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 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.

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.

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 to Serve as 2023 Artist-In-Residence at The Country Music Hall Of Fame® and Museum

Tickets to August 29 & 30 Shows Benefiting the Nonprofit Museum’s Educational MissionAvailable This Friday, June 23 via CountryMusicHallofFame.org

Church Kicks Off The Outsiders Revival Tour This Thursday, June 22

 In recognition of his standing as one of country music’s most innovative talents, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has invited 10-time Grammy nominee Eric Church to be its 18th artist-in-residence.
 
The museum’s annual artist-in-residence series spotlights an artist with an exemplary body of work and asks the featured artist to create one-of-a-kind performances over multiple evenings. The museum offers its intimate CMA Theater as a blank canvas, with the understanding that the artist will curate shows that inspire appreciation for their talents and vision – often incorporating different themes and special guests. 

Church will produce and perform two shows, on Tuesday, Aug. 29, and Wednesday, Aug. 30, with doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets to each performance range from $75 to $500 (plus ticketing fees) with all proceeds benefiting the nonprofit museum’s educational mission. Museum members and Eric Church’s “Church Choir” fan club will have access to a special presale this Thursday, June 22, at 10 a.m. Tickets to both shows will be available to the public this Friday, June 23, at 10 a.m., on the museum’s website. Sales are limited to four tickets per transaction on a first-come, first-served basis and are non-refundable.
 
Church joins a prestigious group of past participants that includes 10 members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Cowboy Jack Clement opened the series in 2003, and other past honorees include (in chronological order) Earl Scruggs, Tom T. Hall, Guy Clark, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Douglas, Vince Gill, Buddy Miller, Connie Smith, Kenny Rogers, Ricky Skaggs, Alan Jackson, Rosanne Cash, Jason Isbell, Miranda Lambert, Marty Stuart and John Prine.
 
“Throughout his career, Eric has constantly stretched boundaries with his music and challenged long-standing conventions in his recordings and his live performances,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “Our artist-in-residence series offers him the freedom to showcase his ever-evolving creative vision. We’re grateful to him for volunteering his time and fierce individualism to the series, which benefits the museum and its nonprofit mission.”
 
“As a student of the rich history of country music’s most prolific artists, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is a shrine of reverence for this songwriter’s heart,” shared Church. “I’m honored and humbled to be included in such esteemed company.”
 
Cultivating a sound and approach uniquely his own, Church has held tight to his artistic identity throughout his more than two decades in Nashville, earning a devoted audience and amassing an impressive list of accolades, including 10 Billboard #1 country radio hits and multiple gold, platinum and multi-platinum-certified albums. With songwriting always at the center of his career, Church has written or co-written almost all of the songs he has recorded and released. He continues to fill sold-out venues with his raucous live show, and he challenges his own musical approach with every new level of success he achieves.
 
In addition to serving as 2023 artist-in-residence, Church will also be the subject of a new exhibition at the museum exploring the life and career of the CMA Entertainer of the Year winner. Eric Church: Country Heart, Restless Soul, presented by Gibson, opens July 13 and will chronicle Church’s unique path to stardom, from his early years playing late-night gigs in bars and writing songs in Nashville to his prominence as one of country music’s most authentic voices and revered rule-breakers. The exhibit is included with museum admission and will run until June 2024.
 
The artist-in-residence announcement comes ahead of the kickoff of Church’s The Outsiders Revival Tour this Thursday, June 22. The first fully outdoor tour of his career will feature a rotating lineup of emerging artists across varying dates, Whiskey Myers, Cody Jinks, Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde, Koe Wetzel, Lainey Wilson, Midland, Parker McCollum, Travis Tritt, Elle King and Paul Cauthen, plus Jackson Dean, Morgan Wade, Muscadine Bloodline, Shane Smith & The Saints, Hailey Whitters, Ray Wylie Hubbard and The Red Clay Strays.
 
For more information, visit www.ericchurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter @ericchurch and Instagram @ericchurchmusic.

