Church came on stage about two and a half hours after the doors opened and played for roughly that same amount of time. The first portion of his show included songs from his new album, Evangeline vs. The Machine. Church then transitioned into his older hits and earlier songs.
Because it was the first night of his tour, everything was up in the air. Church told the crowd that near the end of the show, he didn’t have a specific game plan for what songs he would play. He just promised them a good time.
The stage was perfect and had no real obstructions from any vantage point. It primarily relied on hanging lights and a central screen to tell the audience a story as Church performed his songs. Two screens also hung on the sides of the stage, focusing on Church the whole concert, which was a nice touch.
The only true thing that raised eyebrows was Church’s interesting walkout choice, taking a whole 10 minutes from when the sequence started to when he started performing. Speakers were blasting songs by Pink Floyd, spotlights were flashing, and screens displayed videos of what seemed to be the story of Church’s new album.
Besides this, the spirits were definitely high all night. Elle King opened up for Church, and she felt like a perfect fit to get the audience ready for Church. Her vocals were impressive, and she also performed a mix of hits and newer songs.
Church played hits such as “Springsteen” and “Talladega.” But it felt as though he, unlike other artists, also played more of his less popular older songs. It was nice to hear songs like “Monsters” get some recognition and love from both him and the crowd.
Overall, Church delivered a night full of fun and high spirits to his fans. He certainly lived up to the expectations that other country artists have set and in ways even exceeded them.
