families displaced by Hurricane Helene. The development, called Blue Haven, is located in Avery County, North Carolina – an area close to Church’s heart and home.

Standing before local leaders, supporters and community members Friday, April 11, Church shared a deeply personal vision for the future. “The land we stand on today sits in the heart of a county that has meant so much to me,” he said. “This is a place my family and I are proud to call home… Mountain people, my people.”

L to R ID: Justin DeSpain and Matt Belcher (Clayton Homes), Ruth Shirley (Avery Long Term Recovery Group), Christian Bigsby (SVP Workplace Resources, Cisco), Eric Church, Governor Stein and Luke Howe (local partner, AMY Wellness Foundation) break ground at Blue Haven Community in Avery County North Carolina on Friday, April 11, 2025. | Photo Credit: Courtesy of Chief Cares

Chief Cares: A Renewed Mission
 
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, which devastated parts of Western North Carolina in September 2024, Chief Cares shifted its mission to address a growing need: keeping people in their communities after disaster strikes. While emergency relief efforts are critical in the immediate aftermath, Chief Cares is focused on what happens next – on providing families with a path to stability, homeownership and dignity.

This effort is being launched under a new initiative called Blueprint for the Blue Ridge, a scalable model for disaster recovery rooted in housing, community and mid- to long-term support.

“We realized that keeping the people in their communities after disaster was a problem with no real solution. We wanted to change that,” Church said. “This is truly a hand up, not a handout. Dignity and community are key to the long-term success of the Blueprint.”

About Blue Haven

Blue Haven will offer roughly 45 homes across a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom floorplans. Chief Cares and its partners are acquiring the land, preparing the infrastructure and building the homes. Selected families’ housing expenses will be financially assisted to allow them to live affordably for up to three years while they rebuild their lives. At the end of that term, families will have the option to purchase their homes – with support from Chief Cares in accessing any available resources.

“The community in this extraordinary setting will provide a shelter of time for its members and owners,” Church said. “We put a house where your home is, so that house can be your home.”

Work is already underway, and families are expected to move in by late summer 2025.

A Scalable Model for the Nation

While Blue Haven is the first, it won’t be the last. Chief Cares has plans to expand into neighboring counties, with the ultimate goal of creating a national model for disaster recovery rooted in permanence, pride and place.

“It is our hope and belief that this will provide guidance and support to other communities facing devastation,” Church said. “A map to a destination of keeping those communities intact.”
 
For more information, visit ChiefCares.org.

Eric Church Brings 'Evangeline vs. The Machine' to Red Rocks for Three Unique Shows This July

With his new album Evangeline vs. The Machine arriving May 2, Stereogum’s “greatest working rock star” Eric Church returns to the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre for a special three-night run of distinct performances July 14-16, curating a unique, immersive experience for each show:
 
July 14: Eric Church vs. The Machine – a full-scale production featuring his band joined by a dynamic ensemble of strings, horns and choir combining to deliver an epic, must-see set.
 
July 15: Eric Church vs. The ECB – a raw, high-energy set with his original band, including longtime collaborator Joanna Cotten.
 
July 16: Eric Church vs. The Guitar – a stripped-down, intimate evening with Church alone on stage, delivering an acoustic performance like only he can.
 
Church’s history at Red Rocks is one of legend. He made his debut in August 2007 and his August 2016 performance at the venue was captured for a PBS special, highlighted by his hauntingly beautiful cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” A roughly once-a-decade experience, this return to Red Rocks marks his first performance at the venue since that show.
 
Tickets for this special three-night event will be available to Church Choir members on Monday, April 7, before opening to the general public on Friday, April 11. Become a Church Choir member here. Supporting Church across all three nights is Stephen Wilson Jr. and a limited number of three-day tickets are available for fans eager to see the full trio of shows.
 
With these one-off shows on the horizon to celebrate new album Evangeline vs. The Machine, lead single “Hands Of Time” is already impressing, having set a new personal record en route to becoming most added at Country radio last week with 135 first-week stations and earning immediate praise from fans and critics alike. Stereogum lauded the “juicy, fired-up Southern rocker about living in a world that increasingly makes no sense to you;” Rolling Stone celebrated the “nostalgic jukebox, full of allusions to songs and artists that were essential to Church’s career: Bob Seger and ‘Hollywood Nights,’ Tom Petty and ‘Even the Losers,’ AC/DC’s ‘Back in Black,’ and Willie and Waylon’s ‘Luckenbach, Texas,’ among them;” and Billboard honored the way “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 songs featured on the forthcoming Jay Joyce-produced album is “Darkest Hour,” released ahead of the project to support relief efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in September 2024, with all of Church’s publishing royalties donated to provide ongoing funds in support of a more resilient future for his home state of North Carolina. “That song had the chance to change things—it already has,” Church reflects. “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.”
 
Also included is “Johnny,” a soul-stirring reinterpretation inspired by “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and the Covenant School tragedy, which Church has previewed in limited settings at both his Chief's To Beat The Devil residency and the recent Country Radio Seminar, leaving audiences in awe. “About a year ago, we had a shooting here in Nashville at the Covenant School,” he explained when introducing the song during CRS. “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, visit EricChurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and Instagram@ericchurchmusic.
 

About Eric Church
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including the 2020 award for Entertainer of the Year) and 10-time GRAMMY nominee – including three nods for Best Country Album, Eric Church has amassed a passionate fan base around his critically acclaimed catalog of music. Church’s October 2024 release, “Darkest Hour,” saw the superstar signing over all of his publishing royalties to the people of North Carolina to deliver immediate relief following the devastation of Hurricane Helene while also providing ongoing funds to support a more resilient future for his home state. The song is featured alongside current single “Hands Of Time” on his forthcoming album, Evangeline vs. The Machine arriving May 2, marking his first new music since 2021’s Heart & Soul triple album (“Stick That In Your Country Song,” “Hell Of A View”). That project followed prior releases including 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 4x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 32 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs. Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Stream brand, has his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” his own liquor offering, Whiskey JYPSI, and recently opened Chief’s, a six-story venue on Nashville’s famed lower Broadway.

Eric Church Brings 'Evangeline vs. The Machine Live' to Nashville's The Pinnacle May 23 & 24

Widely renowned for his singular concerts, with Forbes remarking that he “frequently looks to shake up just how fans experience live music,” Eric Church once again offers a unique live experience with an exclusive pair of shows set for May 23 and 24 at Nashville’s newest live music venue, The Pinnacle, in celebration of the release of his highly anticipated May 2 album, Evangeline vs. The Machine. Pre-order/pre-save the album HERE.
 
Tickets to Evangeline vs. The Machine Live go on sale to premium Church Choir members Monday, March 31 at 10 a.m. CT. Become a premium Church Choir member here.
 
The one-off shows will see Church perform the new album in sequence for the first time, while also treating fans to a number of compelling performances of his most iconic hits. A self-proclaimed “album artist,” Church has always championed the power of cohesive storytelling, and Evangeline vs. The Machine is no exception. “An album is a snapshot in time that lasts for all time,” Church shares of the creative approach behind the highly-anticipated new project. “I believe in that time-tested tradition of making records that live and breathe as one piece of art – I think it’s important.”
 
