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From New York to ‘Churches’: LP’s career in five key moments

Ahead of Laura Pergolizzi’s 2023 tour of the east coast, we recap the ups and downs of the singer-songwriter’s eventful journey

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Over the years, LP – aka singer-songwriter Laura Pergolizzi –  has carved out a career that stands as testament to her willpower and perseverance.

She also has hits for days – which she’ll bring to Australia next April when she plays Byron Bay Bluesfest 2023 and her own headline dates in Sydney and Melbourne .

Ahead of her return Down Under, we’ve rounded up five key moments of LP’s career that show how far she’s come.

A New York state of mind

Laura Pergolizzi moved from Long Island to New York City and promptly changed her moniker to LP in 2004. At this time she’d released two independent albums that had seen her work with Dave Lowery of the band Cracker and songwriting powerhouse Linda Perry , formerly of 4 Non-Blondes.

Though reasonably well received, success had eluded LP and she worked in a bar to make ends meet. It was there that she met music industry veteran Marvis Howell, who offered her a publishing deal. She was soon mixing with major songwriters such as Billy Steinberg ( Madonna , Cyndi Lauper ), Desmond Child ( KISS , Bon Jovi , Alice Cooper ) and Andreas Carlsson ( *NSYNC ).

“I was the kid in the room in these sessions, sitting at the feet of the biggest songwriters in the world,” recalled LP – who went from writing about 20 songs a year to around 100 – to Spin in 2021 .

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“It was a great day when I realised it was about volume. Because that means there’s no end. Even if you write a hit song, you just have to move on and write more songs.”

The SXSW bidding war

A live performance at the 2006 South by Southwest music conference in Austin, Texas, sparked a major label bidding war for LP. She ended up signing with the Island Def Jam Music Group, however for the first time – and certainly not the last – there were differences of opinion about her artistic direction and presentation, and the contract was ended.

“That’s why there were so many false starts for me,” LP told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2020. “I don’t think they could understand the indie nature of what I do.”

Rihanna drinks to that

The songs that were intended for an LP album release instead found new homes with the Backstreet Boys , plus TV shows such as Out Of Nowhere and MTV’s The Hills . Slowly, they began to cement LP’s status as a go-to songwriter for artists and various soundtracks.

LP had her songs recorded by artists such as Heidi Montag and Erik Hassle but the real breakthrough came in 2010 when she co-wrote ‘Cheers (Drink To That)’ which was featured on Rihanna’s fifth album, ‘Loud’. The song features a sample of Avril Lavigne’s 2002 song, ‘I’m With You’, and became a Top 10 hit internationally.

“Getting a Rihanna song was nuts,” LP – who also went on to write for Christina Aguilera and Cher – told The Independent . “I was invited to a session by my friend, we wrote the song in a few hours. I feel like emotional content is the most important part of any song, for any artist.

“Every artist wants to connect with the listener, but it’s a daunting task to walk into a room full of strangers and write something from the heart.”

The Warner Bros. exit

It wasn’t until April 2012 that LP released her first major label album, ‘Into The Wild: Live At East West Studios’. She immediately embarked on a rigorous touring schedule that included appearances at Lollapalooza , Bonnaroo, SXSW and Sonic Boom. She recorded the follow-up, ‘Forever For Now’, which was given a pop sheen by veteran producer and then-Warner Bros chairman, Rob Cavallo.

When the time came in 2015 for LP’s third album, she played three tracks to the Warner Bros hierarchy. It didn’t go well.

“I literally could tell the second they looked at me,” LP told Forbes Magazine in 2020, “they just didn’t get it. I could just see the vacancy in their eyes. They were like, ‘ yeah… um, that’s great but we’re going to move on’ .”

LP was stunned but again persevered, signing with the Vagrant label. She released the fittingly titled ‘Lost On You’ album in late 2016. The title track/single attained one billion streams and went to number one  in 17 countries, mostly around Europe, and the Warner Bros bosses were left eating crow.

Enter ‘Churches’

In late 2021, after a year-long delay to write more material, LP released her sixth album, ‘Churches’. Released though the independent Canadian label Dine Alone Records, the album saw LP relishing the freedom to be true to herself and to pursue the uniqueness of her art without being told how to sound or act.

“Now I’m finally able to do my own things without the pressure of a major label trying to corral me into some other group of artists of a similar nature,” she told the Sydney Morning Herald . “That’s when things went right.”

