Once Again Eric Church Goes Independent for Concert Openers
Say what you want about Eric Church’s music, and though he’s sporting one of the most loyal fan bases in popular music these days, he’s also revealed himself as one of the most polarizing figures in country music in the last few years. But you can’t fault the man for thinking outside the box, and scouring the hungry, unwashed faces of independent music when looking for openers on his arena tours. On Monday (1-12), in what turned out to be the busiest news day Saving Country Music has seen in the last half decade as the music industry finally blew off the pent up steam from the holiday break, Eric Church announced an extension of his “The Outsiders” World Tour. And though we can go back and forth about if Eric Church is truly an “outsider” or not, many of his openers clearly fall under this distinction.
Getting crowds warmed up on various legs of Eric Church’s upcoming tour include long-time Southern-rocking songwriting geniuses The Drive-By Truckers, throwback old-school rock and roller JD McPherson, heartfelt up-and-coming indie roots act The Lone Bellow, burgeoning country music duo Brothers Osborne, and The Cadillac Three—a completely unintuitive stable of talent from a sector of the industry that regularly uses opening slots as bargaining chips with other labels, or showcases for their prepackaged upcoming stars.
This is the second time Eric Church has shocked onlookers by his selection of openers. In April of 2014 when Church announced the initial dates of “The Outsiders” tour, he tapped upstart songwriter and performer Brandy Clark, the legendary Dwight Yoakam, and once again Brothers Osborne to fill the slots. But at least that time Brandy Clark was already very much a part of the Nashville industry and was on the brink of signing to a major label, and Dwight clearly had his days in the mainstream spotlight. To sport acts like JD McPherson and The Lone Bellow on tour seems especially mindful of looking for talent where others aren’t.
However the effectiveness of these opening slots turning on fans to these worthy artists is in the eye of the beholder. The theory of music osmosis doesn’t always hold true. Some who went to Eric Church’s shows more to see Dwight or Brandy complained that the sound was too low, and many people weren’t paying attention. As it usually is with openers, they are required to be quieter, play shorter sets, and play many times when folks are still filing in to venues. In fact this was what got Eric Church in trouble when he was once opening for Rascal Flatts (which resulted in Taylor Swift getting the gig, and the rest is history). But even if it’s 20% of Eric Church’s sold out crowds that walk away remembering the openers, the boost for these bands is undeniable.
Yes, fans of these opening bands would rather see their favorite acts play where they don’t have to squint to see them on stage. But there will be plenty of time for that from these acts in the future, with hopefully a few more folks in the audience after the Eric Church boost.
Tour Dates & Openers:
(*) Brothers Osborne
(**) Drive-By Truckers
(***) The Cadillac Three
(****) JD McPherson
3/4/15 Austin, TX | Frank Erwin Center **
3/10/15 Washington, DC | Verizon Center **
3/18/15 Ft. Wayne, IN | Allen County War Memorial Coliseum **
3/28/15 Tampa, FL | Amalie Arena***
4/7/15 Grand Forks, ND | Ralph Engelstad Arena *
4/8/15 Winnipeg, MB | MTS Centre *
4/10/15 Saskatoon, SK | SaskTel Centre *
4/11/15 Calgary, AB | Scotiabank Saddledome *
4/12/15 Edmonton, AB | Rexall Place *
4/14/15 Vancouver, BC | Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena *
4/15/15 Seattle, WA | KeyArena at Seattle Center *
4/24/15 Hampton, VA | Hampton Coliseum ****
Additional dates, where the openers have not been announced yet:
3/12/15 Albany, NY | Times Union Center
3/13/15 Wilkes-Barre, PA | Mohegan Sun Arena
3/17/15 Bloomington, IL | U.S. Cellular Coliseum
3/20/15 Rosemont, IL | Allstate Arena
3/21/15 Cincinnati, OH | U.S. Bank Arena
3/27/15 Jacksonville, FL | Veterans Memorial Arena
3/26/15 Tallahassee, FL | Donald L. Tucker Civic Center
4/23/15 Raleigh, NC | PNC Arena
4/30/15 Boston, MA | TD Garden Arena
5/1/15 Buffalo, NY | First Niagara Center
5/2/15 Newark, NJ | Prudential Center
5/7/15 Lexington, KY | Rupp Arena
5/8/15 Columbia, MO | Mizzou Arena
6/12/15 Orange Beach, AL | Amphitheater at the Wharf
8/27/15 Syracuse, NY | New York State Fair
January 13, 2015 @ 11:32 am
Love it. Would love to see more major and mid-major artists doing the same thing. Generally, labels use opening slots as a way to push their own agenda (which could still be happening here, no telling). But Maybe, just Maybe, artists will begin to recapture the lineups at their shows and start throwing in artists that may be otherwise unheard of and don’t necessarily line up with the mainstream.
