WATCH: Eric Church Goes Incognito At His Own Concert, And Hardly Anyone Notices

Eric Church recently did something he’s never done before, and showed a side of himself fans rarely get to see. During his stop at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI, on October 10, the country star went incognito at his own concert after making a bet with friends to see if anyone would recognize him without his signature stage look and sunglasses.

Ditching his usual all-black attire, Church swapped into his own merch, including  a “Chief” hat and a T-shirt with his own face on it, and traded his iconic Ray-Bans for a simple pair of eyeglasses.

In a video recapping the hilarious stunt, Church explained, “Tour life during the day can be incessantly boring. Last night over too much JYPSI [whiskey], we were talking about whether or not I could take my sunglasses off and go to my own show. I said I could and people around me said I could not. We had a little bet and we’re going to see if I was right or they were right.”

He then set off to make a full lap around the crowded concourse, greeting fans with casual “hi theres” and “how you doings” along the way. At one point, he admitted, “It’s getting crowded,” but pushed through to finish his loop.

In the end, only one person in the entire arena recognized the Chief, proving his disguise was a little too good.

@ericchurch

Chief went undercover in Grand Rapids… would you have recognized him?

♬ original sound – Eric Church

Church’s incognito adventure came just after the announcement of his upcoming IMAX release, Evangeline vs. The Machine Comes Alive, debuting exclusively in IMAX theatres across the U.S. and Canada beginning Friday, February 13, 2026.

In a first-of-its-kind collaboration between IMAX, MCA, Mercury Studios, and Q Prime South, the limited theatrical release captures Church performing his eighth studio album in full before diving into his biggest hits. The project was filmed over two nights at The Pinnacle in Nashville, Tenn.

“I’ve played a lot of shows. I’ve never had two nights like these where the room felt literally transported. We went to a different plane, musically, artistically, emotionally,” Church shared upon the announcement. “It was unforgettable and I’ll remember it the rest of my days.”

Church is currently in the midst of his 2025 Free The Machine Tour, which he recently extended into the new year. 

The current run is set to wrap up on November 15 in Inglewood, California and the next leg will pick up in the new year on January 22.