Turnpike Troubadours Cancel Additional Performance Citing Evan Felker Illness
This story has been updated.
Oklahoma’s Turnpike Troubadours were forced to cancel their appearance Sunday night (8-26) at the Fayetteville Roots Festival after frontman Evan Felker was deemed too ill to perform. The cancellation comes after the band canceled their final appearances on the Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town “Bandwagon Tour” on August 23rd and 24th in Toronto and Michigan, citing unspecific personal emergencies.
“Unfortunately due to a medical emergency Turnpike Troubadours will be unable to perform tonight at Fayetteville Roots Festival,” the band said in a statement. “The band was present and prepared to play, but after evaluation it was advised that Evan Felker should not perform tonight due to pain associated with the inability to pass a kidney stone he has been struggling with since earlier in the week. We sincerely apologize to the fans and festival staff for this unfortunate situation.”
The band also said on Instagram in response to an inquiry, “For privacy we chose not to give details earlier in the week, but feel our fans deserve a more clear reason.”
The Turnpike Troubadours were set to headline the festival Sunday night, with former Turnpike member and regular collaborator John Fullbright playing right before them. Turnpike’s upcoming shows at The Beaumont in Nebraska on August 30th, as well as the 9th Street Summerfest in Columbia, Missouri August 31st are still on for the moment, as are all other previously-announced 2018 shows.
The additional cancellations also comes as tabloid headlines swirl about frontman Evan Felker’s previous relationship with Miranda Lambert. Miranda told The Tennessean on Friday (8-24) that she is single, fueling speculation that the cancellations are due to the split. But representatives for the band insist Evan Felker’s health is the reason.
The Turnpike Troubadours have a full slate of live shows on their calendar for the rest of 2018, including the Medicine Stone Festival in Oklahoma they help host with Jason Boland in mid September, and a two-night stint at ACL Live in Austin November 30th and December 1st. They’re also playing Mile 0 Fest in Key West, FL in January 2019 (see full tour dates).
August 26, 2018 @ 5:59 pm
September 2nd —- Big Beaver Dam, Kentucky
If they cancel, will the show go on with Shooter Jennings and Chris Knight (with full band)?
It might not since they are the headliner.
August 26, 2018 @ 6:03 pm
I’ve had 2 bouts of kidney stones and ain’t no way I could put in a performance of any length the pain is awful!!! Get well Evan!!!
August 26, 2018 @ 6:10 pm
Maybe he will write a Merle tribute-Esque song called “The Kidney Stone Let me Down”.
Trigger, any word on what the other multiple family emergencies cited in the initial press release were?
August 26, 2018 @ 8:50 pm
What does it matter? Some family emergencies are private.
August 26, 2018 @ 10:39 pm
It matters because it’s all obviously a lie to cover up Felker’s drama. You really believe that the band has several family emergencies (that, again, are resolved in 2 days), Evan’s ridiculously bad judgement in “relationships” ends, and he also gets kidney stones all at the same time? I’m sorry, but it’s not outlandish or overly harsh to hold people to some base level of standards when it comes to honesty and integrity. If this crap was pullled by some loser like Kane Brown, etc, everyone would be all over it. Total double standard.
August 27, 2018 @ 7:35 am
No, it’s not “obviously” a lie, CountryRoads. You can assume it is, but that doesn’t make it such. There is no double standard here. Alan Jackson recently canceled a couple of shows, and didn’t give a specific reason either. You don’t see thousands digging into his personal life, trying to find the REAL cause.
Saving Country Music is not a gossip site, and I would appreciate if folks would respect that with their comments. If it continues to get out of hand, comments WILL be either edited or deleted. Let’s please keep comments to the topic at hand as opposed wild speculation and Stan wars.
Thank you.
August 27, 2018 @ 11:20 am
Trigger,
I agree with the sentiment but you can’t compare the Alan Jackson situation to this one. Alan isn’t coming off a breakup with a mainstream star who has a history of flirting with fellow married stars. With Alan, there aren’t any fire starting material. With Felker, there is plenty of flint.
August 26, 2018 @ 11:37 pm
Probably still none of our business.
August 26, 2018 @ 6:14 pm
Miranda was talking about the Pistol Annies and said two have husbands, one is single and happy. When Miranda did the Cosmo. Article in 2016., She said she was single and was dating Anderson. Single meaning not married to anyone. At this point I think it is unknown whether Miranda and Evan are still dating.
August 26, 2018 @ 6:23 pm
Here we go again…. 224 comments on the last post so far. Brace yourselves for the incoming… I think I just heard the troll horn.
All I reallycare about is that I hope they stick around for awhile and keep releasing more good music. Hopefully all this will “pass” and will eventually be seen as groin pains.