Definitely be good to see exposure spots going to those who wouldn’t get it through the normal Nashville system anyhow.
yeahcomeon
January 13, 2015 @ 11:34 am
I’m looking forward to the show in Cincinnati. Hopefully Brothers Osborne will end up opening that show. I saw them open for David Nail with their full band and saw them for free (with about 30-40 people) as just a duo and they were great both times. I had a chance to meet them and talk to them after the free show. The radio station setup a meet and greet contest but since the crowd was small enough they told the station they didn’t care about who won or not and that they’d hang around long enough to meet everyone that came. Their EP was one of the best country releases in 2014.
January 13, 2015 @ 11:58 am
I am constantly floored by the talent that Eric has open for him. I’ve seen Robert Earl Keen open for him, as well as Brandy and Dwight. JD McPherson seems so out of left field, but The Lone Bellow have opened up for Dwight in the past, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Dwight introduced them to him. I’m hoping for either McPherson or the Lone Bellow for the Boston date. It’s great that a big name like Eric church is getting these names out there.
January 13, 2015 @ 12:09 pm
DBT opening for Church is just depressing.
January 13, 2015 @ 12:36 pm
Yep…
January 13, 2015 @ 5:27 pm
No it’s not. It gets them exposed to people who otherwise might not hear their music. There’s not a single way it’s a bad thing.
January 14, 2015 @ 8:25 am
I think what they’re implying is that Eric Church should be opening for DBT, even though Eric Church sells out arenas on a consistent basis and DBT can’t sell out a 500+club in Rhode Island (all due respect to DBT). Fans of McPherson said the same things in comments on his facebook page. I like some of DBT and all of McPherson’s songs, but I’m sure they’re reveling in this prospective exposure and not concerning themselves with the fans who think they’re too big for Eric Church (who could invite Jason Aldean on his tour and sell out tickets immediately, but chooses to not.)
January 14, 2015 @ 9:17 am
I don’t know that hoptowntiger94 is implying that. Another possibility is that he loves DBT and can’t stand Eric Church, including his personal, and the notion of them in a subservient position to Church is a little depressing.
I have seen plenty of examples of the sentiment you describe (Church should open for them!) on the DBT Facebook page, though. Silly stuff. Or that they are “selling out!” Nevermind that in 2014, they made one of the best albums of their career and are still killing it live.
January 14, 2015 @ 9:22 am
“Persona”, not “personal.”
January 15, 2015 @ 10:59 am
Mr. Williams – My sentiments are more aligned with your assessment.
January 26, 2015 @ 9:54 am
No one can doubt that Church is much bigger than the DBTs. I agree his asking them to open does provide them the opportunity to be exposed to a larger group than they are likely to otherwise. And it’s not that the DBTs are better than Church, but they are. Eric has four pretty solid studio albums but if you took the DBT discography and create four albums from their best work it would put most of what Church has done to shame. I know, what about when (if) Church has as many albums as the DBTs? I still think you’d be hard pressed to create four albums worth of material from Eric that would be equal to four albums of the DBTs best.
This is in no way, IMO, a rip on Church who is one of the few “country” artists of the past decade I can stomach. What this is is an acknowledgement of the sustained brilliance of the DBTs and a condemnation of an industry that allows performers like them languish while so much shit is being glorified by so many morons.
January 26, 2015 @ 9:58 am
At the same time there’s hundreds of full time touring bands and artists who look at the success a project like the Driver By Truckers have had and wish they could attain that level of support. There is no justice in modern day music.
