WATCH: Eric Church Takes Fans Behind the Scenes of Gather Again Tour
In just a few short days, reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Eric Church will launch his much-anticipated Gather Again…
Eric Church; Photo via YouTube
In just a few short days, reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Eric Church will launch his much-anticipated Gather Again Tour, with an all-new show in an all-new in-the-round stage.
Ahead of the September 17 launch, the North Carolina native is giving fans an inside look at the tour from his tour rehearsal space in Lititz, Pennsylvania.
In a just-released video, Church reveals a first-look at the in-the-round-stage and shares insight into what fans can expect from the 56-date run.
With not one, but three new records under his belt, following the release of Heart & Soul earlier this year, Church has plenty of new tracks to add in to his live show and he admits, it was a bit of a challenge.
“The hardest thing I’ve done thus far in my career is this setlist,” Church shares. “It’s not a normal record; it’s three. So, you add 28 songs to what we already had going, which is a pretty stacked and packed setlist, and when you start to try to get rid of stuff and change it every night – which I’m committed to; we’re still going to play the different set, we’re going to give people different experiences – it has been maddening.
“It’s the most musical we’ve ever been,” he continues. “To see the way the new music happens in the show is something that I’m excited just to see and, also, we’re trying to reimagine songs that we’ve played 100 times, playing them different, and that’s just fun. It’s fun for us to do. There’s going to be a lot of songs that fans aren’t gonna recognize at first, that we’re gonna start singing and they’re going to go ‘oh yeah, that’s that song.’ So, I think it’s just fun after this many years to change it up and make it about music; make it musical. I’m just excited to see the reaction.”
With two weeks of rehearsals underway, Church is more than ready to get back out there. This tour brings new elements to the road, including his 2,400 square foot multi-level stage, 11 busses, 20 trucks, a 127,000-pound lighting rig and four 836 square foot video walls.
“I’ve never played a stage like this in my career… I’ve never seen anybody play one like this,” notes Church of his first-ever in-the-round setup. “There’s really no front… It’s kind of like a cage match. I mean once we get out there the crowd is everywhere. They’re behind you, they’re on the sides, and I love that…. The reason it’s called The Gather Again Tour is we want people on top of us, and they will be.”
Church, who recently scored five nominations for the upcoming CMA Awards, will launch the Gather Again Tour this Friday, September 17, at Lexington, Ky.’s Rupp Arena. The tour will visit various cities around the U.S. and Canada with a finale show at New York City’s iconic Madison Square Garden on May 20, 2022.
Tickets for all shows are on sale now.
The Gather Again Tour
Sept. 17, 2021 Rupp Arena Lexington, Ky.
Sept. 18, 2021 Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio
Sept. 24, 2021 Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse Cleveland, Ohio
Sept. 25, 2021 KeyBank Center Buffalo, N.Y.
Oct. 1, 2021 Alerus Center Grand Forks, N.D.
Oct. 2, 2021 Canada Life Centre Winnipeg, Manitoba
Oct. 8, 2021 PPG Paints Arena Pittsburgh, Pa.
Oct. 9, 2021 Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia, Pa.
Oct. 15, 2021 Ball Arena Denver, Colo.
Oct. 22, 2021 Scotiabank Saddledome Calgary, Alberta
Oct. 23, 2021 SaskTel Centre Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Oct. 29, 2021 Rogers Arena Vancouver, British Columbia
Oct. 30, 2021 Climate Pledge Arena Seattle, Wash.
Nov. 12, 2021 Thompson-Boling Arena Knoxville, Tenn.
Nov. 13, 2021 Ford Center Evansville, Ind.
Dec. 3, 2021 SNHU Arena Manchester, N.H.
Dec. 4, 2021 UBS Arena Belmont Park, N.Y.
Dec. 10, 2021 The Anthem Washington, D.C.
Dec. 11, 2021 The Anthem Washington, D.C.
Dec. 17, 2021 Bon Secours Wellness Arena Greenville, S.C.
Dec. 18, 2021 Greensboro Coliseum Greensboro, N.C.
Jan. 7, 2022 Pinnacle Bank Arena Lincoln, Neb.
Jan. 8, 2022 Denny Sanford PREMIER Center Sioux Falls, S.D.
Jan. 14, 2022 Scotiabank Arena Toronto, Ontario
Jan. 15, 2022 Canadian Tire Centre Ottawa, Ontario
Jan. 21, 2022 Van Andel Arena Grand Rapids, Mich.
Jan. 22, 2022 Little Caesars Arena Detroit, Mich.
Feb. 4, 2022 KFC Yum! Center Louisville, Ky.
Feb. 5, 2022 Bankers Life Fieldhouse Indianapolis, Ind.
Feb. 11, 2022 CHI Health Center Omaha Omaha, Neb.
Feb. 12, 2022 Wells Fargo Arena Des Moines, Iowa
Feb. 18, 2022 T-Mobile Center Kansas City, Mo.
Feb 19, 2022 BOK Center Tulsa, Okla.
Feb. 25, 2022 Hampton Coliseum Hampton, Va.
Feb. 26, 2022 Spectrum Center Charlotte, N.C.
March 4, 2022 Amway Center Orlando, Fla.
March 5, 2022 Amalie Arena Tampa, Fla.
March 11, 2022 United Center Chicago, Ill.
March 12, 2022 Enterprise Center St. Louis, Mo.
March 18, 2022 Resch Center Green Bay, Wis.
March 19, 2022 Resch Center Green Bay, Wis.
March 25, 2022 Legacy Arena at the BJCC Birmingham, Ala.
March 26, 2022 Simmons Bank Arena Little Rock, Ark.
April 1, 2022 Dickies Arena Fort Worth, Texas
April 2, 2022 AT&T Center San Antonio, Texas
April 8, 2022 Toyota Center Houston, Texas
April 9, 2022 Smoothie King Center New Orleans, La.
April 15, 2022 Moda Center Portland, Ore.
April 16, 2022 Spokane Arena Spokane, Wash.
April 29, 2022 ExtraMile Arena Boise, Idaho
April 30, 2022 Vivint Arena Salt Lake City, Utah
May 6, 2022 Pechanga Arena San Diego, Calif.
May 7, 2022 STAPLES Center Los Angeles, Calif.
May 11, 2022 Golden 1 Center Sacramento, Calif.
May 13, 2022 T-Mobile Arena Las Vegas, Nev.
May 14, 2022 Gila River Arena Glendale, Ariz.
May 20, 2022 Madison Square Garden New York, N.Y.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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