Eric Church 2023 Tour Dates
* denotes festival dates
June 22              Milwaukee, Wisc. / American Family Insurance  Amphitheater                              Elle King
June 23              Detroit, Mich. / Pine Knob Music Theatre                                                               Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 24              Cleveland, Ohio / Blossom Music Center                                                                Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 29              Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium                                                                     Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 30              Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium                                                                     Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 1                Virginia Beach, Va. / Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater                           Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 6                Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage                                                                          Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 7                Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage                                                                          Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 8                Pittsburgh, Pa. / The Pavilion at Star Lake                                                               Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 14              Cincinnati, Ohio / Riverbend Music Center                                                             Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 15              St. Louis, Mo. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre                                                   Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 21*             Cheyenne, Wyo. / Cheyenne Frontier Days Arena                                                  Cheyenne Frontier Days
July 23*             Minot, N.D. / North Dakota State Fairgrounds                                                        North Dakota State Fair
July 27              Rogers, Ark. / Walmart AMP                                                                                    Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 28              Dallas, Texas / Dos Equis Pavilion                                                                           Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 29              Austin, Texas / Germania Insurance Amphitheater                                                  Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
Aug. 4               Raleigh, N.C. / Coastal Credit Union Music Park                                                   Cody Jinks
Aug. 5               Bristow, Va. / Jiffy Lube Live                                                                                  Cody Jinks
Aug. 11             Indianapolis, Ind. / Ruoff Music Center                                                                  Cody Jinks
Aug. 12             Chicago, Ill. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre                                                     Cody Jinks
Aug. 13*            Des Moines, Iowa / Iowa State Fairgrounds                                                           Iowa State Fair
Aug. 17             Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater                                                       Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 18             Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater                                                       Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 19             Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater                                                       Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 24             Saratoga Springs, N.Y. / Saratoga Performing Arts Center                                     Lainey Wilson, The Red Clay Strays
Aug. 25             Holmdel, N.J. / PNC Bank Arts Center                                                                   Whiskey Myers
Aug. 26             Philadelphia, Pa. / Freedom Mortgage Pavilion                                                      Whiskey Myers
Sept. 8               Portland, Ore. / RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater                                               Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 9               George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre                                                                      Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 10             George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre                                                                     Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 15             Albuquerque, N.M. / Isleta Amphitheater                                                               Paul Cauthen, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 16             Phoenix, Ariz. / Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre                                               Jelly Roll, Paul Cauthen
Sept. 21             Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre                                                              Whiskey Myers
Sept. 22             Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre                                                              Whiskey Myers
Sept. 23             Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion                                                                    Whiskey Myers
Sept. 24             Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion                                                                    Whiskey Myers
Sept. 29             West Palm Beach, Fla. / iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre                                     Whiskey Myers
Sept. 30             Tampa, Fla. / MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre                                     Whiskey Myers
Oct. 7*              Bristol, Tenn. / Bristol Motor Speedway                                                                 Country Thunder Bristol
Oct. 15*             Sacramento, Calif. / Discovery Park                                                                       GoldenSky Festival

About Eric Church
Eric Church’s most recent critically acclaimed and chart-topping project, his Heart & Soul triple album, is available everywhere now. Featuring 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, the trio features his latest Gold-certified No. 1 “Hell of a View” and recent Top 5 hit “Heart On Fire” as well as his latest single, “Doing Life With Me,” climbing the charts at Country radio now.
 
Just as unique as Church’s approach to recording and releasing music is his tenacity on the road, with his upcoming The Outsiders Revival Tour bringing 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 show and earned the Billboard Music Award for Top Country Tour. Church also performed one-of-a-kind headlining stadium shows at Milwaukee’s American Family Field and Minneapolis’s U.S. Bank Stadium in 2022 and performed the National Anthem with R&B star Jazmine Sullivan ahead of Super Bowl LV in 2021. During 2019’s Double Down Tour, he played back-to-back nights of two unique shows in each market sans opening act, giving every city’s fans six-plus hours of his iconic music. The tour also featured a massive stop at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, where he broke the venue’s concert attendance record with more than 56,000 fans in attendance and became the first artist to sell out the venue with a solo lineup.
 
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 as well as a critically acclaimed catalog of music. His previous project, the Gold-certified Desperate Man, earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album (his third nod in the category). Prior releases include 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.
 
About the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum collects, preserves and interprets country music and its history for the education and entertainment of diverse audiences. In exhibitions, publications, digital media and educational programs, the museum explores the cultural importance and enduring beauty of the art form. The museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, and is among the most-visited history museums in the U.S. The Country Music Foundation operates Historic RCA Studio B®, Hatch Show Print® poster shop, CMF Records, the Frist Library and Archive and CMF Press. Museum programs are supported in part by Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission and Tennessee Arts Commission. More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is available at www.countrymusichalloffame.org or by calling (615) 416-2001.
 Media website: http://countrymusichalloffame.org/media

Eric Church Live from the Vault: Doc-Style Film Commemorates 10 Years CAUGHT IN THE ACT