August 26, 2018 @ 6:40 pm
Nice play on pass and gro-in. Well played
August 26, 2018 @ 6:49 pm
Where’s those Shelfani trolls at? They’ll probably say Miranda poisoned him a la Goodbye Earl dixie chicks
August 26, 2018 @ 7:19 pm
Maybe The Cringe – I mean – The Voice is on? I’m the last person to know the schedule…maybe some other such cultural treasure?
August 26, 2018 @ 7:54 pm
Anybody else by chance watching the Dallas / AZ “Game?” (Its 24-0).
I swear I heard 7 & 7 as they were fading to commercial….
August 27, 2018 @ 7:12 am
Yep! And Texas Kind of Way by CoJo.
August 27, 2018 @ 10:07 am
Thanks…I was walking away when I thought I heard it and wasn’t sure.
August 26, 2018 @ 9:06 pm
I wonder what the odds are that they will cancel the Friday gig in Columbia? It’s about a 90 minute drive for me to go see them and tickets are still available for the Troubadours and Shooter, and at a reasonable cost. I was planning on going since my schedule will now allow it, but I am reluctant to drop cash and run the risk of only getting Shooter (who I like, but not enough to drop $30 to go see) and having Turnpike cancel. Hate waiting until the last second, but considering how many of their shows have been getting canceled for medical/family emergencies (totally valid FYI), I am reluctant to drop money on a Turnpike show right now.
August 27, 2018 @ 12:57 pm
I hope not! It’s supposed to be my daughter’s first concert. Plus, I always love a Turnpike show I only have to drive half an hour for.
August 26, 2018 @ 11:52 pm
The next Me Too movement should be pointed at Miranda. Preying on the weak male opening acts…
She stole Blake away from his wife in 2005. She is friends with cheating Aldean. Weird stuff happened between her & Dierks & Eric Chuch. Now this Troboudor guy left his wife for Miranda… She obviously knew Both This Guy & Blake were married but she lured them in anyway. That’s disgusting regardless.
Why would any guy want to date her now??? She seems unstable & depressing.. Have u listened to The Weight of These Depressing Wings?? The song Vice explains it all
August 27, 2018 @ 6:54 am
She’s playing in Dierks music fest. I doubt there’s bad blood between them.
Eric Church- he made some comments that threw shade at Blake Shelton/the voice after they have Eric church open for them on tour.
Don’t believe everything you hear
August 27, 2018 @ 11:22 am
You seem very stable
August 27, 2018 @ 12:12 pm
I am. I can walk well. My balance is real good.
And that’s all I got to say bout that.
Bubbba!!!! That man had the guitar
August 29, 2018 @ 10:07 am
You act like these men had no minds of their own. She was 21 when she met Blake. She was a kid. Evan didn’t have to leave his wife either. They made their own choices.
August 27, 2018 @ 12:03 am
Fun fact – Miranda’s last #1hit on radio was Something Bad with Carrie Underwood.
Carrie had to support Miranda… Miranda is definitely a flop to Country Radio these days… Her label will likely let her go if she puts out another album with little radio influence.
Karma… It caught up to ML.
Blake has had 26 #1 hits in his career
ML only had 5 #1 hits… Ouch
August 27, 2018 @ 1:19 am
You are evidently not a music fan.You must be more of a tabloid fan. Miranda’s TWOTW was the highest selling album by a female country artist in 2017. Every album (6) by Miranda is certified platinum. As far as a label letting her go, she owns her own label, Vanner Recor ords. The radio #1’s you seem to be so proud of have no meaning to a talented artist like Miranda. They are good for pop artists,like Blake.
August 27, 2018 @ 11:52 am
Great music shouldn’t care about Radio hits. That’s true… But sadly record labels do care. See what happened to Easton Corbin? It happens all the time. Miranda needs another Top 10 hit song & fast. She should release her Highway Vagabond song as a single. Its a lot better than Pink Sunglasses or Keeper of the Flame…
August 27, 2018 @ 4:37 am
Thank you for such a realistic and smart comment
August 27, 2018 @ 4:40 am
Carrie Underwood is a boring terrible singer=Hater
August 27, 2018 @ 5:19 am
You need to do more research on Miranda Lambert. Obviously you have been dumped several times! ????
August 27, 2018 @ 11:54 am
I have done research on Miranda.
According to my research & published thesis
.. She is a big ole Dirty Hoe…
August 27, 2018 @ 7:17 am
You just commented on the other TT post that a few of us need Jesus. Tell me, what Jesus is that? The Jesus that is petty and cares about radio hits, commercial success, and making fun of people with less of it? When you and your homeboy hang, do you watch TMZ or Keeping Up With the Kardashians? I’ve always wondered which one he likes better.
