Tyler Childers Leads 2022 Healing Appalachia Lineup
After two years away due to COVID-19, the annual Healing Appalachia concert event is returning September 23rd and 24th to Lewisburg, WV, with Tyler Childers once again headlining the event that looks to raise funds and raise awareness about the opioid crisis gripping Appalachia, and so many other parts of the United States. The event has expanded to two days for the first time, with camping options available on the West Virginia State Fairgrounds as well.
Arlo McKinley, the Lost Dog Street Band, Galactic, Margo Price, Lucero, TK and the Holy Know Nothings, Jeremy Pinnell, The Vince Herman Band, Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Hustle, Tommy Prine (John’s son), and Laid Back Country Picker are also on the lineup, as are up-and-comers Cole Chaney and Logan Halstead, who will be playing the afterparty. All artists donate their time, with all proceeds going to the Healing Appalachia cause.
Healing Appalachia came together after 26 people overdosed in one day in Huntington, West Virginia on August 16th, 2016. The event helped underscore that overdose is the leading cause of death for people under 50 in the United States. A group of like-minded individuals formed the non-profit Hope for the Hills, with the Healing Appalachia concert being the flagship event for the organization. Tyler Childers and his wife and performer Senora May have been active within the organization.
“There is no magic cure for this disease. The causes for this epidemic are complex and not easy to fix as the hardest hit regions such as Appalachia are steeped in poverty,” says Hope for the Hills. “As daunting as the crisis has become, hope remains. Robust recovery communities have formed across the United States and Appalachia … through these efforts, communities of recovery across Appalachia are being born, creating a connective tissue of sustainable recovery through personal, innovative and systematic best practices dealing with the catastrophic, multi-generational impact of addiction. Let’s all band together to #FosterHope in 2022 and be an active part of #HealingAppalachia.”
The Healing Appalachia event also gives you the rare opportunity to see Tyler Childers, who is only playing select events in 2022. Two day passes are now on sale, as well as camping passes.
July 7, 2022 @ 8:10 am
Trigger, have you seen the tiktok & Twitter controversy about Tyler Childers? People have been arguing about him for a few days now because at the Willie Nelson picnic he basically only played covers & deep cuts.
Some people seem to not be too happy with Childers right now, while others are saying he has no obligation to “cater” to his fans and that he can play whatever he wants. It makes me extremely weary to buy Tyler Childers tickets in the future…
July 7, 2022 @ 8:30 am
I was coming to ask the same question. He’s getting chastised on social media for being woke and not playing the songs that earned him fame and garnered him his rabid fan base.
July 8, 2022 @ 3:55 pm
Because your social media is the same as everybody elses. If it shows up from the people you friend or follow it must be universally true.
September 25, 2022 @ 10:48 pm
That man has do much genuine feeling for so much.
Let it be….enjoy it!!!
I guess you wouldn’t take an invite to play the places he’s been goin..and there in all he does for his …our home state and so many others.
Just be cool..and enjoy the
Universal Sound
July 7, 2022 @ 8:56 am
Multiple things here:
First, Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic was not a Tyler Childers concert. It was a short, single-day festival set where Childers boiled his set down to the stuff he wanted to play. Should Childers have played more of his A-list stuff? Probably. Does he have an obligation to? No he doesn’t. They didn’t even put him in the slot before Willie, which he deserved to be in, not Isbell. One of the many, many problems with Willie’s 4th of July Picnic is that it’s curated by Willie’s wife as opposed the actual appeal of musicians, while some of the oldtimers and family members like Ray Wylie Hubbard and David Allan Coe who used to play every year have been edged out. This, and the fact that they don’t allow photography (despite every human having a camera on their hip) is the reason I didn’t even bother to go even though it was only 20 miles from SCM headquarters. The sound was terrible, the venue was not suited for the event, C3 Presents has no idea what they’re doing, and it’s basically become a political rally for Willie’s wife’s pet causes.