Documentary-Style Snapshot of Church in the Moment & On the Verge of Superstardom Available Friday, June 23 as The Outsiders Revival Tour Ventures to Amphitheaters & Sheds This Summer

As now 10-time GRAMMY nominated superstar Eric Church was in the midst of his first arena tour, having just released what would go on to become the CMA and ACM album of the year and eventually be named one of Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time,” Chief, the burgeoning Church Choir packed into Chattanooga’s Tivoli Theatre for two nights as the singular moment in time was captured on his Caught In The Act live album. Now, as the 17-song project turns 10 years old, Church offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes at those nights with the release of a never-before-seen accompanying documentary, Caught In The Act: A Film. Purchase the film HERE to watch exclusively on nugs.net beginning Friday, June 23.
 
“When you’re in the craziness of the moment, you’re not even sure what you’re looking at or experiencing, you just feel that it’s different,” remembers Church. “We went to the Tivoli because everyone in our world – the band, the crew, the fans – knew we were a part of something special and wanted to capture the fire that has got us here. So, we just started rolling cameras as we figured at least we’d have it for posterity. It’s been sitting in the vault, and with the live album celebrating 10 years since its release, it felt like the right time to rewatch and share the journey we’ve been on together.”
 
The film features full performances of all 17 songs on the album as well as commentary from Church, longtime manager and Q Prime South’s John Peets, producer Jay Joyce – who oversaw not only the live recording but has served as producer for all seven of Church’s studio projects – plus several members of Church’s band and crew, offering rare insight into the Chief’s world in the midst of a run that the New York Times celebrated among the “Best Concerts of 2012,” noting that Church delivered his “post-outlaw anthems… with verve and tension, as if he might not be allowed to for much longer.”
 
Instead, a decade later, Church maintains his singular status in Country music, performing at stadiums across the Country and earning accolades including the Billboard Music Award for Top Country Tour. And despite that ability to tour at the largest scale, this summer he creates his own path once again, returning to amphitheater venues for the first fully-outdoor tour of his career, with The Outsiders Revival Tour offering a festival-like lineup of rotating artists across varying dates.
 
Joining the man praised by POLLSTAR for “having already long established himself as one of the most successful touring country artists” on the tour beginning June 22 are Whiskey Myers, Cody Jinks, Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde, Koe Wetzel, Lainey Wilson, Midland, Parker McCollum, Travis Tritt, Elle King and Paul Cauthen, plus Jackson Dean, Morgan Wade, Muscadine Bloodline, Shane Smith & The Saints, Hailey Whitters, Ray Wylie Hubbard and The Red Clay Strays.
 
“When I approach touring, I’m always inspired by a new experience, a new way to gather, to express ourselves sonically and visually. Whether it’s solo, in the round, double down; being able to bring a different perspective has always brought out our best creatively,” Church shared when initially announcing the tour. “Well, we have never done an outdoor summer tour. Never headlined amphitheaters. Never brought a summer experience to your town that featured artists we want to share the summer with. Until now. See you in the season of sunshine with some fellow outsiders that shine brightest when the sun goes down.”
 
The Live Nation-produced tour takes the man celebrated by Forbes for “offering fans a unique experience each night while conjuring up the unpredictability that used to make concerts unforgettable” to 28 cities across the U.S. and Canada. Tickets to all dates are on sale now via EricChurch.com.
 
For more information, visit www.ericchurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter @ericchurch and Instagram @ericchurchmusic.