“I’ve always let creativity be the muse. It’s been a compass for me,” he adds. “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.”
 
Lead single “Hands Of Time” is already impressing, having set a new personal record en route to becoming most added at Country radio this week with 135 first-week stations and earning immediate praise from fans and critics alike. Stereogum lauded the “juicy, fired-up Southern rocker about living in a world that increasingly makes no sense to you;” Rolling Stone celebrated the “nostalgic jukebox, full of allusions to songs and artists that were essential to Church’s career: Bob Seger and ‘Hollywood Nights,’ Tom Petty and ‘Even the Losers,’ AC/DC’s ‘Back in Black,’ and Willie and Waylon’s ‘Luckenbach, Texas,’ among them;” and Billboard honored the way “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 songs featured on the forthcoming Jay Joyce-produced album is “Darkest Hour,” released ahead of the project to support relief efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in September 2024, with all of Church’s publishing royalties donated to provide ongoing funds in support of a more resilient future for his home state of North Carolina. “That song had the chance to change things—it already has,” Church reflects. “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.”
 
Also included is “Johnny,” a soul-stirring reinterpretation inspired by “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and the Covenant School tragedy, which Church has previewed in limited settings at both his Chief’s To Beat The Devil residency and the recent Country Radio Seminar, leaving audiences in awe. “About a year ago, we had a shooting here in Nashville at the Covenant School,” he explained when introducing the song during CRS. “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, visit EricChurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and Instagram@ericchurchmusic.

About Eric Church
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including the 2020 award for Entertainer of the Year) and 10-time GRAMMY nominee – including three nods for Best Country Album, Eric Church has amassed a passionate fan base around his critically acclaimed catalog of music. Church’s October 2024 release, “Darkest Hour,” saw the superstar signing over all of his publishing royalties to the people of North Carolina to provide immediate relief following the devastation of Hurricane Helene while also providing ongoing funds to support a more resilient future for his home state. The song is featured alongside current single “Hands Of Time” on his forthcoming album, Evangeline vs. The Machine arriving May 2, marking his first new music since 2021’s Heart & Soul triple album (“Stick That In Your Country Song,” “Hell Of A View”). That project followed prior releases including 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 4x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 32 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs. Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Stream brand, has his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” his own liquor offering, Whiskey JYPSI, and recently opened Chief’s, a six-story venue on Nashville’s famed lower Broadway.

Church’s “Hands Of Time” Most Added & Personal Best First-Week

Eric Church’s “Hands Of Time” sets a new personal record en route to becoming most added at Country radio this week with 135 first-week stations. The milestone adds to the anticipation for the next ambitious and sonically rich chapter in his groundbreaking career, with new album Evangeline vs. The Machine arriving May 2. Pre-order/pre-save HERE.
 
The song earned immediate praise upon its release last Thursday, March 20, with Stereogum lauding the “juicy, fired-up Southern rocker about living in a world that increasingly makes no sense to you;” Rolling Stone celebrating the “nostalgic jukebox, full of allusions to songs and artists that were essential to Church’s career: Bob Seger and ‘Hollywood Nights,’ Tom Petty and ‘Even the Losers,’ AC/DC’s ‘Back in Black,’ and Willie and Waylon’s ‘Luckenbach, Texas,’ among them;” and Billboard honoring the way “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 songs featured on the forthcoming Jay Joyce-produced album is “Darkest Hour,” released ahead of the project to support relief efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in September 2024, with all of Church’s publishing royalties donated to provide ongoing funds in support of a more resilient future for his home state of North Carolina. “That song had the chance to change things—it already has,” Church reflects. “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.”
 
Also included is “Johnny,” a soul-stirring reinterpretation inspired by “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and the Covenant School tragedy, which Church has previewed in limited settings at both his Chief’s To Beat The Devil residency and the recent Country Radio Seminar, leaving audiences in awe. “About a year ago, we had a shooting here in Nashville at the Covenant School,” he explained when introducing the song during CRS. “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, visit EricChurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and Instagram@ericchurchmusic.

About Eric Church
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including the 2020 award for Entertainer of the Year) and 10-time GRAMMY nominee – including three nods for Best Country Album, Eric Church has amassed a passionate fan base around his critically acclaimed catalog of music. Church’s October 2024 release, “Darkest Hour,” saw the superstar signing over all of his publishing royalties to the people of North Carolina to provide immediate relief following the devastation of Hurricane Helene while also providing ongoing funds to support a more resilient future for his home state. The song is featured alongside current single “Hands Of Time” on his forthcoming album, Evangeline vs. The Machine arriving May 2, marking his first new music since 2021’s Heart & Soul triple album (“Stick That In Your Country Song,” “Hell Of A View”). That project followed prior releases including 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 4x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 32 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs. Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Stream brand, has his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” his own liquor offering, Whiskey JYPSI, and recently opened Chief’s, a six-story venue on Nashville’s famed lower Broadway.

Eric Church's 'Evangeline Vs. The Machine' Arrives May 2; Lead Single “Hands Of Time” Out Now

Eric Church, one of country music’s most fearless storytellers, marks another ambitious and sonically rich chapter in his groundbreaking career with Evangeline vs. The Machine, available everywhere on May 2. Pre-order/pre-save HERE.
 
A self-proclaimed “album artist,” Church has always championed the power of cohesive storytelling, and Evangeline vs. The Machine is no exception. “An album is a snapshot in time that lasts for all time,” Church shares of the creative approach behind the highly-anticipated new project. “I believe in that time-tested tradition of making records that live and breathe as one piece of art – I think it’s important.”
 
“I’ve always let creativity be the muse. It’s been a compass for me,” he adds. “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.”
 
Lead single “Hands Of Time,” impacting Country radio on March 24, is available now as a preview of that endeavor. “As I get older, I’m looking for things that make me feel not as old,” Church explains of the track. “I can honestly say that when I hear music or see something from my past, I feel like I did then; I relate to what it was then. I really believe that a good way to handle that is with music.”

Among the other songs featured on the album is “Darkest Hour,” released ahead of the project to support relief efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in September 2024, with all of Church’s publishing royalties donated to provide ongoing funds in support of a more resilient future for his home state of North Carolina. “That song had the chance to change things—it already has,” Church reflects. “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.”
 
Also included is “Johnny,” a soul-stirring reinterpretation inspired by “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and the Covenant School tragedy, which Church has previewed in limited settings at both his Chief’s To Beat The Devil residency and the recent Country Radio Seminar, leaving audiences in awe. “About a year ago, we had a shooting here in Nashville at the Covenant School,” he explained when introducing the song during CRS. “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’.”
 
With such inspired tracks shaping the forthcoming Evangeline vs. The Machine – his first new album since 2021’s Heart & Soul trilogy  – Church continues his legacy of redefining modern country music on his own terms.  
 
