Two weeks after setting an attendance record at Nashvilles Nissan Stadium with a marathon solo performance i.e. no opening acts Eric Church returned to the venue for CMA Fest on Friday night without any band at all. Walking onstage with just an acoustic guitar, the country singer launched into a mega medley of 17 songs.
A medley of familiar and oddball covers, from Night Moves to Gin and Juice, has become an expected part of Churchs set on his Double Down Tour, but at CMA Fest he chose to perform his own songs, putting the focus squarely on the songwriting. Opening with Mistress Named Music, off 2015s Mr. Misunderstood, Church touched on all six studio albums of his discography. Pledge Allegiance to the Hag and Sinners Like Me represented his 2006 debut. Smoke a Little Smoke nodded to Carolina. Wrecking Ball repped The Outsiders. And current single Some of It and the title track waved the flag for Desperate Man. A set-closing Springsteen, off Chief, became a stadium-wide singalong, before Church wrapped up the nearly half-hour medley with a Mistress Named Music coda.
If his Nissan Stadium headlining show in May was unarguable proof that he should be in this years Entertainer of the Year conversation, Churchs vulnerable CMA Fest appearance made the case that he should win it.
Eric Churchs CMA Fest medley:
Mistress Named Music
Drink in My Hand
Mr. Misunderstood
Talladega
Desperate Man
Some of It
Smoke a Little Smoke
Pledge Allegiance to the Hag
Round Here Buzz
Cold One
Wrecking Ball
Homeboy
Record Year
Give Me Back My Hometown
Sinners Like Me
Creepin'
Springsteen
Mistress Named Music