‘Churches’ is an album that LP is particularly enthusiastic to tour behind. “It’s cool when you have a body of work that hasn’t been delivered live,” she told Glide Magazine recently. “After what we’ve all been through, I feel like this is more special.

“A lot of the trauma people have been through comes through in this record, especially my own feelings about it. Your fans like you for a number of reasons. They connect with you on a personality level. They want to hear what you’re feeling.”

LP performs at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney on April 1, Northcote Theatre in Melbourne on April 2 and Byron Bay Bluesfest on April 6. Find tickets here

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L.P. is an American pop/rock artist from New York City who is also a songwriter. Singer L.P. was born Laura Pergolizzi and has had a wide ranging musical career signing with various labels throughout her career such as Island Def Jam Music Group and SoBe Entertainment.

In her early days she was first featured on songs with the band Cracker when David Lowery spotted her talent in 1998 and put her on some of the bands hidden tracks. Her powerful voice has a haunting vibrato with a beautiful eerie quality that peaks equally in all her wide ranging tones. L.P. has gained a reputation for her bellowing vocal cords that stay strong in even the highest notes.

There are few artists to compare her unique sound too and she knows how to capture an audience in a way that few can. Her casual style and small stature can be deceiving but those who have seen her live know not to be mislead.

She comes bringing the thunder right out of the gate and from the first moment she steps on stage you will find yourself hypnotized in the silky river of her melodious voice.

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I discovered LP in October 2018 and instantly became a huge fan... I was ecstatic to learn she was coming to Houston and I bought 2 tickets (for me and my husband) to, what ended up being, a SOLD OUT show last night!

All I can say is she performed like a SUPERSTAR!!! She did most of the songs on her new album that was just released, and they all sounded like hits!! The venue wasn’t very big, but the energy was amazing and everyone there sang along to every song. I honestly left feeling that is was a privilege to hear such a talented artist perform - I don’t understand why she isn’t more well known. She writes all of her songs and plays the guitar, ukulele, harmonica, and, oh the whistling!!! She wasn’t a big talker, but had loads of energy on the stage and enteracted with the audience brilliantly!

Well the opening act was OK for the 1st song but then everything sounded the same and it became a very long hour. After that it seemed that the stage crew had not done any work before the show because it took almost 40 Min to get the stage ready. When LP finally came out I was not in my most upbeat of moods but before the first song had finished she had not only changed my mood but made me feel privileged to be there. The concert was VERY GOOD, she sounded amazing and her band was on cue every step of the way. It appeared that the audience was miked and some of the screams / shouts amplified back, those decibels were a bit high and unnecessary as the crown was very receptive to a great performance. I've been bragging to people about the concert and look forward to our next LP concert.

There are no words, no picture, or no video that can depict the awesomeness of this woman! I felt like I transcended into a whole new level of existence, and will be forever changed by by the magnitude of her presence and her voice. I am still reeling, and unable to focus on anything else! She is a lyrical genius whose music is poetry in action.

Also, I am so glad to have met so many wonderful people on her show in Fort Lauderdale. I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out and sharing the anticipation with other LP fans! It was a beautiful night...and an experience of a lifetime..

We saw LP at U Street Music Hall in DC on May 28, 2017. LP was one of those rare performers who is not only a virtuoso at her craft (amazing vocals), but also had charisma. She wasn't ultra-talkative, but she still connected with the audience, and everyone had a fantastic time. It was a really impressive performance that went on and on, in a good way. There was a lot of singing along and dancing in the audience. I think of LP as a relatively new artist, but she apparently has plenty of songs in her playbook. She was on stage for at least an hour, and we skipped the encore.

So we are on the other side of the globe and havent had the privilege to see LP live. I've just started tracking her in the hope that one day in the near future ill be notified of an Australian Tour. I run an LP Australia page both on Facebook and Instagram so any Aussies out there that would love to see this amazing artist perform down under, come and like the page. Lets build this under acknowledged artist the fame she deserves

Me and my syster loved the way LP sings and interact with the spectators. Her voice is so special and strong. We really felt her sensibility, with a very strong drive. Love the women. I did not really new her (my sister invited me), except for the hit "Lost on You". Her songs are about love, faith, and I guess resilience. The MTELUS was packed with a "beautiful" montrealers croud on that 28th of february. A night to remember.

