Why Eric Church Was 'Shocked' By Response From Fans After His CMA Fest Set

Eric Church admitted in a recent interview he was “shocked” that some concertgoers expressed disappointment and confusion after his CMA Fest performance at Nissan Stadium in Downtown Nashville, Tennessee.

Church, who headlined the third night of the four-day festival on Saturday, June 10, left out some of his biggest hits throughout his career, including “Springsteen,” “Creepin’,” “Record Year,” “Talladega,” “Heart On Fire” and others. Instead, Church opened with “Country Music. Jesus” and moved on to reimagined versions of “Cold One,” “Drink In My Hand” and “Bad Mother Trucker,” along with a cover of “Sailin’ Shoes” by Little Feat. Some concertgoers also expressed that, although Church seemed to indicate he would perform a lengthy set, it seemed to end quickly.

“I was shocked because I played the show that I went out there to play,” Church said in a recent interview with Rolling Stone. “We had a time slot and I went out there to play that slot and try to show a little bit, a peek, as to what I was working on for this tour [his ‘Outsiders Revival Tour’]. I’m not going to [reveal] everything, but I’m going to give a little peek of what this could be. And there were a couple of production things that I was not responsible for — when the lights went up [at the end of the set], that wasn’t me. But for what I went to do, it was fast and hard. And the shows are that way.

“All the songs are different,“ he added in the Rolling Stone interview. “All the songs were changed. It was punchy. I didn’t play ‘Springsteen’ because I have a new version of ‘Springsteen.’ You’v got to come to a show and see it.”

Earlier this year, Church announced his “Outsiders Revival Tour,” which kicked off last month and spans through September. It marks his first-ever outdoor summer tour, headlining amphitheaters in dozens of cities. Special guests Whiskey Myers, Cody Jinks, Jelly Roll, Ashley McBryde, Koe Wetzel, Lainey Wilson, Midland, Parker McCollum, Travis Tritt, Elle King, Paul Cauthen, Jackson Dean, Morgan Wade, Muscadine Bloodline, Shane Smith & The Saints, Hailey Whitters, Ray Wylie Hubbard and The Red Clay Strays are set to join Church on tour on select dates.

Church recently stopped back in Nashville — where he’s set to open a bar on Lower Broadway — to see his new exhibit in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Eric Church: Country Heart, Restless Soul, presented by Gibson, chronicles Church’s life and career with artifacts that represent key moments. Many longtime fans of the “Hell of a View” will recognize a pair of Church’s signature aviators, guitars, wardrobe pieces, manuscripts, awards, set list and other iconic items. Church said as the exhibit was unveiled last week that his favorite part was getting to relive memories with his kids, who joined him on his tour bus growing up and might have been too young to remember some of those moments.

“This is an unbelievable honor for me,” Church said at his exhibit unveiling ceremony. “There is something to doing it your own way, and you can still get to where you wanna go if you do it that way.”

The three-hour televised CMA Fest special — hosted by Dierks Bentley, Elle King and Lainey Wilson — will air on ABC (and will be available the next day on Hulu) on Wednesday, July 19 at 8 p.m./7 p.m. CT.