I saw Tyler Childers a few weeks ago play a 90-minute set at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and he played a lot of original stuff, including “Lady May” and “Nose to the Grindstone,” which he hadn’t been playing recently. He also played quite a few covers. But the reason he keeps playing songs like “Tulsa Turnaround” and “Trudy” is because he kills them live, and the crowd goes wild. Tyler Childers is at the tail end of an album cycle, and performers commonly work in more covers in that scenario as both the artist and the crowd get bored with the old material.
That said, Tyler Childers has clearly lost his hunger, likely because “Purgatory” continues to land him so much mailbox money, he has no need to tour, or to release new material. So he’s farting around and doing what he wants to do. I think Tyler Childers should be playing arenas all across the country right now where he could be playing two-hour sets where he plays his best material, and all the covers he wants to work in. That would solve this problem. And the fact that he has a kid on the way is all the more reason to push now and opposed to let off the pedal. I’m frustrated with Childers because he could/should be the leader of the independent country movement and pushing this thing to the next level, and instead he’s just sort of farting around.
Still, you can’t be pissed at what Childers plays during a short set. Be pissed he was given a short set in the first place. He’s Tyler Childers. He deserves 90 minutes at the least. Willie’s Picnic needs two stages like it used to have, better curation, and a better venue. C3 Presents has really screwed this iconic event up.
My thoughts.
July 7, 2022 @ 9:52 am
He played an 11-song, supporting set:
1. Tulsa Turnaround (a standard cover at his shows for years)
2. House Fire (his own song)
3. Triune God (new song)
4. Percheron Mules (new song)
5. Help Me Make it through the Night (cover added the last couple years to his shows)
6. Greatest Story Ever Told (he did this song with Bob Weir at a concert recently and said it’s stuck in his set list)
7. The Old Country Church (cover that’s been a staple in his set list recently)
8. Space and Time (a cover promoting another KY artist)
9. Honky Tonk Flame (his song)
10. Trudy (a concert standard for way too long)
11. Rustin’ in the Rain (a new song)
There were no “deep cuts,” but 3 new songs.
I agree with Trig that Childers needed a 90 min set. With that said, he’s not playing White House Road or Feathered Indians anytime soon and I thought he were past the shock of him not playing them.
Trig… I hope to see you in Lewisburg, WV in September.
July 7, 2022 @ 10:45 am
This looks like the set list of an artist deep into their album cycle and getting ready to release a new album in the next 9 months or less. Folks should be incensed Tyler Childers only got to perform 11 songs. He deserved 90 minutes at the least. So did Jason Isbell. That didn’t happen because there was no 2nd stage like they’ve had for years because C3 wanted to “activate” the soccer arena with its terrible sound, $15 beers, no re-entry or cooler allowed, and no place for a 2nd stage.
Wish I could attend Healing Appalachia, but with the way gas prices are and the way my summer got scrambled, it’s not looking good. We’ll see.
July 7, 2022 @ 12:38 pm
I don’t like that people are being mean to him.
: D Ignore them, Ty.
You & Senora May look after your health & the health of your baby, on the way.
????
July 7, 2022 @ 8:30 am
How about Tyler Childers leads a few non-record singles into the lineup of my ear drums
July 7, 2022 @ 8:44 am
He and his wife are woke as hell. They are decent folks though. His wife is the primary influence in him becoming more woke. She’s 100% hippie, left wing radical. I live in the same town they live in(Irvine, KY). My wife was Senora’s 2nd grade teacher. The rest of the criticism, I don’t know about.
July 7, 2022 @ 8:51 am
I misspoke. My wife was her teacher in an elementary grade. Maybe not second. She just announced she is pregnant at a festival in our town and he played in her place. He did play mostly covers and stuff more family appropriate there, which was good. He’s woke, and I hate woke, but for the sake of fairness, he does good things do our area.
July 8, 2022 @ 8:03 am
Why don’t you explain to us all exactly what “woke” means. I’m sure you’re an expert.