LP is an incredible live performer, I'm in love all over again! The visuals were gorgeous for the smallish stage and her voice was so powerful and beautiful. You can tell she puts so much energy into each song. The opening act Korey Dane was funny and played some great songs, I'm a fan now! I'll definitely be going to see LP the next time she tours :)

LP is definitely one of the most gifted, talented, entertaining, gracious and audience-engaging artists I've ever had the pleasure to see live - a thoroughly mesmerizing show. Her vocal ability is almost supernatural, and she whistles like Andrew Bird and catches like Buster Posey. Looking forward to seeing her again, soon and as much as possible!

Kocham hej głos. Byłam już na 5 jej koncertach i wciąż mi mało i mało..... To moje drugie szaleństwo muzyczne w życiu..... Mam 52 lata i 35 lat temu oszalam mną punkcie muzyki Johna Lennona.... Potem nic...... I dopiero LP zakochałam się w jej muzyce głosie.... Czekam na kolejne i kolejne spotkanie z lp....

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18 July 2022 9:15 pm 18 July 2022 12:00 am

LP – Churches Tour 2022

The American singer LP will perform on Monday, July 18, 2022, starting with 9.15 pm, in Piazza della Santissima Annunziata, in Florence .

> Buy Your Ticket Now

To promote her new album, Churches , in Italy , LP will also appear on stage in Milan , on March 11, 2022, in Nichelino, near Torino, on July 17, 2022, in Marostica, on July 19, 2022, and in Rome , on July 22, 2022, at the Roma Summer Fest 2022 .

Laura Pergolizzi, better known as LP, is an American singer and songwriter born in 1981 in Long Island, New York.

Between 2001 and 2018, LP released 5 studio albums. Her debut album, Heart-Shaped Scar , was released in 2001 through Koch Records. LP’s second album, Suburban Sprawl & Alcohol , was released in June 2004, but in spite of positive reviews from critics, the album failed to gain widespread recognition.

In 2009, LP started writing songs for other artists, including Cher, Rihanna, Backstreet Boys, Leona Lewis, Mylène Farmer and Christina Aguilera.

LP’s third album, Forever for Now , was released ten years after her second album, in 2014. Her fourth studio album, Lost on You , was released in 2016. The track Lost On You , her biggest hit to date, went platinum in many countries, including Russia, Poland, Greece, Switzerland, Italy and France.

Her fifth album, Heart to Mouth , was released on December 7, 2018. Her sixth studio album, Churches , is scheduled for release on October 8, 2021.

Piazza della Santissima Annunziata is a beautiful square in Florence. The square is named after the Church of the Annunziata, located in its northern part. In the center of the square, there are the bronze Equestrian statue of Ferdinando I and two Mannerist fountains with fantastical figures, all works of the late- Renaissance sculptor Pietro Tacca.

The closest bus stop is Santissima Annunziata , located a few meters away from the square, on the bus Lines 6, 14, 23, 31 and 32.

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Eric Church sends Stagecoach festivalgoers for the exits with acoustic gospel set

I NDIO, Calif. − Eric Church has a reputation for being one of country music's true rebels, with songs such as his quaking blue-collar anthem "How 'Bout You" that asks "I like my country rocking, how 'bout you?" But that's not the same guy who showed up to Stagecoach as a headliner on Friday.

For his seventh time playing the festival − and fifth time headlining − Church opted for something different .

After a lengthy church organ played as the intro, Church appeared seated on a stool in front of stunning set of red stained glass windows on the production screen.

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He began playing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" before he was joined by backing vocalists for "Mistress Named Music," then a choir for "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "This Little Light Of Mine," "When The Saints Go Marching In," "I'll Fly Away," "I Saw The Light" and more.

The unplugged jam session sent festivalgoers for the exit of the Empire Polo Club starting about 15 minutes in, a sight that could be best described as Moses parting the Red Sea. It was a surprising move by Church, considering his recent setlists appear to be in line with the type of show many were probably expecting him to perform.

'It felt good': Eric Church speaks out on his polarizing Stagecoach 2024 set

There was a memorable moment when Church began singing a country and gospel version of Snoop Dogg's "Gin & Juice" and the line "I got a pocket full of rubbers and my homeboys too" never sounded more bizarre in the same set as gospel songs. He continued on with the potentially even more surprising choice of 2Pac's "California Love."

