Sturgill Simpson Performs “You Can Have The Crown” for 1st Time in 9 Years
Sturgill Simpson was the Sunday night headliner of the Two Step Inn festival in Georgetown, TX on April 6th, performing for 90 minutes in front of about 20,000 people. But apparently, Sturgill didn’t get his fill, and neither did some fans. Since he’s been playing these epic 3 and 4-hour sets and folks in Georgetown (just north of Austin) only got a taste, he decided to post up at the 2,500-capacity Stubb’s in downtown Austin the next day (4-7) to play an epic, nearly 4-hour set.
Simpson announced the surprise show on the big screens of the Two Step Inn festival right before he took the stage, and then made reference to it again during the set itself. Tickets went on sale that Monday morning at 10 AM, and sold out immediately. A few walk-up tickets were also made available, but were snarfed up quickly too.
For Sturgill Simpson, performing at Stubb’s was returning to the scene of the crime in Austin. “Well alright, we’ve been waiting like ten or eleven years to do this again,” Simpson said as he walked out on stage. “This city has always been very very good to us, and we just wanted to stick around and say thank you and play one more show for you guys.”
Sturgill played Stubb’s almost ten years to the day on April 2nd, 2015 as his popularity was exploding amid the release of his 2014 album Metamodern Sounds in Country Music. He also played in Austin at The Rattle Inn on December 22nd, 2012. This was the notorious show where only some nine people were in attendance that Sturgill has referenced on stage multiple times in his career.
That Rattle Inn show was set up by Mike Harmeier of Silverada (then Mike and the Moonpies) as a favor to Sturgill. Simpson also played his last official show with his first band Sunday Valley, or perhaps his first show as Sturgill Simpson, at the Austin Moose Lodge on March 17th, 2012 as part of XSXSW.
Now Simpson returned to Austin as a growing legend in American music. “To mark the occasion, we’ll play something we haven’t played in about 9 years or so,” Simpson said before launching into fan favorite, “You Can Have The Crown,” and one of the favorites from his Stubb’s set 10 years prior.
Though getting into Stubb’s for Sturgill’s Monday show was hard, it was streamed on nugs.net. He’s also now made a full video available of “You Can Have The Crown.”
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April 12, 2025 @ 9:28 am
Why did he quit playing it?
April 12, 2025 @ 9:44 am
Can’t answer that but musicians often can have weird relationships with fan favorites. Robert plant said he never wanted to do a Led Zeppelin reunion because he couldn’t stand the thought of singing stairway to heaven. Tyler Childers doesn’t seem to do feathered Indians. I’ve heard Jason Isbell complain about how he doesn’t like Outfit.
I guess maybe some musicians just resent when something they don’t think is their best work becomes their signature song but I don’t really know
April 12, 2025 @ 6:37 pm
I would be so pissed off if I went to a Childers show and didn’t hear “Feathered Indians.” It sucks to hear he doesn’t seem to play it live. It’s a truly great, iconic song.
Artists should absolutely play their iconic songs. It’s an act of respect to their fannase, who deserve it.
April 13, 2025 @ 6:05 am
One thing I have come to love about country music is it seems like artists are more likely to cover other songs. Hailey Whitters and Maggie Antone have covered “Feathered Indians.”
April 16, 2025 @ 3:43 pm
Yeah, I agree. I saw Tyler Childers in Charleston a couple of years ago and was hoping he’d play Charleston Girl, but he didn’t. Then, a few months later, I saw Wyatt Flores, and he played it, and it was awesome.
April 12, 2025 @ 9:52 am
I always heard that he wrote it almost as a joke or a mock of country songs of the day. Listy and references that are in a lot of popular songs from the time he wrote it. Essentially a satire. So the fact it became so popular annoyed him when he wrote it as a joke. Seems like he’s letting off some of that annoyance since he played his here and also included it on his bluegrass album. Wouldn’t imagine he adds it to his set list rotation though.
April 12, 2025 @ 9:58 am
It’s pretty plainly him making fun of how useless the critical acclaim he had gotten that point was when acclaimed wasn’t paying his bills. Maybe he doesn’t feel that resentment anymore since he’s now successful
April 12, 2025 @ 3:17 pm
Just in case you wanted to hear it from the man himself.
First 2:30 of the video.
https://youtu.be/mrajqbEBR8k?si=8RUS4GTzUz2ORyHh
April 12, 2025 @ 9:39 am
That’s awesome would be cool if he does it when I see him soon
April 12, 2025 @ 11:00 am
Can’t get over his Johnny Blue Skies schtick still.
This is a great video, tho. I loved it.
April 13, 2025 @ 6:12 am
He’s got to work “Keep It Between the Lines” back into the setlist… I love that track.
April 16, 2025 @ 3:52 am
Great vid. Can we all stop and marvel how far Sturgill has come a guitar player? Some of those first position licks are pretty darn hot. Someone can correct me with footage, but not sure he was doing any of that in 2012.