Fans can also pre-order an Amazon Music exclusive Evangeline vs. The Machine vinyl in translucent light blue, available via Amazon.com or directly in the Amazon Music app, with fast and free shipping for Prime members. For more information, visit EricChurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and Instagram @ericchurchmusic.

About Eric Church
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including the 2020 award for Entertainer of the Year) and 10-time GRAMMY nominee – including three nods for Best Country Album, Eric Church has amassed a passionate fan base around his critically acclaimed catalog of music. Church’s October 2024 release, “Darkest Hour,” saw the superstar signing over all of his publishing royalties to the people of North Carolina to provide immediate relief following the devastation of Hurricane Helene while also providing ongoing funds to support a more resilient future for his home state. The song is featured alongside current single “Hands Of Time” on his forthcoming album, Evangeline vs. The Machine arriving May 2, marking his first new music since 2021’s Heart & Soul triple album (“Stick That In Your Country Song,” “Hell Of A View”). That project followed prior releases including 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 4x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 32 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs. Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Stream brand, has his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” his own liquor offering, Whiskey JYPSI, and recently opened Chief’s, a six-story venue on Nashville’s famed lower Broadway.

Field & Stream Music Fest Set for Oct. 3-5 with Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Riley Green & More

Field & Stream Music Fest unveils its star-studded lineup for the experiential event taking place October 3-5, 2025 in Winnsboro, South Carolina. Co-produced by Field & Stream, with key investors Eric Church, Morgan Wallen and Southern Entertainment, this premier event will bring together the best of country music and outdoor adventure for an unforgettable weekend. Pre-sales begin tomorrow, January 9 for Field & Stream 1871 Club Members, with tickets on sale to the general public this Friday, January 10.
 
A Star-Studded Lineup
The three-day event will feature over 40 artists performing across multiple stages, including Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Riley Green, ZZ Top, Bailey Zimmerman, Shane Smith & The Saints, Kameron Marlowe, Larry Fleet, Tyler Farr, Whey Jennings, Ashland Craft, Boy Named Banjo, Josh Sanders, Sadie Bass, the Davisson Brothers, Fox n’ Vead, Warrick McZeke, Aidan Canfield, Edwin McCain, David Lee Murphy, Cole Goodwin, Rut Spence, Eli Winders, Ryan Trotti, Bailey Marie, Payton Smith, Matt Tucker, Whit’s End, Nate Hosie, Maddie Rean, Taylor Richardson, Greg Parrish, Kyle Dills, Brent Underwood & Bart Lattimore, Darren Deese and DJ Slim McGraw. With an eclectic mix of country legends, rising stars and local talent, the Field & Stream Music Fest offers something for every music fan. Visit www.FSMF.com to see the daily line-up.
 
An Experience Like No Other
Field & Stream Music Fest brings together the best of country music and outdoor adventure for an unforgettable weekend. Dive into themed villages like the Ugly Stik Fish On America Village, where pro fishing tips and casting competitions await, or the onX Hunt Village, featuring outdoor gear showcases and expert-led demos. For sports fans, the GameWatch Football Showdown Village delivers live games on massive screens, complete with spirited activities and a fully stocked bar.
 
Step beyond the villages and take on thrilling excursions like trophy fishing, archery, Rattlesnake Park mountain biking and off-road tours through breathtaking landscapes. At the Field & Stream Expo, explore interactive exhibits and the latest in outdoor innovation from top brands.
 
Stay Your Way
With expanded RV and car-tent camping options and new hotel packages featuring convenient shuttles, we’ve made it easier than ever to stay close to the action while enjoying maximum comfort.
 
Powered by Our Partners
Thanks to our incredible sponsors—Fish on American featuring UglyStik, OnX Hunt, Moultrie, Silencer Central, Gunner Kennels, NWTF, Orion, Ducks Unlimited, Country Outdoors, Hobie Eyewear, Abu Garcia, Southern String Hat Co, Coors Light, Monster Energy, The Official Lager-Yuengling, and more—the festival is packed with exclusive showcases, hands-on activities, and endless ways to celebrate the great outdoors.
 
Tickets 
Field & Stream 1871 Club members get exclusive priority access to pre-sale tickets starting tomorrow, January 9, with just $39 down to secure your spot. Learn more about the club and its benefits at fieldandstream.com/1871-club. General public tickets will be available starting this Friday, January 10.
 
Tickets and accommodations are available at fieldandstreammusicfest.com. Stay connected for the latest updates by following @fieldandstreamfest on Facebook and Instagram. Don’t miss this ultimate fusion of live music and outdoor adventure!

ABOUT FIELD & STREAM 
Field & Stream is the world's leading outdoor lifestyle brand. With origins dating back to 1871, F&S has taught a nation to hunt and fish, to camp and explore, to survive and thrive in the outdoors—all while leading the charge to conserve and fight for wildlife and wild places. The secret to our longevity is simple: Hunters and anglers love a great story—and nobody tells one better than Field & Stream. In 2024, the legacy brand was unified under the same ownership for the first time in its history, including key investors and country music artists Eric Church and Morgan Wallen. Now embarking on a new chapter, the next generation of Field & Stream includes the return to a print publication, a membership community, a wide variety of product launches including apparel & accessories, upholstered furniture, beer and spirits and more, plus experiential components such as hunting and fishing Excursions, Powered by BirdDog, a lodge in Bozeman, MT and the Field & Stream Music Fest. For more information visit www.fieldandstream.com.
 
ABOUT SOUTHERN ENTERTAINMENT 
Southern Entertainment is a full-service event and production company with an unwavering commitment to excellence that has produced more than 500 events across the United States. For more information, visit www.southernentertainment.com

Luke Combs, Eric Church, Billy Strings & James Taylor Come Together for "Concert for Carolina" Presented by Explore Asheville

Luke Combs, Eric Church, Billy Strings and James Taylor will headline “Concert for Carolina,” a special benefit show presented by Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, on Saturday, October 26 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Tar Heel State is a profoundly special place for all four artists, as it is where Combs, Church and Taylor grew up and first discovered their musical interests, and where Strings has performed many, many times over his career and holds an extra special place in his heart. The event will be hosted by ESPN’s Marty Smith and Barstool Sports’ Caleb Pressley and will feature additional artists still to be announced.  
 
As news of the tremendous devastation caused by Hurricane Helene first began over the weekend, the group mobilized and started outreach to put together an event to raise critical funds for the relief efforts. The call to David Tepper—owner of the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte FC and Bank of America Stadium—and his wife Nicole Tepper was met with overwhelming generosity and decisive action. Without hesitation, the Teppers offered Bank of America Stadium as a venue and everyone united to make the benefit concert a reality as swiftly as possible. 
 
Tickets for the show will go on-sale this Thursday, October 10 at 10 a.m. ET. Full details can be found at www.concertforcarolina.com.
 
All proceeds from the event, including sponsorships, will be split 50/50 between Combs and Church’s Chief Cares Foundation to administer to organizations of their choosing in support of relief efforts across the Carolinas and the Southeast. 
 
Combs’ portion will be distributed between Samaritan’s Purse, Manna Food Bank and Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC, as well as one more organization still to be announced. 
 