July 7, 2022 @ 9:41 am
I don’t see Tyler Childers as a “woke” artist. He isn’t on social media barraging people with his opinions. He’s not speaking on stage about political subjects. Yes, he did address Black Lives Matter as part of his “Long Violent History” album, at a time when many artists were, partially because they were being demanded to, or they would be labeled as racist. He got swept up in the movement like a lot of artists did, believing they were doing the right thing. Now we know, the organization Black Lives Matter was a grift, offered absolutely no money or support to the families of Black people killed by police, and instead spent millions of dollars on real estate holdings for the benefit of the organization’s founders. But I’m not going to hold the artist’s accountable. They were just trying to do the right thing. Black Lives Matter should be held accountable, and the media for not properly reporting on what was happening.
And of course Tyler Childers is influenced by his wife. So is Willie Nelson, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, and others. These women feel the way to change the world is using their husband’s platforms to perpetrate their ideologies, and to keep a happy hen and a happy home, they comply. Jason Aldean is doing the same thing, just in a different direction. This is the way of things.
July 7, 2022 @ 11:57 am
No one should have to endure the political views of a spouse being pushed on them through an artist they like. No matter the leanings. Nothing is more outlaw country than feeling pressured to trumpet the political views of a spouse.
July 8, 2022 @ 8:23 am
Like you know exactly where his views come from.
July 7, 2022 @ 12:58 pm
Well, I’m not claiming that he’s going woke on stage. I damn sure didn’t say that. However, I live on the town he lives in and you don’t. I also stated that he does a lot of good things for our community. But, as you can tell by his appearance lately, things have changed, some for the good and some are debatably good or bad depending on what you want from him as a fan. He very much looks/dresses hippyish or yuppyish like lately.
If you are looking for the guy that sings Whitehouse Road with that edge and passion, I don’t think that’s the guy you are going to get anymore. His last album was weak in that respect; it didn’t have that edge. Sturgill is certainly woke as well and he produced it.
I don’t personally care about the direction he goes as an artist and in his personal life. I live in the same town, know his wife’s family, etc. As a human, I hope he’s happy and becomes a great father, his music is far less important than what he does as a dad. But, he’s woke if woke means ultra liberal, etc. and that’s OK. There’s no way he’s living with his wife who regularly posts what I would consider very woke stuff on Twitter. One post is a picture that states, “Jesus wan’t white and he sure as fuck wasn’t a capitalists” and other things. It’s all fine, but he isn’t living with someone as woke as her if he isn’t woke as well, and I think he’s very smart to not being those ideas to the stage. If he did, he would lose a lot of fans. The ultra left is the most militant group in America in allowing diverse viewpoints. They preach diversity, it and then don’t allow anyone else a voice(cancel culture). Regardless, I wish him well and respect/admire his artistry. I’ve bought physical copies of his albums and paid for a concert ticket at Rupp Arena. I’m not anti Tyler Childers. Life is a journey and he’s a young guy that might change his viewpoints, or not. Our differences should be celebrated, but from my perspective the ultra brainwashed woke left and the brainwashed ultra right aren’t going to let that happen. However, I think to say he’s not woke, or at least ultra liberal is denying reality. I’m not trying to be overly political, and I would have not commented if a question wasn’t asked first, and I could be wrong. But, I do live in his community and have a greater insight than most people that would comment on this board.
July 7, 2022 @ 1:15 pm
Hey Bibs,
You’re right, I don’t live in Tyler’s community, and I would defer to you or someone else who does for more insight. I just wanted to clarify that I haven’t seen what I would consider as “woke” behavior from Tyler Childers in regards to his public persona, meaning behavior we’ve seen from artists such as Jason Isbell and Margo Price on social media and from the stage. Senora May may engage more in that stuff, I’m not really paying close attention there, and I definitely agree that could influence Tyler Childers. That said, a lot of his new material has taken a religious tone, and some are surmising he might even release a Gospel album next, which wouldn’t be very “woke.” I just don’t want to pigeon hole the guy. Since “woke” can be taken very strongly and negatively by some, I just wanted to offer a little bit more clarity and context.