Eric Church 2023 Tour Dates
* denotes festival dates
June 16*             Central Point, Ore. / Jackson County Expo                                                       Rogue Music Festival
June 17*             Santa Rosa, Calif. / Sonoma County Fairgrounds                                             Country Summer Music Festival
June 22              Milwaukee, Wisc. / American Family Insurance  Amphitheater                        Elle King
June 23              Detroit, Mich. / Pine Knob Music Theatre                                                         Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 24              Cleveland, Ohio / Blossom Music Center                                                          Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 29              Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium                                                               Ashley McBryde, The Red Clay Strays
June 30              Charleston, S.C. / Credit One Stadium                                                               Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 1                Virginia Beach, Va. / Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater                    Parker McCollum, Morgan Wade
July 6                Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage                                                                    Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 7                Toronto, Ontario / Budweiser Stage                                                                    Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 8                Pittsburgh, Pa. / The Pavilion at Star Lake                                                          Koe Wetzel, Shane Smith & The Saints
July 14              Cincinnati, Ohio / Riverbend Music Center                                                        Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 15              St. Louis, Mo. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre                                              Travis Tritt, Muscadine Bloodline
July 21*             Cheyenne, Wyo. / Cheyenne Frontier Days Arena                                             Cheyenne Frontier Days
July 23*             Minot, N.D. / North Dakota State Fairgrounds                                                   North Dakota State Fair
July 27              Rogers, Ark. / Walmart AMP                                                                               Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 28              Dallas, Texas / Dos Equis Pavilion                                                                       Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
July 29              Austin, Texas / Germania Insurance Amphitheater                                              Midland, Ray Wylie Hubbard
Aug. 4               Raleigh, N.C. / Coastal Credit Union Music Park                                               Cody Jinks
Aug. 5               Bristow, Va. / Jiffy Lube Live                                                                              Cody Jinks
Aug. 11             Indianapolis, Ind. / Ruoff Music Center                                                               Cody Jinks
Aug. 12             Chicago, Ill. / Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre                                                  Cody Jinks
Aug. 13*            Des Moines, Iowa / Iowa State Fairgrounds                                                       Iowa State Fair
Aug. 17             Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater                                                   Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 18             Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater                                                   Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 19             Orange Beach, Ala. / The Wharf Amphitheater                                                   Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean
Aug. 24             Saratoga Springs, N.Y. / Saratoga Performing Arts Center                                  Lainey Wilson, The Red Clay Strays
Aug. 25             Holmdel, N.J. / PNC Bank Arts Center                                                               Whiskey Myers
Aug. 26             Philadelphia, Pa. / Freedom Mortgage Pavilion                                                  Whiskey Myers
Sept. 8               Portland, Ore. / RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater                                           Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 9               George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre                                                                  Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 10             George, Wash. / Gorge Amphitheatre                                                                  Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 15             Albuquerque, N.M. / Isleta Amphitheater                                                           Paul Cauthen, Hailey Whitters
Sept. 16             Phoenix, Ariz. / Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre                                           Jelly Roll, Paul Cauthen
Sept. 21             Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre                                                          Whiskey Myers
Sept. 22             Atlanta, Ga. / Ameris Bank Amphitheatre                                                          Whiskey Myers
Sept. 23             Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion                                                                Whiskey Myers
Sept. 24             Charlotte, N.C. / PNC Music Pavilion                                                                Whiskey Myers
Sept. 29             West Palm Beach, Fla. / iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre                                 Whiskey Myers
Sept. 30             Tampa, Fla. / MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre                                 Whiskey Myers
Oct. 7*              Bristol, Tenn. / Bristol Motor Speedway                                                             Country Thunder Bristol
Oct. 15*             Sacramento, Calif. / Discovery Park                                                                   GoldenSky Festival
 
About Eric Church
Eric Church’s most recent critically acclaimed and chart-topping project, his Heart & Soul triple album, is available everywhere now. Featuring 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, the trio features his latest Gold-certified No. 1 “Hell of a View” and recent Top 5 hit “Heart On Fire” as well as his latest single, “Doing Life With Me,” climbing the charts at Country radio now.
 
Just as unique as Church’s approach to recording and releasing music is his tenacity on the road, with his upcoming The Outsiders Revival Tour bringing 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 show and earned the Billboard Music Award for Top Country Tour. Church also performed one-of-a-kind headlining stadium shows at Milwaukee’s American Family Field and Minneapolis’s U.S. Bank Stadium in 2022 and performed the National Anthem with R&B star Jazmine Sullivan ahead of Super Bowl LV in 2021. During 2019’s Double Down Tour, he played back-to-back nights of two unique shows in each market sans opening act, giving every city’s fans six-plus hours of his iconic music. The tour also featured a massive stop at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, where he broke the venue’s concert attendance record with more than 56,000 fans in attendance and became the first artist to sell out the venue with a solo lineup. 
 
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 as well as a critically acclaimed catalog of music. His previous project, the Gold-certified Desperate Man, earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album (his third nod in the category). Prior releases include 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.

About nugs.net
Founded in 1997 as a fan site for downloading live music, nugs.net has evolved into the leading live music platform for the largest touring artists in the world. Bruce Springsteen, Metallica, Pearl Jam, Phish, Jack White, Dead & Company and many others distribute official recordings of every concert they play through nugs.net. They are the only streaming service dedicated to live music, and also offer livestreams, downloads, CDs, and more, delivering exclusive live content to millions of fans daily.