Church’s Chief Cares is focused on helping established charities and organizations that are well managed, organized and can expedite aid directly to the families affected by Hurricane Helene. 
 
For those unable to attend the concert but still looking to support, donations can be made now to The North Carolina Community Foundation Disaster Relief Fund or to various organizations listed at www.concertforcarolina.com.  
 
“Concert for Carolina” is made possible due to the support and generosity of David and Nicole Tepper and Tepper Sports & Entertainment, Explore Asheville, T-Mobile, Atrium Health, Jack Daniel’s, Whataburger, Miller Lite and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. 
 
Born outside of Charlotte and raised in Asheville, Combs is a proud North Carolinian. Growing up singing at school, it wasn’t until he attended Boone’s Appalachian State University that Combs first performed his own songs at a beloved local bar, leading him to his now historic country music career. Since moving to Nashville in 2014, Combs continually returns to North Carolina for landmark moments including his first-ever headline stadium show at Appalachian State’s Kidd Brewer Stadium in 2021 as well as sold-out, back-to-back nights at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium last summer. 
 
Church, a native of Granite Falls, also began his musical journey in Western North Carolina, playing gigs locally throughout high school and into his time at Appalachian State University before chasing his dream to Nashville. He continues to split time between Tennessee and North Carolina with his family, even returning to the Appalachian Mountains to record his most recent project, the three-part Heart & Soul, in Banner Elk. In 2016, he was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame and in 2022, he was awarded the North Carolina Award, the state’s highest civilian honor. Most recently, he released the song “Darkest Hour” this past Friday in response to the recent devastation, with all publishing royalties being donated. 
 
Although he is a Michigan native, Strings’ life and career has been deeply impacted by the state of North Carolina both personally and professionally, as it is home to some of his most passionate and supportive fans. Over the past few years, Strings has performed at major venues across the state including an upcoming six-night run at Asheville’s ExploreAsheville.com Arena this winter.
 
Singer-songwriter Taylor moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina with his family when he was just three years old. Taylor’s father served as the Dean of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill medical school from 1964 to 1971. Taylor’s childhood home was on Morgan Creek Road in Chapel Hill-Carrboro. In April 2003, a bridge over Morgan Creek was dedicated to the musician, and renamed the James Taylor Bridge. Taylor’s childhood experiences in North Carolina influenced many of his most popular songs including “Copperline” as well as the beloved “Carolina in My Mind.” As a recording and touring artist, Taylor has touched people with his warm baritone voice and distinctive style of guitar-playing for more than 50 years.  Over the course of his celebrated career, he has sold more than 100 million albums, has won multiple GRAMMY Awards and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, as well as the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2009. 

About Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority
Explore Asheville is the official destination marketing and management organization for one of the most deeply rooted and creative destinations in the mountains of western North Carolina. Explore Asheville is powered by the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, a public authority that has been investing in and building community since 1983. The authority has committed $96 million in grants to more than 50 community projects as well as $5 million in grants through the Tourism Jobs Recovery Fund to nearly 400 small travel and hospitality businesses to reopen following the pandemic. 

Eric Church Forever Helps Home State w/ “Darkest Hour”

To provide immediate relief following the devastation of Hurricane Helene while also providing ongoing funds to support a more resilient future for North Carolina, Eric Church announces he is signing over all of his publishing royalties for his new song to the people of North Carolina. The song, Church’s first new solo release in over three years, is titled “Darkest Hour” and is now available everywhere. Listen Below.
 
“From Western North Carolina, East Tennessee, Upstate South Carolina, parts of Georgia and even Florida which took a direct hit, there are so many places that were impacted. Specifically in the area that I'm from, the mountains of Western North Carolina were devastated. There are places that are just biblically gone. These are our family members, they're our friends, they're our neighbors – and they're in dire need of help,” reflects Church. “And I've been in the studio for a while, trying some different things and exploring creativity. I had this song that I'd written, and the line that struck me in light of the recent devastation was ‘I'll come running,’ because there are a lot of people out there right now who are in their darkest hour and they need people to come running. We were going to wait to release music until next year, but it just didn't feel right to wait with this song. Sometimes you give songs their moment and sometimes they find their own moment.”
 
“This song, ‘Darkest Hour,’ was the best way I could think to try to help. We've been helping with boots on the ground efforts, but this is something that will live beyond just the immediate recovery. This is not a quick thing to fix, so hopefully ‘Darkest Hour’ will be able to contribute to that for a long time to come. This song goes to my home, North Carolina, now and forever.”
 
He continues, “‘Darkest Hour’ is a song dedicated to the unsung heroes, the people who show up when the world's falling apart. This is for the folks who show up in the hardest times, offering a hand when it's most needed, and standing tall when others can't. Even in your darkest hour, they come running. When the night's at its blackest, this is for those who are holding the light, guiding the lost and pulling us through. The message of the song specifically in this time is about Hurricane Helene and the people that need help, but in a broader view, it's about any challenging times that we have in our life, which we'll all have. And it's always important to know that in your darkest hour, there are people that will come running, there are people that will help. And I think it's also important to be one of the people that go running when other people need help.”

In addition to his efforts in his home state, Church’s Chief Cares will be assisting not only in North Carolina, but in all states and communities affected from Appalachia to the Gulf. 
 
For more information, visit EricChurch.com and ChiefCares.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and Instagram @ericchurchmusic.

About Eric Church
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including the highest honor for Entertainer of the Year) and 10-time GRAMMY nominee, Church has amassed a passionate fan base around the globe known as the Church Choir, plus a critically acclaimed catalog of music. He is currently working on new music as the follow up to his most recent chart-topping project, the Heart & Soul triple album, which featured the results of a marathon session during which he spent nearly a month writing and recording a song per day while sequestered in rural North Carolina. This followed his Gold-certified Desperate Man, which earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album (his third nod in the category) and prior releases including the 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”), the Double-Platinum certified The Outsiders (“Like a Wrecking Ball,” “Talladega”) and the 3x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 36 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs. Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Streambrand, has his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” his own liquor offering, Whiskey JYPSI, and recently opened Chief’s, a six-story venue on Nashville’s famed lower Broadway.

Outsiders Spirits Introduces New Whiskey JYPSI Legacy Batch 002: “The Alchemist”

Outsiders Spirits announced the limited early release of their third whiskey today – Whiskey JYPSI Legacy Batch 002: “The Alchemist.” The whiskey is the company’s second release in their acclaimed Legacy Series, which blends rare whiskeys in limited, one-of-a-kind batches that cannot be replicated. Outsiders’ first release, Whiskey JYPSI Legacy Batch 001: “The Journey,” garnered Double Gold honors in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
 
“When I write a song or put a band together, a lot of times you think – do all these things really work together? And you don’t really know until you get on stage,” co-founder Eric Church said. “The same is true with making whiskey. You have ideas, but don’t know until you try them. But we’ve found out...the more fearless we are, the better our whiskey is. ‘The Alchemist’ is the perfect representation of that fearless spirit, and I’m really proud of where we’ve landed.”
 