An hour and six minutes into the set, Church still hadn't said more than "How ya'll doin'?" but he did finally play his hit "Springsteen," one of the true highlights of the baffling set. The other highlight was the talented choir that joined him the entire set, along with longtime collaborator Joanna Cotten, and the various solos that many of the talented singers performed towards the end.

So why did he chose to do a gospel set with the occasional country ballad (and even some hip-hop hits)? I think we're all still curious what the meaning behind the set was, but it's clear he was trying for something different.

It wasn't bad, it just wasn't what people wanted.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Eric Church sends Stagecoach festivalgoers for the exits with acoustic gospel set

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Eric Church’s Polarizing Stagecoach Set Draws Raves and Boos

Church did a one-of-a-kind, gospel-oriented show Friday night (April 26) that had fans feelings lots of different things.

By Melinda Newman

Melinda Newman

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Eric Church took people to church at Stagecoach ‘s Mane stage on the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, Calif., on Friday night (April 26), but not all attendees of his closing set at the festival’s opening night were ready for some religion.

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“For me, it’s always been something with records, with performances, I’ve always been the one that’s like, ‘Let’s do something really, really strange and weird and take a chance.’ Sometimes it doesn’t work, but it’s okay if you’re living on that edge, because that edge, that cutting edge, is where all the new guys are going to gravitate to anyway. So if you can always challenge yourself that way, it always cuts sharper than any other edge,” he said.

For much of the set, the only accompaniment was Church on guitar, the choir and his frequent collaborator, Joanna Cotton, but his full band joined at the end for a handful of Church’s tunes, including “Country Music Jesus” and “Springsteen.”

Some attendees were exhilarated by the one-of-a kind show at Stagecoach:

Okay but @ericchurch ’s opening at Stagecoach: ICONIC. pic.twitter.com/Cg6de1Beeo — ✨Chelsea J (@CJlovesJD) April 27, 2024

There's a revival in the desert @ericchurch taking @Stagecoach to Church 🙌😎 with Jo-Jo in the choir!! @amazonmusic 👏 pic.twitter.com/PQufw2vz8x — Deborah Jane Power (@bonespower) April 27, 2024

Others, not so much, with reports on social media of attendees leaving mid-show to to attend Nickelback’s performance at the Palomino stage. Palm Springs Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye described the scene as an “unplugged jam session” that “sent festivalgoers for the exit of the Empire Polo Club starting about 15 minutes in, a sight that could be best described as Moses parting the Red Sea” in his review.

@Stagecoach we paid $600 to see a headline where people are mass leaving… @ericchurch is a legend, but he hasn’t gotten off the stool and most songs are covers with the choir. This isn’t what we came for. pic.twitter.com/GcsMrqAIT7 — Anastassia Olmos (@StassiOlmos) April 27, 2024

Obviously Stagecoach didn’t learn their lesson from having Eric Church headline Friday night in 2016 and being a complete energy suck because he’s doing it again tonight. The stream not showing any crowd shots because they are probably leaving in droves 🤣 — Robert Wedge IV (@rtwedge4) April 27, 2024

Eric Church might be the most disappointing festival headliner ive ever seen??? It’s like a gospel set?? I’m so lost. — kb (@KennethBaker97) April 27, 2024

Representatives for Stagecoach did not respond to a request for comment. A representative for Church said he declined to comment beyond Church’s statement.

Following well-received sets Saturday night (April 29) by Post Malone (who was joined by Dwight Yoakam, Sara Evans and Brad Paisley) and Miranda Lambert (who was joined by Reba McEntire), Stagecoach concludes Sunday with a closing set by Morgan Wallen.

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Eric Church’s 2024 Stagecoach Performance Was a Helluva Thing to Witness

• By Joseph Hudak

Joseph Hudak

Stagecoach is known for its surprises and, on Friday night, Eric Church delivered one of the most unexpected sets in the California country music festival’s history. The question facing fans is, was it a good surprise or a bad one?

Church hadn’t headlined Stagecoach since 2016 and is currently in the midst of a 19-show residency at his Nashville bar Chief’s that finds him getting up-close and candid with fans and testing out new songs. When he appeared on the Mane Stage at 9:45 p.m. to the sounds of a church organ and sat down on a chair with only his guitar, it was clear this wasn’t going to be a typical festival performance. Few things Church does can be described as such.