January 13, 2015 @ 12:19 pm
I can’t speak for the other acts, but DBT sells out every show they play all over the country. Their fans are extremely loyal and spend lots of money. I routinely travel a couple hundred miles with my buddies for a show. I don’t think they necessarily need the exposure.
Not too long ago Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley (DBT’s founding members and primary songwriters) played an acoustic show for charity with Jason Isbell. That show sold out in a matter of minutes.
I guess I don’t understand the reason to play for a group where only 20% appreciate what you do as opposed to a packed house at a smaller venue where everyone is there (potentially for multiple nights) to hear you because they love what you’re doing.
January 13, 2015 @ 12:34 pm
The point is to play in front of people who haven’t heard you yet so you can increase your fan base.
January 13, 2015 @ 12:44 pm
Maybe – but there is also the risk of alienating the existing fan base. I would never go see a smaller act that I love open up for a bigger act that I don’t. (Again, that’s just me and I’ve admitted this is a selfish sentiment.) I’m not saying I wouldn’t go see that artist again in a smaller venue or buy their music subsequently, but once the atmosphere is one I no longer enjoy (as with big festivals and shows – again, me personally) I wouldn’t.
January 13, 2015 @ 12:56 pm
But The Drive By Truckers or any indie act who opens on a big arena tour aren’t doing it to perform for the folks who already know about them. In fact they probably don’t want you to come in fear of you being disappointed in the experience. They’re doing it to get their art out to new people, which should be the desire of any artist.
It’s like when I used to work for Home Depot years and years back. They said they didn’t wan to put mom and pop hardware stores out of business, because if they had people walking into their stores the size of two football fields looking for one screw, or one latch, those people would be disappointed in the experience, and they wouldn’t make any money off of them anyway.
One of the big factors that led to the rise of Sturgill Simpson in 2014 was opening for Zac Brown Band. DBT’s will get some new fans, be back playing clubs/theaters soon, Eric Church fans will be exposed to some cool music, and everyone wins. That’s the way I see it.
January 13, 2015 @ 1:32 pm
And their getting paid. It’s a chance for them to get out there and play some music for a large audience and not front the bill.
But, yeah not for us fans. I went to see DBT when the opened for Tom Petty in 2010. That was a bit strange itself, I can’t imagine sitting next to Eric Church fan!
January 13, 2015 @ 6:20 pm
Too true! It’s so funny that in our world, the DBT are superstars and I just take it for granted that everyone should know the words to Isbell’s “Codeine” whenever I cover it, but then I realize that to the Bud Light-drinkers who have Jason Aldean ringtones, DBT is an “underground” band that’s like a new thing.
It will be interesting to see how receptive the typical Eric Church crowds are to them.
January 14, 2015 @ 9:57 am
I went to see DBT when the opened for Tom Petty in 2010. That was a bit strange itself, I can”™t imagine sitting next to Eric Church fan!
I could see how that would a little strange. I love Tom Petty and could see how having DBT open for him might be the wild card that would help me overcome my bias against big arena shows. Still, I would imagine that a lot of the casual Petty fans would just ignore them. If they were up there playing Zip City (maybe my favoite song by anybody in the last 20 – 25 years) to an indifferent crowd, that would be weird for me.
Last year I went to see Marshall Crenshaw and the Bottle Rockets in a 500 seat “listening room” type venue. The Bottle Rockets played a hour long set and then backed Marshall Crenshaw on his set. Now, I like Marshall Crenshaw quite a bit and was looking forward to seeing him live too, but I was mainly there for the Bottle Rockets. The table next to me seemed to be full of people who maybe liked Marshall Crenshaw in college (like me!) and were out for night of nostalgia. They were all chatting away (not cool in this particular venue) while the Bockets Rockets played their heart out. No sense paying any attention to the opening act.
January 13, 2015 @ 1:27 pm
As I have nothing good to say about folks who go to big arena shows and/or shop at Home Depot conventional wisdom tells me I can no longer comment on this thread.
January 13, 2015 @ 1:39 pm
As someone who has opened for bigger acts (at least bigger than our band) I always appreciate the opportunity to grow our fanbase and the paycheck is usually a wee bit bigger too. Remember at the end of the day they are WORKING musicians. People might feel differently if they had to pay the dues musicians pay just to get a paying gig much less a decent paying gig. If Eric Church is puling the strings on who the openers are (and I get the feeling he is) then bravo for him. I think he genuinely likes what they are doing and is lending a hand to their careers. I don’t see alot of people doing that regardless of profession or path.