“The Alchemist” builds on Batch 001’s award-winning approach of cross-category blending to create reconstructed mash bills, with 3 whiskeys – each over 10 years old – from 3 different countries, and the added element of an inspired triple-barrel finish for the rye. All reconstructed into a 114.3 proof high-rye mash bill, the result is pure alchemy indeed.
 
Whiskey JYPSI’s Legacy Batch 002: “The Alchemist” is priced at $199.99 and will be available for a limited early release starting May 15 to purchase online at www.whiskeyjypsi.com and in select liquor stores across Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida with more markets to follow (while supplies last).
 
“We called Whiskey JYPSI’s Legacy 002 ‘The Alchemist,’ because Alchemists took unexpected elements and tried to change them into gold – turn them into something greater,” says Outsiders Spirits whiskey maker Ari Sussman. “That’s the job of a good whiskey blender. You start with high-quality ingredients and hopefully create something that’s even greater - more than just the components.”
 
60% of the blend is an 11-year-old corn whiskey from Tennessee aged in re-charred American oak barrels for sweetness. With fewer tannins thanks to the re-charring, this whiskey is smoother and rounder than most from Tennessee.
 
36% of the blend is a Canadian rye aged in ex-bourbon casks for 18 years. The liquid is then segmented into thirds and finished for 6 months in either port, Spanish vermouth, or sherry barrels for added layers of dark red fruit, raisins, and oxidized wine. The final product is a rye whose spice is brilliantly countered by deep cherry, prune, and fig notes.  
 
The last 4% of the blend is a rare, 10-year-old 100% Indian single malt matured in India’s high temperatures and humidity. This is some of the finest Indian single malt available, with a Double Gold award at the San Francisco International Spirits Competition of its own to prove it.
 
The combination of these rare spirits lives up to its name, for a blend that is truly greater than the sum of its components. An aroma of fruits, caramel, butterscotch, and macadamia nuts. Medium-plus viscosity. A balanced flavor of fruit and nuts with layers of cocoa, dried cherries, cinnamon and clove, and light hints of oak. All ending in a rye-forward finish that lingers with notes of chocolate, dates, and roasted almonds. For a final blend this is pure gold.

About Eric Church
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including the 2020 award for Entertainer of the Year) and 10-time GRAMMY nominee, Church has amassed a passionate fan base around the globe known as the Church Choir, plus a critically acclaimed catalog of music. Known for his tenacity on the road, his recent The Outsiders Revival Tour earned rave reviews as he brought a rotating lineup of emerging artists along for the first fully-outdoor tour of his career. His prior outing, the 55-city The Gather Again Tour, offered fans an in-the-round arena show and earned the 2022 Billboard Music Award for Top Country Tour. Church is currently working on new music as the follow up to his most recent chart-topping project, the Heart & Soul triple album, which featured the results of a marathon session during which he spent nearly a month writing and recording a song per day while sequestered in rural North Carolina. This followed his Gold-certified Desperate Man, which earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album (his third nod in the category) and prior releases including the 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”), the Double-Platinum certified The Outsiders (“Like a Wrecking Ball,” “Talladega”) and the 3x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 30 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs. Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Stream brand, has his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” and recently opened Chief’s, a six-story venue on Nashville’s famed lower Broadway. 
 
For more information, visit www.ericchurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter @ericchurch and Instagram @ericchurchmusic.
 
About Outsiders Spirits
Outsiders Spirits, LLC was founded in 2020 by CMA Entertainer of the Year and 10-time GRAMMY nominee Eric Church and entrepreneur Raj Alva as a purpose-driven incubator for whiskey innovation. The company officially launched its first whiskey release, Whiskey JYPSI Legacy Batch 001, in May 2023. It has since won multiple national and international awards, including the coveted Double Gold Medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and superlative ratings from the NY International Spirits Competition, the PR%F Awards and the Beverage Testing Institute. In April of this year, their all-new Explorer Series was released and has since won Gold in the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
 
For more information, visit www.whiskeyjypsi.com and follow @WhiskeyJYPSI on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Eric Church’s Soulful Set at Stagecoach

In what he calls “the most ambitious set of his career,” Eric Church surprised Stagecoach’s Friday night crowd with a disruptive, unexpected performance.

His seventh time playing the festival – and fifth time headlining – he took the sold-out crowd back to the foundation of where it all started for him musically. With an acoustic guitar and a 16-person choir that included longtime collaborator Joanna Cotten, the 75-minute non-stop Gospel-influenced set opened with "Hallelujah” and included covers “Take Me To The River,” “Stand By Me,” “Danny’s Song” and “Gin and Juice” threaded with tones of Mr. Misunderstood’s “Mistress Named Music” and Heart & Soul’s “Heart On Fire” throughout creating a full-fledged Outsiders revival, only to be concluded by his band rising from beneath the stage to join on the final few songs.

“This was the most difficult set I have ever attempted,” Church admits. “I've always found that taking it back to where it started, back to chasing who Bob Seger loves, who Springsteen loves, who Willie Nelson loves, you chase it back to the origin. The origin of all that is still the purest form of it. And we don't do that as much anymore. It felt good at this moment to go back, take a choir and do that.”

On the boundary-pushing set, Church adds, “For me, it's always been something with records, with performances, I've always been the one that's like, ‘let's do something really, really strange and weird and take a chance.’ Sometimes it doesn't work, but it's okay if you're living on that edge, because that edge, that cutting edge, is where all the new guys are going to gravitate to anyway. So if you can always challenge yourself that way, it always cuts sharper than any other edge.”

Eric Church performs at Stagecoach in Indio, California on Friday, April 26, 2024. ⎸ Photo Credit: Getty Images for Stagecoach 

About Eric Church
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including the 2020 award for Entertainer of the Year) and 10-time GRAMMY nominee, Church has amassed a passionate fan base around the globe known as the Church Choir, plus a critically acclaimed catalog of music. Church is currently working on new music as the follow up to his most recent chart-topping project, the Heart & Soul triple album, which featured the results of a marathon session during which he spent nearly a month writing and recording a song per day while sequestered in rural North Carolina. This followed his Gold-certified Desperate Man, which earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album (his third nod in the category) and prior releases including the 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”), the Double-Platinum certified The Outsiders (“Like a Wrecking Ball,” “Talladega”) and the 3x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 30 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs. Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Stream brand, has his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” his own liquor offering, Whiskey JYPSI, and Chief’s, a six-story venue on Nashville’s famed lower Broadway.

For more information, visit www.ericchurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and Instagram @ericchurchmusic.

Turn The Quiet Up: Eric Church Opens Chief’s

It took Eric Church and AJ Capital Partners’ founder and CEO Ben Weprin three years to reimagine and rebuild the historic building at 200 Broadway that officially opened last night as Chief’s. With a celebratory grand opening, the six-story bar, music venue and restaurant handed its keys over to the Church Choir. 
 
“This building is a lot like the songs I write … they’re mine until I release them, and then they’re not mine anymore, they’re yours,” shares Church. 
 