August 27, 2018 @ 11:48 am
You are an idiot
August 27, 2018 @ 11:49 am
You are a real idiot
August 27, 2018 @ 12:07 am
Wtf … Somebody is using my Hey Arnold username on here & is blasting Miranda…?
Guess I have to change usernames…
I guess we have multiple hey Arnold fans on here. Randy Travis sang a beautiful song on that cartoon in 1999 I think. Called the Simple Things. Its on YouTube. An unreleased Randy song!!
August 27, 2018 @ 8:21 am
Or you’ve come here to stir shit since your personal Avatar would only pick up with your personal account. Nobody else could sign into it.
August 27, 2018 @ 11:57 am
??? I never signed up on this website.
And what is with that avatar pic??? Its not a pic of mine… Some Chinese man in a sombrero?? Why??
August 27, 2018 @ 12:32 am
Evan needs to put his big boy pants on. He has two gifts his TALENT and EX WIFE. He is about to lose them both.
NEWS FLASH EVAN
You can’t make a hoe a housewife so stop with Miranda. She spreads it around like peanut butter for free.
August 27, 2018 @ 7:45 am
Where’s his talent going? Maybe I can try to snag some of it.
August 27, 2018 @ 3:48 pm
Wow your a shit talkers don’t know what happened so move a long and MS pia you must be talking about your self Miranda lambert is not a hoe she is very talented and gorgeous and she is a bad ass and i love her and turnpike troubadours back of.
August 27, 2018 @ 1:35 am
The song, Vice, that you seem to know, is also a platinum selling song. You don’t seem to kn ow much about her musical career, so I don’t believe you know her personal life. Tabloids stories rarel y have the truth. Miranda will never have to worry about getting a date. She has a strong fan base that love her for music. Sorry Trigger, sometimes people bring out responses with their ignorance..
August 27, 2018 @ 4:10 am
Weeeeee. If you believe gossip you’re a dumbass
August 27, 2018 @ 4:33 am
I agree with you that Miranda Lambert “will never have to worry about getting a date” …. Rich adulteress women usually don’t. This female used to be my rock until her true colors came out. Miranda Lambert recently quoted “I want to inspire women”… That’s scary! That spoiled little rich girl should consider calming her genitals down, if she knows what’s good for her career. I believe she’s proud of ripping apart marriages and hurting innocent wives… i wonder if she giggles to herself at night. And what better pray than her opening act (married) fame crazed frontman Evan! I wonder how her ticket sales will be affected?? Another famous quote by Miranda…. “God made me this way and sometimes it gets me in trouble”… How dare her blame God! When she is the work of the devil!
August 27, 2018 @ 6:09 am
I can’t believe I have to live in a world and breathe the same air as some of the ugly trolls who post here..”the work of the devil” are you nuts? The only thing going on here is unbridled hatred of an entertainer most of us will never even meet, much less know….Karma will get you, it always wins…
August 27, 2018 @ 7:51 am
Sometimes I think Karma works faster than we think…Kind of like “excellence is it’s own reward,” maybe being a gossip troll is its own punishment.
August 27, 2018 @ 3:43 pm
Seriously? Does your brother-husband know you’ve been touching yourself while posting on the innerwebz about sluts again? Better chant to your imaginary sky ghost again just how the pastor-brother-husband likes it
August 27, 2018 @ 4:35 am
I’ve dealt with kidney stones semi-frequently for the past four years and I can’t imagine getting on stage and performing when I’m suffering from one. The pain from a decent sized kidney stone is the absolute worst thing I’ve ever felt; I have a decent pain tolerance, but when I have a bad kidney stone all I can do is roll around on the bed and moan.
August 27, 2018 @ 6:56 am
I’m just waiting on Saddle Tramp/Staci Felker to tell everything. I want to be friends with them. Honestly. If Miranda cared about her image/persona she would just be open and honest in what went down. Things don’t look good for her. I do enjoy her music, and could careless what she does off the stage.
August 27, 2018 @ 7:24 am
Do you want to bare your soul and private life to the media, as you suggest M iranda should?
How about you go first?
August 27, 2018 @ 7:35 am
No but I would address the elephant in the room to end speculation/incorrect information. Jason Aldean was upfront about it. Here’s to hoping Evans wife doesn’t take him back.
August 27, 2018 @ 7:57 am
Why don’t you write that down in your notebook of things you will do when you become a respected artist in a similar position. I’d hate for you to forget, plus I’m not sure we all need to know about it…yet.
August 27, 2018 @ 7:12 am
I hope Evan is able to recover as painlessly as possible. Best of luck to the whole band!
August 27, 2018 @ 8:10 am
Fuck celebrity gossip, Turnpike is awesome!
August 27, 2018 @ 12:15 pm
If the website would let me, I would “like” this comment multiple times.