July 7, 2022 @ 1:36 pm
I agree with you100%. I love his music. He should not be pigeon holed and I’m not saying he and his wife aren’t good people. There are good people with all different types of political leanings. We’d all be better off if we didn’t destroy people that think differently than we do.
July 8, 2022 @ 6:39 am
Trigger why would you kowtow to someone making such ignorant statements? There was nothing political about this article, and as you pointed out, Tyler has been very careful to be remain a-political himself. He gave zero evidence of being “ultra liberal” or “woke as hell” other than how he dresses now and his wife making a objectively truthful statement.
Bibs, I hate to break it to you, but people from Judea aren’t white, sorry if that offends you but its true. Also capitalism didn’t come around for almost two thousand years. Finally, you say its the far left and far right that keep us from celebrating our differences but in reality its ignorance. It exists on all political spectrums and I suggest you listen to what Tyler says, read the lyrics, its not politically left or right despite him dressing as a hippie or whatever.
July 8, 2022 @ 7:47 am
I don’t think I’m kowtowing to anyone. I’ve just found over the years that engaging people and making convincing arguments is better than calling them stupid and casting them off. A lot of folks DO perceive Tyler Childers as “woke as hell,” and it’s important to offer some context to the matter.
July 8, 2022 @ 5:58 pm
Watch his YouTube video. Google Tyler Childers + Woke and watch it. You are wrong to say he’s not Woke based on how society defines it. He’s not Jason Isbell, but he’s damn woke. I say that and I have the utmost respect for him as an artist. No artist that I know of paid his dues to the level of Tyler, but you can’t say he’s not an ultra woke liberal, which is fine, most musicians are.
July 8, 2022 @ 12:29 am
How is it “woke” (whatever that means any more) to point out, accurately, that Jesus was not white and was not a capitalist?
July 8, 2022 @ 6:01 pm
Not the point. Your argument takes one example and generalizes from it. Look at her Twitter and Instagram, then Google Tyler Childers + woke and watch him in his own words. I’m not trying to say he’s a bad person; he’s not and she’s not. But he’s damn sure woke as it is defined, good or bad.
July 8, 2022 @ 12:56 am
From an historical point of view Jesus was certainly not white
July 8, 2022 @ 6:03 pm
Not the point genius.You can hear his wholeness in his own words, Google it.
July 30, 2022 @ 3:50 pm
Why does it need to be pointed out along with a “Sure as such wasn’t capitalist” comment thrown in for good measure. I mean don’t piss on my head and tell me it’s raining.
July 8, 2022 @ 8:21 am
What are you talking about Trigger? Childers never even mentioned the actual “Black Lives Matter” organization, as far as I know, and other artists who spoke up at that time didn’t do so out of fear of being called racist. Believe it or not, many people were and are legitimately horrified by the way black people were and still are being indiscriminately slaughtered by police. Long Violent History was not a performative statement, it was from the heart. The organization BLM is not the same as the movement.
Do you know who Jayland Walker was? The white boy who just murdered 7 people was taken alive with no injuries but Walker, who murdered no one, had 60 bullet holes and they handcuffed him while he was dying.
No wonder you don’t recognize racism when you see it.
I think a lot of the same old commenters here are feeling threatened by the fact that the majority of independent country leans liberal. If y’all want boring right-wing music, stick with mainstream country. Maybe you can catch Lee Greenwood at a Trump rally.
July 8, 2022 @ 11:31 am
Jayland shot at cops. When you shoot at cops, you get shot.
Nobody’s threatened by independent Country. We know that leftists are emotionally-driven people, and that emotionally-driven people are more artistic and creative. We accept that. What threatens us is allowing emotionally-driven people to dictate public policy.
July 8, 2022 @ 3:50 pm
You idiot. What hisface murdered 7 people. The dumb. The incredibly dumb and boring same 10 people who comment on every article.