Fans near the front of the stage appeared befuddled. Some danced and sang along, especially to versions of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me,” Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis,” and Tupac Shakur’s “California Love,” but others waited impatiently for something of Church’s they recognized. A few booed, one yelled for him to sing his own songs, and many wandered off (perhaps to line up for Nickelback’s late-night set across the field on the Palomino stage).

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Right to the soul @ericchurch Tune in to the @AmazonMusic #Stagecoach livestream, hosted on @PrimeVideo and the Amazon Music Twitch channel. https://t.co/YiNi69SWnm pic.twitter.com/ETlETsqVZQ — Stagecoach Festival (@Stagecoach) April 27, 2024

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But whether you loved Church’s Stagecoach set or hated it — and we thought it was a daring, inspired choice, expertly rendered — it does raise some questions to ponder. What obligation, if any, does an artist have to play the hits at a festival? Have fans become complacent in expecting a set list of faithfully reproduced songs? Or, maybe, have festivals become just too expensive for experimentation? Stagecoach GA passes ranged from $429 to $549.

Regardless of how fans at Stagecoach on Friday night might answer those questions, there is one certainty: Those who stayed saw something they’ll be talking about for a long time.

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At Stagecoach, Eric Church Brings a Full Choir, Saves His Band for the Finale and Has His Polarized Fans Debating a Love-It-or-Leave-It Set

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

• Post Malone Turns Stagecoach Into ’90s/’00s Night, and Miranda Lambert Gets ‘Fancy’-ful With Reba, on Fest’s Guest-Star-Studded Night 2 15 hours ago
• At Stagecoach, Eric Church Brings a Full Choir, Saves His Band for the Finale and Has His Polarized Fans Debating a Love-It-or-Leave-It Set 2 days ago
• At BMAC Event in L.A., Mickey Guyton, INK and Other Panelists Assess What Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy’ Moment Means for Black Female Country Artists 2 days ago

It would be hard to imagine a more actually polarizing set — as in, splitting real fans into roughly even, truly diametrically opposed camps — than the headlining show Eric Church delivered to round out the first night of Stagecoach in California. The 70,000 festival attendees will definitely not lack for anything to talk, or argue, about for the rest of the weekend, and the debate will also continue among the many more fans who watched the livestream on Prime Video and Amazon’s Twitch channel.

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In comments on Church’s Facebook page and in several fan groups, it was easy to immediately see the deep split. “Thank you for taking us to church! This was one of my top favourite shows of yours 18 shows in and it was bloody amazing!” wrote one fan. And: “This entire performance needs to be an album. INCREDIBLE and one his his best ever!” Another rave: “I realize this is not everyone’s cup of tea but for us diehard fans this is a dream.” “Best Church performance I’ve seen from him ever! I love his rockin’ side but man this was just what I needed tonight.”

But then, the dissenters: “Wtf was that?” read one typical, terse comment. And: “What a trainwreck performance. What were you thinking?” Others expounded at greater length: “Terrible. Read the room and redirect. Say you have to take a break and you’ll be right back after you regroup or something, but to go on like that bleeding my ears out with whatever that was… just truly awful. People spent time and money to watch the biggest choke show I think I’ve ever seen.”

Some were calm and took it in stride, like the fan group member who wrote, “Definitely a weird setlist.” Wrote another, who didn’t sound personally put off by the show but was mindful of a backlash: “One very shocking and interesting show he put on tonight. I’ve never seen an audience clear out of a venue so fast. He finished his show 30min early and was booed at the end when he actually decided to finally stand up for the first time. I hope he is alright and doesn’t get torn down too much for this show.”

Another fan page member: “I was there last night. I’ve seen EFC all over this beautiful country and I’m a huge fan. Could not be more disappointed with last night… He came out over 20 minutes late. You don’t do that at StageCoach. The techs scrambled all over the stage clearly trying to fix things that weren’t working. Then there was organ music that just blared for 5 minutes. For no apparent reason. For me it’s time and place and up front disclosure. A theater or a bar are IDEAL places for that set and it would have been an amazing experience. Standing in a dirt field in 25mph winds with 70,000 people was not the time and place. And it wasn’t ‘his’ crowd. He’s part of the bigger picture. One of the things I love about the dude is the middle finger he’s willing to give to ‘the man.’ But last night felt like that middle finger went directly to me. A buddy and I took his 22 year old son and 20 year old daughter and spent the drive out to Indio playing Church songs and telling them how much the show was gonna rock….it didn’t. First time I’ve left a Church show early…..”