“We’re pretty good at storytelling through song, and I trusted Ben implicitly to bring what was in my heart and head for Chief’s to life as way of storytelling through space. The genesis of this place started with the vision of what the venue would be that we built the building around,” he adds of the two-story, 400-capacity Neon Steeple performance space in the heart of the building situated on floors 3 & 4. 
 
“When I came to Nashville in search of a place to play my songs, nowhere on this strip would have me. I went to Fiddle & Steel in Printers Alley and found my tribe,” Church shared with the original neon sign illuminating the theater balcony. “So, when we started building this, it was designed to be a place to bring original music back to the heart of historic Broadway.”
 
Church delivered on that promise with his first-of-nineteen residency shows, the aptly titled “To Beat The Devil.” In a journey chronicling his life and career, Church Choir members — as tickets were sold only to them — were treated to a nearly two-hour set solely for their eyes and ears. 
 
“I wanted a place I play songs that didn’t make albums — and this is the only place I’ll do a lot of these songs and share a lot of these stories. It’s a conversation in a place only for the people there.” 
 
Chief’s ticketed music venue is accompanied by Chief’s Tavern, a first-floor additional live entertainment space papered by more than 4,000 concert posters from throughout the CMA Entertainer of the Year’s career, and the second-floor Friendly Shadows Dueling Piano Bar, accented by highly-curated décor elements. Chief’s also houses a studio for broadcasting, inclusive of Eric Church Outsiders Radio on SiriusXM, with the capability of hosting broadcasts by various media partners. With street-level windows, the studio provides fans from around the world with a thrilling behind-the-scenes experience with a front-row view of broadcasting in action.
 
The venue also taps into Church’s Carolina roots in partnership with Rodney Scott, whose Whole Hog BBQ – part of the Pihakis Restaurant Group – occupies the fifth and sixth floors, overlooking downtown with its ‘Hell of a Q’ rooftop location.
 
Just as the Tennessean proclaimed of Church’s residency show, all six stories of Chief’s itself offer the “ultimate display of the honesty, personal touches and against-the-grain actions and thinking that have defined his quarter-century in Nashville.”

More at ChiefsonBroadway.com 

Photo Credit: Anthony D'Angio

About Eric Church:
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including the 2020 award for Entertainer of the Year) and 10-time GRAMMY nominee, Church has amassed a passionate fan base around the globe known as the Church Choir, plus a critically acclaimed catalog of music. Church is currently working on new music as the follow up to his most recent chart-topping project, the Heart & Soul triple album, which featured the results of a marathon session during which he spent nearly a month writing and recording a song per day while sequestered in rural North Carolina. This followed his Gold-certified Desperate Man, which earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album (his third nod in the category) and prior releases including the 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”), the Double-Platinum certified The Outsiders (“Like a Wrecking Ball,” “Talladega”) and the 3x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 30 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs. Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Stream brand, has his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” his own liquor offering, Whiskey JYPSI, and Chief’s, a six-story venue on Nashville’s famed lower Broadway.
 
For more information, visit www.ericchurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and Instagram @ericchurchmusic.
 
About Chief’s:
Chief’s is a six-story bar, restaurant and live music venue designed to celebrate Eric Church’s ever-expanding musical legacy. Located in historic downtown Nashville, Chief features a ticketed music venue, inspirational interiors and a thoughtful focus on unique live performances, offering fans an unparalleled entertainment experience in Music City. Chief’s houses a studio for live broadcasting, inclusive of Church’s Outsiders Radio SiriusXM channel, with the capability of hosting broadcasts by various media partners. Chief’s also features a restaurant partnership with James Beard Award Winning Pitmaster Rodney Scott. Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ overlooks downtown with its ‘Hell of a Q’ rooftop offering. Situated at the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Broadway, Chief’s is now open at 200 Broadway.
 
About Adventurous Journeys (“AJ”) Capital Partners:
Adventurous Journeys ("AJ") Capital Partners is a vertically integrated real estate investment manager founded by Ben Weprin in 2008. The firm specializes in creating distinctive, design-forward properties in high-demand yet underserved locations. The multi-disciplined team at AJ brings expertise in placemaking, inspired design and hospitality to fuel a diverse portfolio, currently valued at $5.3 billion across 100+ properties in 50+ markets. The company focuses on hospitality, mixed-use and residential sectors. Learn more at www.ajcpt.com.

Eric Church & Outsiders Spirits Announce Next Release From Whiskey JYPSI

From the makers of award-winning Legacy Batch 001, Outsiders Spirits has announced the release of its all-new Whiskey JYPSI Explorer Series. The Explorer Series continues the brand’s focus on sourcing the highest quality whiskeys and ingredients while finishing these spirits with combinations of distinctive and exceptional woods from around the globe. The series features well-aged, mature whiskeys never younger than six years old and ranging between 100-107 proof. 
 
“When we started the company, we had a long-term goal of creating the highest quality whiskeys in the world while having a diversity of products to satisfy the palate of a variety of whiskey drinkers,” said Outsiders co-founder Raj Alva. “Our first launch was an ultra-premium product. This next one is going to be more accessible. It’s unique because it’s going to be finished using woods from across the globe. That’s why we called it Explorer.”
 
Explorer’s inaugural release is a blend of two six-year-old bourbons – a low rye distilled in Kentucky and selected for its sweetness, and an Indiana high rye chosen for its spice. The combined mash bill of 66% corn, 30% rye and 4% malted barley is then slowly reduced to 103 proof and finished using two oak varietals – French Oak (Quercus robur) from France’s famed Forest of Tronçais and American Oak (Quercus alba) from the Appalachian Mountains. Each of these woods was specifically chosen to work in concert with the sweetness and spice of the blend – and both are steeped in rich backstories that connect their origins to the roots of country music. 
 
“This is why I wanted to get into the whiskey business,” said Church, a ten-time GRAMMY nominee. “It’s a creative process, an adventure, and a story – like music. And you never know where you’re going ‘til you get the song written or the whiskey is made.”
 
Whiskey JYPSI’s Explorer is priced at $69.99 and will be available beginning today, April 2, in select liquor stores across Tennessee with more markets to follow and online at www.whiskeyjypsi.com.  
 
Outsiders Spirits chose oak staves from France’s Forest of Tronçais for the first release of Explorer because of its accentuated notes of spice and leather. The oak trees from this forest have been used to make barrels for centuries and have housed some of the finest Bordeaux wines ever made. The Forest of Tronçais was originally overseen by the Duke of Bourbon (foreshadowing its use in Explorer) and was later planted with oak trees by Louis XIV to supply timber for the French navy. The Tronçais region was also home to early European troubadours whose musical traditions of merging melodies and poetry ultimately migrated to the Appalachian Mountains - which became the heart of America’s singer-songwriter tradition. 
 
The American Oak staves used in the first Explorer release come from those same Appalachian Mountains, where cooler conditions lead to slower growth and a tighter grain. This results in a specific mix of sweetness, richness, depth, and viscosity the Outsiders team wanted to pair with the spice of the French Oak as a key finishing component in their new release. Explorer’s Appalachian Oak was also harvested near where Outsiders Spirits co-founder Eric Church grew up in North Carolina.
 