August 27, 2018 @ 8:43 am
The Atlantic when they decided to eliminate their Comments section in favor of an online “Letters to the Editor”:
“We are choosing now to elevate respectful, intelligent discourse and argument,” he wrote. “We want smart and critical readers to have a more visible role on our site, and we’re looking forward to hearing from you, and publishing you.”
They’re nicer than me. Trigger probably is too. I would probably go with, “Fuck all y’all.” and shut it down.
August 27, 2018 @ 8:57 am
Agreed
August 27, 2018 @ 8:58 am
When worlds collide, huh? Some of these comments! Lord have mercy! Can you link to SCM from The Boot? 😉
Anyway, hope Evan gets better soon.
August 27, 2018 @ 10:24 am
Poor guy, kidney stones are seriously painful, and so is having a very public divorce, affair, and breakup.
August 27, 2018 @ 10:58 am
Kidney stones are no joke. Evan has had a shitty week that’s for sure. Hope he has good people around him who are willing to care for him because it sure isn’t Miranda. She’s out partying on the river. As they say play stupid games win stupid prizes.
August 27, 2018 @ 11:17 am
Heartbreak is a hell of a disease.
August 27, 2018 @ 11:54 am
If half of y’all paid as much attention to your own lives as you do others the world would be a better place. Bunch of dumb ass haters.
August 27, 2018 @ 12:20 pm
Hey Trigger- these Blake trolls bashing ML. Can you ban their IP address?? Like the Hey Arnold & Tmv, CountryRoads accounts etc.
– thanks in advance
August 27, 2018 @ 12:42 pm
I would never block certain segments of commenters because of what they believe. I may not like what certain commenters say, but I believe in hosting a fair and open forum for everyone to voice their opinions. That said, if a discussion gets too far off of topic, I may try to wrangle it in, or if a commenter attempts to use three different aliases to stir the pot, verified by the Avatar that is following along with their email address, I very well may block them.
August 27, 2018 @ 12:40 pm
Does Fullbright know the lyrics to the new songs? It might be time.
August 27, 2018 @ 1:31 pm
Wow, hadn’t really thought about that. Personally, I like them both doing what they each do. Speaking of, besides producing the AA album, what is Fulbright up to? He hasn’t been too communicative in that department. Would love new music from him.
August 27, 2018 @ 8:46 pm
I am an “80’s baby, born in 1967. I considered myself “countrified” in 1993. The good stuff! The story telling era. I am softened to learn that I will not be deleted simply because of my opinion. I have a difficult time understanding all the lingo on this page…. For example: What is a troll? I am from the U.P. (The Upper Peninsula of Michigan) and what we call a troll is from lower Michigan (below the Mackinac bridge). hit me like confusing! Lol. all the so-called intellectual language doesn’t fit my boot size! Lol. How can I help not responding to Miranda Lambert and Evan Felker when I don’t even have to Google it, and it pops up on my screen every day! Music has saved my life, and as much as I don’t believe in tattoos the only one that I have on my right arm is the left clef and sharp in the shape of a heart that represents music… The music that inspired me to who I am today… But I wish everyone of you knew Fame has a price….Miranda loves her fans because Miranda has millions of dollars that every one of you could have put toward building your own house… I wonder what her parents think of her dysfunctional relationships and messing up the band’s TTC success!!! God bless you Evan Felker! I wish you had known you didn’t need to depend on Miranda Lambert for your fame… you’re good enough from the start!
August 27, 2018 @ 9:36 pm
OMG! Now she’s blaming Evan!!! Go figure! what a surprise right! She’s trying to trash his career!!
August 27, 2018 @ 11:01 pm
Jeez. This article was just about Evan Felker dealing with a kidney stone and people are STILL hung up arguing over what happened between him and Miranda? What the fuck is wrong with you people?
August 28, 2018 @ 11:47 am
So when is the next scheduled date TT is to play in Michigan? Next year?
August 29, 2018 @ 4:06 pm
The inability to pass the kidney stone is because Miranda never gave back his twig and berries after she broke up with him and kicked his band off the tour?
August 30, 2018 @ 8:28 am
I hope Evan’s doing better. Any progress?
August 30, 2018 @ 8:48 am
Have not heard anything official, but their show in Nebraska this evening appears to be going forward as normal.
August 30, 2018 @ 9:30 am
My wife just told me all the shows through September are cancelled.
August 30, 2018 @ 10:27 am
I just called The Beaumont and was told that “they just cancelled for a medical emergency”. I assume that this is the same medical emergency of the past 10 days. Not a way to treat your fans – cancelling concerts at the last minute. I hope Evan enjoyed that 6 month affair because it certainly doesn’t seemed to help his career or band not saying anything for his marriage.