Some fans who relish the idea of Church as an outlaw actually took some delight in how polarizing it was: “Loving the haters melting down. It was incredible.” Another partisan: “The thought that keeps going through my mind this morning is… When 70,000 people are in an audience, how do you ensure the people that are TRULY there to see you get the best experience possible? You do exactly what Eric did last night! One review claimed ‘it was like the parting of the Red Sea’ with people running to the exit. Had I been one of the festival goers with a spot towards the back, I would 100% have been like… that’s right my friend, if you aren’t here for this, get outta the way so I can GO TO CHURCH!!!”

Church released a statement Saturday morning in a press release that further explained his intentions with the unusual set. “This was the most difficult set I have ever attempted. I’ve always found that taking it back to where it started, back to chasing who Bob Seger loves, who Springsteen loves, who Willie Nelson loves, you chase it back to the origin. The origin of all that is still the purest form of it. And we don’t do that as much anymore. It felt good at this moment to go back, take a choir and do that.”

He continued, “For me, it’s always been something with records, with performances, I’ve always been the one that’s like, ‘let’s do something really, really strange and weird and take a chance.’ Sometimes it doesn’t work, but it’s okay if you’re living on that edge, because that edge, that cutting edge, is where all the new guys are going to gravitate to anyway. So if you can always challenge yourself that way, it always cuts sharper than any other edge.”

In any case, it’s hard to get the social media masses, or even the live audience, as riled up about the unexpected content of a Stagecoach show as music fans normally might be about a surprising Coachella set, so the fact that a show at ‘Chella’s county cousin is stirring up as much controversy seems to have achieved some kind of milestone.

The festival continues with probably choir-less headlining sets from Miranda Lambert Saturday and Morgan Wallen Sunday.

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• Anniston/Gadsden

Country star ignores iconic hits, angers fans at festival: ‘Let’s do something strange and weird’

• Updated: Apr. 28, 2024, 10:40 p.m. |
• Published: Apr. 28, 2024, 6:54 p.m.

Eric Church performed as the Friday headliner at the 2024 Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Stagecoach)

• Mary Colurso | [email protected]

Fans who expected Eric Church to perform a rowdy set filled with iconic hits were left scratching their heads — or expressing feelings of anger and frustration — this weekend at the Stagecoach Festival .

The country star headlined Friday night at the prestigious event in Indio, California. But Church’s 75-minute show was a sedate acoustic affair that belied his reputation as a rollicking star who can raise a beer and rock the house with the best of ‘em.

“After a lengthy church organ played as the intro, Church appeared seated on a stool in front of stunning set of red stained glass windows on the production screen and began playing Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ before he was joined by backing vocalists for ‘Mistress Named Music,’ then a choir for ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,’ ‘This Little Light Of Mine,’ ‘When The Saints Go Marching In,’ ‘I’ll Fly Away,’ ‘I Saw The Light’ and more,” said Brian Blueskye , a reporter for the Palm Springs Desert Sun.

“The unplugged jam session sent festivalgoers for the exit of the Empire Polo Club starting about 15 minutes in, a sight that could be best described as Moses parting the Red Sea,” Blueskye said. “It was a surprising move by Church, considering his recent setlists appear to be in line with the type of show many were probably expecting him to perform.”

Church, 46, has plenty of barn-burners in his catalog, including “Smoke a Little Smoke,” “Beer in My Hand,” “Hell of a View,” “Talladega,” “Bad Mother Trucker,” “Springsteen” and more. But his Stagecoach set , which held nearly 30 songs, was focused on covers — many of them gospel-oriented, but also tunes such as “Danny’s Song,” " I Am ... I Said,” “California Love” and “Gin and Juice.”

Although Church did toss in a rendition of “Springsteen” as a closer at Stagecoach, it evidently was too little, too late for many folks in attendance.

“While I was excited when he did finally play a slightly understated version of ‘Springsteen’ to close the show, even that had a certain ‘here’s one little hit, as a treat’ quality that felt off-putting and possibly even insulting,” said Paul Albani-Burgio of USA Today . “Furthermore, it was distracting to spend so much of the set wondering where it was going (and not really in a good way), so in the very least Church, who only spoke about four words to the crowd, could’ve at least taken some time to explain some of his thinking at some point.”