Jayland was out of the car, unarmed, running away. And the cops say he fired a shot. That has not been confirmed one way or the other.
In any case, 60 bullet wounds speak for themselves.
Most people aren’t proud of being a Honky Cracker, but then, most people don’t spend years commenting on every article here.
July 8, 2022 @ 3:59 pm
In other words, you know they’re better than you.
July 8, 2022 @ 4:39 pm
I know, boomer; I get it. Your heyday is long past, and you’re trying to “stick it to the man” vicariously through your grandkids. But don’t you think it’s about time you call it quits? Why don’t you hang it up and enjoy some pudding?
July 8, 2022 @ 6:08 pm
Police brutality is horrible, but it’s unfair to claim black people are being “slaughtered indiscriminately. I rarely ever comment on anything written here. I just have a huge problem with irrational stupidity. Police that kill people should pay the consequences, and most do. George Floyd’s killer won’t see a day out of a prison. I’m damn sure no Trump supporter. Make a rational argument based on evidence and facts. Quit being blowhards that parrot what you hear on the news.
July 15, 2022 @ 9:30 am
We know BLM was a scam back in the summer of 2020.
It was just shouted down whenever someone pointed it out.
July 7, 2022 @ 12:00 pm
Left-leaning people can get away with being very political while maintaining their creative juices. Overwhelmingly conservatives who are very politically active cannot do that. Anybody can throw Bush-era Republican views into a song with Jesus and Beer.
July 8, 2022 @ 8:30 am
I think the woke-allergic folks should stick with Jason Aldean, Kid Rock, and Ted Nugent. Have at it folks
July 8, 2022 @ 10:11 am
Woke Allergic? Yeah most sane, rational people are allergic to bullshit.
July 8, 2022 @ 3:45 pm
That was weak.
July 8, 2022 @ 4:19 pm
Alright folks, all of this stuff is way off topic. I try to let these comments sections breathe, but as we see, it gets out of control. We’ve all said our peace, let’s now move on.
July 8, 2022 @ 6:18 am
I am confused, when has Tyler said anything that was even remotely “woke.” Perhaps he said something I wasn’t aware of or perhaps I don’t understand what “woke” is. If you are talking about “A long violent history” that isn’t woke at all but it is a folk song that juxtaposes the oppressive history of coal miners, that were beaten and murdered by Pinkertons, to that of the plight of African Americans being murdered by police. He didn’t prescribe a cause, or solution. He never said abolish the police, and in fact he even says he shouldn’t conjecture on matters that he aint never dreamed… and that there are folk telling “tall tails and hearsay and absolute lies.” BTW if you need examples of police convicted of murder, I can google it for you and provide citations. Either way, both incidences are historical fact whether you like it or not. Folk music, played the world over, is and always has been about the plight to of the working class, the people, the folk. Black, white, Irish immigrants etc. They memorialize a peoples experience, and are a call for empathy. I don’t see how that could be offensive, or even viewed as “woke” unless you are viewing through the lens of your own politics.
July 8, 2022 @ 12:58 pm
Yeah, the problem is that there isn’t a plight of African Americans being murdered by police.
Buying into fictitious racial narratives, perpetrated by upper middle-class, white, urban millennials, is considered “woke”.
July 8, 2022 @ 3:45 pm
You don’t know what you’re talking about which comes as no surprise.