January 13, 2015 @ 1:08 pm
eric church is like the bruce springstine/david alen coe/david lee roth/bob dillon of the new genarashun all n won. he is a tru modern visionary an shud have won the 2014 scm artist of the yeer just for san destino risin all by its self.
san destino risin was a tru work of art lite yeers ahed of other country artists. it was like the whos tommy an beetles magical mistery tour an willies barbarosa all roled in to won.
won day alot of people will look back an say dad gum eric church was tryly a outsider an a all time classic an the rest of us will say we told ya so.
January 13, 2015 @ 10:24 pm
yur tryn’ 2 hard
January 14, 2015 @ 5:16 am
And, how ’bout that Tide now??
#3in6years
January 14, 2015 @ 7:07 am
dont meen nothin. those were big 10 refs that were cleerly in ohio states pocket. hard to beet the refs an the oposin teem. god bless coach saben. god bless the sec. betcha we win it all next yeer. ROLE TIDE!
January 13, 2015 @ 1:22 pm
Eric Church had The Cadillac Three as openers on his European tour early last year too. Whoever goes to these shows are in for a treat.
January 13, 2015 @ 3:07 pm
It could be fiscally smart too. Not saying that Eric Church is doing this for money reasons, but (I am not well-informed on how much certain acts make) I could see some of these artists needing less money to play certain shows. Correct me if I am wrong, please
January 13, 2015 @ 5:30 pm
I doubt that’s a significant factor, but it does go the other way. These openers will get a little bigger check for opening a big arena show than they do headlining smaller venues.
January 13, 2015 @ 3:27 pm
With any luck, the country music Jesus will open for Eric Church!
January 13, 2015 @ 5:43 pm
I went and saw Eric in Greenville, SC for the sole purpose of seeing Dwight Yoakam. I’ve been a Dwight fan from the beginning and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to see him in my hometown. Dwight was awesome, and I was pleasantly surprised with some of Eric Church. He’s not really my cup of tea, but he put on an energetic show. My advice to anyone interested in seeing one of these opening acts is to give it a shot.
January 13, 2015 @ 5:50 pm
Nice swing through Western Canada.
He’ll do well there.
January 13, 2015 @ 7:11 pm
I went to see Eric in November and it was one of my favourite shows in a long time. I’ve been a Dwight fan since I was quite young and was very excited about that. I was very aware of Brandy Clark (due in part to this site) however I had not had a lot of exposure. Despite the opener atmosphere I was in complete awe of Brandy and immediately bought 12 stories on iTunes following the show (and it’s been on heavy rotation since). So I am extremely grateful for who Eric had as his openers. Also Eric took and signed a sign I had made (I know concert signs are lame, but im proud to be lame ) proving once again to me that he appreciates his loyal fans 🙂
January 14, 2015 @ 12:39 pm
What was on your sign?
January 14, 2015 @ 1:16 pm
It was made to look like a Candian flag and said “We Pledge Allegiance to the Hag”. He took it up on stage with him and held it when he played that song.
January 14, 2015 @ 3:03 pm
I’d sign that
January 15, 2015 @ 6:01 am
Dont be embarrassed about being lame… I was the lame girl in new hampshire 5 rows back from the stage who got SO excited when he saw me going nuts and was pointing and waving at me – my husband said “yeah, ok!” and I said no, I looked around me to see who he was pointing at,looked back, and he was laughing at me for looking around, and pointing right at me!
On another note – I am a HUGE Eric Church fan. I know his “Outsiders” thing is kind of overblown, but I do like that he does things that are different, and his songs have more substance to them than driving to the river in a truck in the moonlight. I know that a lot of his music doesn’t really qualify as “country,” but I would so much rather listen to it than any other bro-country out there. I also love that he is choosing non-mainstream artists to open for him. I had heard of Brandy Clark, but fell in love when I saw her in NH in October, and now shes a constant on my playlist. (She had a meet-and-greet after her set and I’m KICKING myself for not going after the fact!) And I had never heard of the Drive By Truckers – but now am checking them out and liking them!