“We only want to make incredible whiskey, and do it our way,” said Outsiders Spirits whiskey maker Ari Sussman. “Part of that is making sure it’s not just a whiskey – it’s a story highlighting the places, cultures and agricultures that are part of our explorations.”

About Eric Church
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including the 2020 award for Entertainer of the Year) and 10-time GRAMMY nominee, Church has amassed a passionate fan base around the globe known as the Church Choir, plus a critically acclaimed catalog of music. Known for his tenacity on the road, his recent The Outsiders Revival Tour earned rave reviews as he brought a rotating lineup of emerging artists along for the first fully-outdoor tour of his career. His prior outing, the 55-city The Gather Again Tour, offered fans an in-the-round arena show and earned the 2022 Billboard Music Award for Top Country Tour. Church is currently working on new music as the follow up to his most recent chart-topping project, the Heart & Soul triple album, which featured the results of a marathon session during which he spent nearly a month writing and recording a song per day while sequestered in rural North Carolina. This followed his Gold-certified Desperate Man, which earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album (his third nod in the category) and prior releases including the 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”), the Double-Platinum certified The Outsiders (“Like a Wrecking Ball,” “Talladega”) and the 3x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 30 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs. Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Stream brand, has his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” and will soon open Chief’s, a six-story venue on Nashville’s famed lower Broadway. 
 
For more information, visit www.ericchurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter @ericchurch and Instagram@ericchurchmusic.

About Outsiders Spirits
Outsiders Spirits, LLC was founded in 2020 by CMA Entertainer of the Year and 10-time GRAMMY nominee Eric Church and entrepreneur Raj Alva as a purpose-driven incubator for whiskey innovation. The company officially launched its first whiskey release, Whiskey JYPSI Legacy Batch 001, in May 2023. It has since won multiple national and international awards, including the coveted Double Gold Medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and superlative ratings from the NY International Spirits Competition, the PR%F Awards and the Beverage Testing Institute. 
 
For more information, visit www.whiskeyjypsi.com and follow @WhiskeyJYPSI on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

L to R: Raj Alva, Eric Church, Ari Sussman | Photo Courtesy of Whiskey JYPSI

"Eric Church: To Beat The Devil" 19-Show Chief's Residency Announced; Grand Opening Set: 4/5/24

Eric Church, together with Ben Weprin, founder and CEO of Adventurous Journey’s (“AJ”) Capital Partners, intentionally designed his six-story downtown Nashville establishment Chief’s, located at 200 Broadway, to accommodate a two-story live music venue when renovating the 19,350 SF building. Named “The Neon Steeple,” this venue is aimed in part to house intimate pop-up shows from the singer/songwriter/entertainer. On the heels of giving the building to his fans last week, Church shared the details of Chief’s grand opening directly with the Church Choir this morning (March 12), noting that he’ll kick the celebrations off with a 19-show Eric Church: To Beat The Devil residency run at The Neon Steeple in Chief’s beginning April 5, 2024.
 
“These shows at Chief’s will be one of a kind, only for Chief’s and with some songs that will only ever be performed during these shows,” says Church. “It's the most unique show I'll probably ever do, and I'm excited to enjoy this chapter of what Chief’s will be.”
 
Having historically taken extra precautions to protect fans from scalpers, Church is approaching this on-sale differently as well. Tickets will be offered initially to premium Church Choir members via a sign-up system beginning today, March 12. Become a premium Church Choir member here.*
 
Tickets are non-transferable and will be available for pickup at the venue box office the evening of the show immediately prior to entering the venue. Name changes on orders will not be permitted.  
 
All seats are reserved seating with pricing ranging from $99 to $499 (with no additional ticketing fees) and a portion of proceeds from every ticket benefits Church’s non-profit, Chief Cares. 

Key Dates To Know:

• Tuesday, March 12 – Presale sign-up opens for premium Church Choir members.

• Sunday, March 17 at 11:59 p.m. CT – Sign-up closes.

• Wednesday, March 20 at 10:00 a.m. CT – Church Choir presale begins. 

• Friday, March 22 at 10:00 a.m. CT – Public onsale if tickets remain.

 
Eric Church: To Beat The Devil Dates:
        Friday, April 5 (Grand Opening)
        Wednesday, April 17
        Thursday, April 18
        Monday, April 29
        Tuesday, April 30
        Wednesday, May 1
        Tuesday, May 7
        Wednesday, May 8
        Friday, May 10
        Saturday, May 11
        Tuesday, May 14
        Wednesday, May 15
        Friday, May 17
        Tuesday, May 21
        Wednesday, May 22
        Thursday, June 6
        Friday, June 7
        Saturday, June 8
        Sunday, June 9
 
*PLEASE NOTE:  Signing up for the presale does not guarantee that every premium Church Choir member will get access to the sale. Additionally, getting selected from the sign-ups and getting access to the sale doesn’t guarantee tickets. Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
 
Tixr is the official ticketing company of Chief’s on Broadway. For more information, visit ChiefsOnBroadway.com.

Rendering of The Neon Steeple at Chief’s, set to open at 200 Broadway in Nashville, Tenn. | Rendering Courtesy of Chief's / AJ Capital

About Eric Church:
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including the 2020 award for Entertainer of the Year) and 10-time GRAMMY nominee, Church has amassed a passionate fan base around the globe known as the Church Choir, plus a critically acclaimed catalog of music. Known for his tenacity on the road, his recent The Outsiders Revival Tour earned rave reviews as he brought a rotating lineup of emerging artists along for the first fully-outdoor tour of his career. His prior outing, the 55-city The Gather Again Tour, offered fans an in-the-round arena show and earned the 2022 Billboard Music Award for Top Country Tour. Church is currently working on new music as the follow up to his most recent chart-topping project, the Heart & Soul triple album, which featured the results of a marathon session during which he spent nearly a month writing and recording a song per day while sequestered in rural North Carolina. This followed his Gold-certified Desperate Man, which earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album (his third nod in the category) and prior releases including the 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”), the Double-Platinum certified The Outsiders (“Like a Wrecking Ball,” “Talladega”) and the 3x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 30 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs. Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Stream brand, has his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” his own liquor offering, Whiskey JYPSI, and open Chief’s, a six-story venue on Nashville’s famed lower Broadway, on April 5, 2024. 
 
For more information, visit www.ericchurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and Instagram@ericchurchmusic.
 
About Chief’s:
Chief’s is a six-story bar, restaurant, and live music venue designed to celebrate Eric Church’s ever-expanding musical legacy. Located in historic downtown Nashville, Chief’s will feature a ticketed music venue, inspirational interiors, and a thoughtful focus on unique live performances, offering fans an unparalleled entertainment experience in Music City. Chief’s will house a studio for live broadcasting, inclusive of Church’s Outsiders Radio SiriusXM channel, with the capability of hosting broadcasts by various media partners. Chief’s will also feature a restaurant partnership with James Beard Award Winning Pitmaster Rodney Scott. Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ will overlook downtown with its ‘Hell of a Q’ rooftop offering. Situated at the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Broadway, Chief’s is set to open at 200 Broadway.
 