July 8, 2022 @ 5:53 pm
There is a YouTube video of Tyler talking about racial injustice. I love his music and think he’s a good person, but in that video he shows a lack of understanding about this so called racial injustice. I retired from the military, and I worked another 10 years in the private sector. I’ve seen no real racial injustice, although it surely exists in small amounts. As far as I can, tell minorities have gotten preferential treatment in hiring and most employers and employees walk on egg shells not to offend. I understand African Americans feeling bitter about slavery and segregation, but not letting it go and focusing on the here and now is self-defeating. I live in Appalachia and coal camps were borderline slavery. The companies basically paid the employees and then got all the money back because the only place to shop was the company store and housing was rented from the company as well. Our region still suffers from the effects, but the only way out for Blacks and Appalachians is to educate their children, which is not happening in either place. It’s really sad to see so many in my community with the attitude that education is stupid. So, in the end every American has the same opportunities, but they have to step up and want it. I’ve heard many teenagers in my community expressly state that their objective in life is to get a pension based on a mental illness or an injury. Govt. dependence and drugs have destroyed generations of Appalachians and Blacks. I think Tyler is a young, idealistic guy that’s been influenced by the social justice warriors that have a direct financial reason in seeing the poverty continue. It’s how they earn a living. We shouldn’t destroy him for his thoughts, but I think rational people with no agenda can see that the issue is just a political issue being used to get votes and that divides us.
July 8, 2022 @ 5:35 pm
Yeah out of all the responses on this post you had to jump in and play referee on mine… k tough guy you’re badge sure is shiny.
September 3, 2022 @ 9:45 am
There re a lot of good points and with all due respect a really dumb one. How in the world does Tyler profit off of taking a “SJW” stance? If anything he alienated half of no more of his fans by not taking the blue lives matter line! If you listen to the lyrics of LVH and listen to what he said in the video he is basically saying exactly what you said. Where he comes from people were subjected to similar treatments & they rose up. I’m sure there were people saying those miners don’t know any better so they got what was coming to them and took the side of the Pinkertons. Similar to your position. He was asking for compassion and not to jump to conclusions. He literally said to love each other and focus on the things that bring us together. He didn’t prescribe any remedies, or say we all need to take more DEI training. Dude listen to what he’s actually saying and stop letting your politics cloud everything. The SJW left are annoying I agree but the MaGA right is unbearable and untethered to reality. We are all damn Americans not just the right and not just the left.
July 7, 2022 @ 9:06 am
Glad to see Jeremy Pinnell playing.. That album of his kicks ass 🙂
Let Childers do whatever the hell he wants. Don’t like it, don’t go or listen.
July 7, 2022 @ 1:00 pm
I agree 100%.
July 7, 2022 @ 12:56 pm
Any thoughts on Cody Jinks’ “Loud and Heavy” being added to country radio in two weeks or so? At least that’s what I read on mediabase.
July 7, 2022 @ 3:27 pm
I have not seen that, but I’ll take your word for it. “Loud and Heavy” is Cody’s signature song, but I just don’t see a 7 year old song finding much reception at country radio, especially from Cody Jinks. But we’ll see.
July 7, 2022 @ 4:14 pm
Galactic is a great band, love them live, but an odd choice for this festival…
July 8, 2022 @ 5:02 am
I thought the same thing. Only saw Galactic once with Trombone Shorty and they were great that night also.
July 8, 2022 @ 12:03 pm
Being this is the internet, people never let on opportunity to delve into politics and left v. right in a post about . . . a concert to “raise funds and raise awareness about the opioid crisis gripping Appalachia.” Well done everyone.
July 8, 2022 @ 3:53 pm
I notice that, besides Trigger, I am the only one with a profile picture. What are y’all hangers-on so afraid of? That people will notice the vacancy in your eyeballs and conclude no one is home? I’m afraid the toothpaste is out of the tube on that one.
July 8, 2022 @ 6:17 pm
Comments section closed.
August 16, 2022 @ 9:52 pm
Yall are nuts! Been lucky enough to get to enjoy Tyler Childers music over the past few years Meet him at other festivals over the years as a fan. I am looking forward to this show and happy he is doing some good work while he is building his career, I didnt meet his family but my husband said they are goodt people. I am here for this. And excited for a show to take my boy too.
September 8, 2022 @ 9:45 pm
I was introduced to Tyler Childers by my children both of which heard him in Charleston and Huntington…possibly Morgantown WV. I have appreciated his grass root lyrics and sound. I only wish I was able see him in Lewisburg!