January 13, 2015 @ 8:24 pm
Well he’s coming to my area but the opening act hasn’t been announced yet. Honestly i’ll take any of them. You’ll have to excuse me but I am unfamiliar with the Drive by Truckers. Where is a good place to start in their discography?
January 14, 2015 @ 9:19 am
Zack I’d start with their strong trio of early oughts albums Southern Rock Opera, Decoration Day and The Dirty South. All three writers Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley and Jason were at the top of their creative game.
January 14, 2015 @ 9:31 am
I agree those are the big three as far as DBT are concerned. I would rate their latest (English Oceans) at #4. Also, Pizza Deliverance (right before Southern Rock Opera) is pretty close to being a great album.
January 14, 2015 @ 9:45 am
Jack – good additions. English Oceans was a quality album. Heck I’d throw Patterson Hood’s solo release Heat Lightning Rumbles In the Distance in for good measure. There you go Zack dive in and enjoy.
January 14, 2015 @ 12:53 pm
Zack –
DBT earlier albums are my favorites. Beware, this band had undergone many line-up changes throughout the years; so where they are today is very different sonically and artistically as opposed to when they started in the 90’s.
For me it’s ‘Pizza Delivererance,’ ‘Gangstabily,’ and ‘The Dirty South’- awesome albums.
But if you are going to see them in concert (especially in an abbreviated opening set), I bet you will get a heavy dose of ‘Enlish Oceans.’ So, start there.
January 14, 2015 @ 4:06 am
An article about Eric Church’s unusual opener choices without any mention of Halestorm…?
January 14, 2015 @ 9:14 am
Well, they aren’t exactly an independent artist, are they? Oh, and while Lzzy Hale might have one of the best rock voices in recent memory, her and her bandmates don’t exactly tear the instruments apart. Very very boring rock and roll, and it does not do justice to her vocals. They might have the most boring drummer on the planet not named Lars Ulrich.
January 14, 2015 @ 9:21 am
Yeah… My point was just that it’s unusual for a country artist like Eric Church to have a modern hard rock band like Halestorm open for him on tour, and that this may warrant mention in a discussion of Eric Church’s openers.
Also, there’s nothing wrong with a “boring” drummer. Lars Ulrich is an incompetent drummer, and there’s a lot wrong with that.
January 14, 2015 @ 12:19 pm
I have seen Halestorm live, I am sorry but I just can’t understand where you would call the drummer boring I thought he was a great performer but that’s just my opinion.
January 18, 2015 @ 11:21 am
“Energy” is overrated when all he plays is basic bullshit. Their recordings have some of the most boring drumming I’ve ever heard. I’ve seen them live, as well. I think I’ve heard high school kids play his drum solo.
Dude sucks, and he holds the band back, but he’s Lzzy’s brother, so that puts a dent in things.
January 14, 2015 @ 10:22 am
I mentioned Halestorm in the article I did about Eric Church’s openers in April 2014 when Halestorm was part of that leg. Didn’t really see it as pertinent here, but shouldn’t be taken as a slight.
January 14, 2015 @ 11:05 am
At least the opening part of his shows has some authenticity with real “outsiders”.
January 14, 2015 @ 11:36 am
While I’ve always thought it to be a strange mix to have Halestorm as opener to the guy above saying they are boring rock and roll band as is their drummer, you have obviously never been to one of their shows, they are one of the if not the most energetic newer rock bands in years in a live setting and Arejay Hale is an absolute wild man behind the drum set.
January 14, 2015 @ 12:20 pm
I agree!! I seen them a couple of years ago at a Rock festival & he definitely brought the energy I was impressed.