About Adventurous Journeys (“AJ”) Capital Partners:
Adventurous Journeys ("AJ") Capital Partners is a vertically integrated real estate investment manager founded by Ben Weprin in 2008. The firm specializes in creating distinctive, design-forward properties in high-demand yet underserved locations. The multi-disciplined team at AJ brings expertise in placemaking, inspired design, and hospitality to fuel a diverse portfolio, currently valued at $5.3 billion across 100+ properties in 50+ markets. The company focuses on hospitality, mixed-use, and residential sectors. Learn more at www.ajcpt.com.

Eric Church Gives Chief’s Building to His Fans

Eric Church has always done things differently and the highly-anticipated opening of his downtown Nashville bar, restaurant and live music venue, Chief’s, is no exception. Its roll-out reminiscent of his 2015 Mr. Misunderstood surprise album release that prompted fans to run to mailboxes for the first word (and listen) of his fifth studio album, this week similarly saw tens of thousands of fans logging online to match their personal deeds to the physical framework of the revitalized six-story downtown Nashville establishment. 
 
“This is top class cool,” one Choir member remarked, posting an image of their deed to which another replied, “This is so awesome to be a part of!”

“You’ve helped me build my career brick by brick, and I want the whole world to know that the building is yours,” Church shared directly with fans. “This is not just another club downtown. This is our house. I’ve been involved in every step of restoring this historic building into a place we can call our own and, because you’ve been with me every step of my career, I’m proud to dedicate a physical brick of the Chief’s building to each and every one of you.”

In addition to being given a deed to individual bricks that form the building, fans also received the first of an ongoing series of digital collectibles, including a digital version of their brick which gives access to exclusive content and other new fan club perks – like never before heard demos, unreleased video footage and priority entry at Chief’s. Other digital collectibles given to fans upon launch included ‘Vinyl for Life’ – which grants a fan first edition vinyl of Church’s entire catalog and a copy of every new piece of vinyl released going forward, including all color variants. The new technology is also being utilized to give away rare items, including a signed guitar that is paired with a digital collectible that grants access to content like a guitar lesson from Church’s guitarist Driver Williams and videos of performances of Church playing the guitar. Other giveaways include year-long subscriptions to SiriusXM and a chance to record a guest DJ set at the Chief’s studio as part of Outsiders Radio “Insiders Hour.”

“My songs are mine, until I release them, and then they're never mine again. And this building’s a lot that way,” reflects Church. “It’s been mine in the building of it, in the cultivating with the stories, the challenges, and the successes. But once Chief’s opens, it’s not mine anymore. It belongs to the Choir. It belongs to the fans. It belongs to the patrons. It belongs to the stories they create there. It belongs to the music they listen to there and share from there. So, my story ends where theirs begins and that’s the essence of what you do musically and what we’re trying to do at Chief’s.”

Church initially announced Chief’s in early 2022 with real estate developer and hospitality entrepreneur Ben Weprin of AJ Capital leading the renovation. As construction is well underway, the co-owners have also revealed more details of the space designed to celebrate Church’s ever-expanding musical legacy while creating a downtown Nashville gathering place for all. 

Chief’s features a ticketed music venue plus additional live entertainment throughout the building and unique décor elements such as more than 4,000 concert posters from throughout the CMA Entertainer of the Year’s career papering the ground floor. Chief’s will also house a studio for broadcasting, inclusive of Eric Church Outsiders Radio on SiriusXM, with the capability of hosting broadcasts by various media partners. With street-level windows, the studio will provide fans from around the world with a thrilling behind-the-scenes experience with a front-row view of broadcasting in action.

The venue also taps into Church’s Carolina roots in partnership with Rodney Scott, whose Whole Hog BBQ – part of the Pihakis Restaurant Group – will overlook downtown with its ‘Hell of a Q’ rooftop location.

Situated at the intersection of 2nd Avenue North and Broadway at 200 Broadway in historic downtown Nashville, Chief’s is designed with Church’s direct input to pay homage to chapters in his life. Between the inspirational interiors and thoughtful focus on unique live performances – and now ownership of the building itself – Chief’s will offer fans an unparalleled entertainment experience in Music City. 

For more information, visit EricChurch.com and ChiefsOnBroadway.com.

Exterior rendering of Chief’s, set to open at 200 Broadway in Nashville, Tenn. | Rendering Courtesy of Chief's / AJ Capital

About Chief’s 
Chief’s is a six-story bar, restaurant, and live music venue designed to celebrate Eric Church’s ever-expanding musical legacy. Located in historic downtown Nashville, Chief’s will feature a ticketed music venue, inspirational interiors, and a thoughtful focus on unique live performances, offering fans an unparalleled entertainment experience in Music City. Chief’s will house a studio for live broadcasting, inclusive of Church’s Outsiders Radio SiriusXM channel, with the capability of hosting broadcasts by various media partners. Chief’s will also feature a restaurant partnership with James Beard Award Winning Pitmaster Rodney Scott. Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ – part of the Pihakis Restaurant Group – will overlook downtown with its ‘Hell of a Q’ rooftop offering. Situated at the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Broadway, Chief’s is set to open at 200 Broadway.
 
About Eric Church
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including the 2020 award for Entertainer of the Year) and 10-time GRAMMY nominee, Church has amassed a passionate fan base around the globe known as the Church Choir, plus a critically acclaimed catalog of music. Known for his tenacity on the road, his recent The Outsiders Revival Tour earned rave reviews as he brought a rotating lineup of emerging artists along for the first fully-outdoor tour of his career. His prior outing, the 55-city The Gather Again Tour, offered fans an in-the-round arena show and earned the 2022 Billboard Music Award for Top Country Tour. Church is currently working on new music as the follow up to his most recent chart-topping project, the Heart & Soul triple album, which featured the results of a marathon session during which he spent nearly a month writing and recording a song per day while sequestered in rural North Carolina. This followed his Gold-certified Desperate Man, which earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album (his third nod in the category) and prior releases including the 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”), the Double-Platinum certified The Outsiders (“Like a Wrecking Ball,” “Talladega”) and the 3x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 30 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs. Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Stream brand, has his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” his own liquor offering, Whiskey JYPSI, and will soon open Chief’s, a six-story venue on Nashville’s famed lower Broadway. For more information, visit www.ericchurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and Instagram @ericchurchmusic.
 
About Adventurous Journeys® (“AJ”) Capital Partners
Adventurous Journeys ("AJ") Capital Partners is a vertically integrated real estate investment manager founded by Ben Weprin in 2008. The firm specializes in creating distinctive, design-forward properties in high-demand yet underserved locations. The multi-disciplined team at AJ brings expertise in placemaking, inspired design, and hospitality to fuel a diverse portfolio, currently valued at $5.3 billion across 100+ properties in 50+ markets. The company focuses on hospitality, mixed-use, and residential sectors. Learn more at www.ajcpt.com.