January 14, 2015 @ 12:53 pm
I come to this site a lot because I share many of the same opinions and it is also an amazing place to be introduced to fantastic music. However, reading this thread (and others in the past) I would have to say some of you posting are ridiculously self righteous. I am an Eric Church fan. With that sentence alone many of you have now passed judgement on me that I am a young, uneducated, bud lite drinking, woo girl with a “Jason Aldean ring tone” . I respect the fact that Trigger and many others really don’t appreciate what Eric is doing or has done, and that’s fine, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. What my problem is, is the assumption, based on very little facts, that anyone who does enjoy Eric church must be a bro music loving idiot. I grew up on nothing but country music, I have been to stadium shows and outdoor festivals but have also been to many small venues to see independent or lesser known artists. Judge me all you want, but Judge not, that ye be not judged. And based on some of the posters I assume you all to be complacent hipsters with douchey hair cuts and ironically tight pants 😉
January 14, 2015 @ 1:49 pm
I agree the lumping of Eric Church in with the other “bros” (though he didn’t do himself any favors when he partnered with Aldean and Luke Bryan on “The Only Way I Know’) is shortsighted and unfair, and I hope I have never done that or implied that. Eric is his own animal, and for all the criticism I’ve levied his way, I also gone out of my way to praise him when he does something of value.
January 15, 2015 @ 6:08 am
I second that – respectfully 😉 I am a huge Eric Church fan as well. I know hes incredibly full of himself, and not everything he does can qualify as country, but I don’t really see him in the same light that I see Jason Aldean, FGL, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Chase Rice, Cole Swindell… and the list goes on! He seems to really care about the music makes and what goes into his albums, whether you like the music or not.
January 14, 2015 @ 6:03 pm
With bro-country acts being about the only openers radio plays, Eric has to go with indies to avoid bro-country. I’ve lost count of the number of new bros radio played past much better country artists, mostly women.
January 14, 2015 @ 9:43 pm
Eric Church is alright, but I’ll summarize the addition of indie acts to his tour as this: looking to gain some street cred with actual country fans, non-bro country fans, and “smart country fans”.
I like some of Church’s material, but he’s trying way too hard to be “an outsider”.
News flash, Eric: when you label yourself an “outsider”, not only does it look lame, but it makes people doubt you.
I’m more than willing to give the guy kudos for any good work he does, but at this point, buying into his hype about being a trailblazer is as ill-advised as it is preposterous.
Church is a somewhat more evolved, slightly ahead of the curve mainstream artist who clued into the fact that bro country was on the way out and jumped ship while the getting was still good.
January 15, 2015 @ 10:03 pm
Church has also appeared at Lollapalooza and the Austin City Limits Festival. A rarity among current Nashville acts. I’m not sure who his marketing team is or if he comes up with these ideas himself, but he’s doing thing differently. I just wish most of his music didn’t suck so hard.
January 15, 2015 @ 3:34 pm
As a huge Eric church fan I have a hard time accepting any compliments about Eric church from saving country music because they are always so contradicting. He once called Eric church a talentless asshole and then came out and said he outpaces his peers in terms of talent by a longshot. I think he also said that Eric’s fanbase was waning and now is stating he has the most loyal fanbase. Sounds a little contradictory to me…. Which I think is the same insult you often use against Eric if I recall correctly.
January 15, 2015 @ 4:29 pm
Matty, we’ve been down this road before. The reason for the “contradictions” is because through my perspective, Eric Church is a mixed bag. He’s not awful like Florida Georgia Line, but he’s not great like Sturgill Simpson. He has some good songs, and he’s made some poor marketing decisions. I’m not trying to play both sides, I’m just calling balls and strikes as I see them. Each action, each piece of music deserves to be considered on its own merit, and that’s what I strive to do.
January 15, 2015 @ 6:10 pm
Count me in as an Eric Church fan, who does not like the Outsiders album. I would definitely go to one of his live shows though, in fact I’m eyeballing that April show in Vancouver.
January 16, 2015 @ 5:00 am
I am way to cool, mostly because of my musical listening choices, other than that I’m just a regular douche bag, but none the less, I could never stand in a room and listen to a artist that I appreciate, next to common folks, who are not on my musical listening level, while they wait to hear some drivel.
Did I mention, that just because of the music I listen to, it gives me some false sense of self esteem and superiority, so much so, that I’m inclined to put others down, and others choice in music, just because of the digital music links I have clicked on and purchased. This website is where I feel at home, with all the other folks like me.
January 17, 2015 @ 10:46 am
He’s one hot mess. Love his beard, eyes, hair, smokin” overall good lookin’ face, bod and voice.
There. How’s that.