Eric Church performs at the T-Mobile Mane Stage during the 2024 Stagecoach Festival at Empire Polo Club on April 26, 2024 in Indio, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Stagecoach)

As it turns out, Church was making some deliberate artistic choices with his Stagecoach set, and his primary goal at the festival wasn’t to be a crowd-pleaser. Several news outlets, including Billboard and Variety , have reported that the country star issued a statement after the show that said:

“This was the most difficult set I have ever attempted. I’ve always found that taking it back to where it started, back to chasing who Bob Seger loves, who Springsteen loves, who Willie Nelson loves, you chase it back to the origin. The origin of all that is still the purest form of it. And we don’t do that as much anymore. It felt good at this moment to go back, take a choir and do that.

“For me, it’s always been something with records, with performances, I’ve always been the one that’s like, ‘let’s do something really, really strange and weird and take a chance.’ Sometimes it doesn’t work, but it’s okay if you’re living on that edge, because that edge, that cutting edge, is where all the new guys are going to gravitate to anyway. So if you can always challenge yourself that way, it always cuts sharper than any other edge.”

It’s unclear if Church will opt for a similar set in Alabama this summer when he appears as a headliner at Rock the South , but he’s been known to defy conventions before. Church invoked fan ire with his short setlist at the 2023 CMA Fest , for example, playing revised arrangements of his songs with a new configuration of his band .

Church’s Stagecoach show quickly inspired a social media controversy over the weekend, with polarized fans weighing in on the flaws or virtues of his performance. While many sounded outraged or disappointed, other fans applauded Church for stepping outside the box and following his personal muse.

“The 70,000 festival attendees will definitely not lack for anything to talk, or argue, about for the rest of the weekend,” Variety said, “and the debate will also continue among the many more fans who watched the livestream on Prime Video and Amazon’s Twitch channel.”

Here’s a sampling of fan reactions:

“Worst set ever Eric Church!!! People paid a lot of money to see you, and you brought this garbage!!!! Booooo!!!!” Josh Henderson said on Facebook .

“You people obviously don’t have much experience with or know his live shows. Chief has always marched to the beat of his own drum, and no two of his shows are alike,” @MattSteffy4 said on X (formerly Twitter). “He also doesn’t do a cookie cutter greatest hits concert. He does covers, deep cuts etc.”

“I love Eric Church but that set was a HUGE disappointment,” said Amy Dawn on Facebook . “Not sure who approved that set list but I hope y’all learn from this one to never let that happen again. We pay too much money to see these headliners and we want to hear their songs. That was just insane last night, never seen so many people walk out of a concert in all the years I’ve been coming to Stagecoach.”

“I watched it the live stream and it was one of my favorite performances of Eric’s!!! I hope he puts an album out like that or with the same songs! It was so good!” said @mfeeman88 on Instagram .

“How do I get a refund from you for that disaster of a show last night at stagecoach?” @campbellelynuik said on Instagram .

“Eric Church was incredible! Unexpected and execution was awesome. Those gospel singers are talented! Loved every minute of it,” said Danielle DeRose on Facebook .

“MorganWallen could walk out Sunday, throw a chair off the stage and leave. It would still be better than @ericchurch was tonight at @Stagecoach,” @CoopScoops_8 said on X .

“That Eric Church set at Stagecoach was incredible. So naturally everybody hated it,” said @_AaronRyan on X .

“Jelly Roll should’ve been the headliner,” Amber Sanchez said on Facebook . “He had us up and ready to go then everyone walked out with Eric taking us to church. Not cool. Yes he can sing but no one at Stagecoach wanted to be in church, drunk on a Friday night.”

“I loved it thoroughly, Eric basically had Church with small choir and some of the best gospel singers I’ve heard,” Steve Nelson said on Facebook . “All of his performance was wonderful, heartfelt and full of content, however far from his typical hits. The festival fans showed their disapproval to his gospel theme set by leaving early, but not me. He included Kenny Loggins, Neil Diamond, Journey and closed out the night with only one of his most recent hits. I loved that he took creative risk. Somewhat surprised his fans were quick to dump him over what I thought Eric was known for, pushing boundaries and showing artistic freedom. The musician, backup singers and Eric put on a great show.”

“Wrong place wrong time. Two thumbs down for me,” @fred_castro_777 said on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Stagecoach (@stagecoach)

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• Hitchcock, Robyn
• April 26, 2024 Setlist

Robyn Hitchcock Setlist at Christ Church United, Lowell, MA, USA

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• Balloon Man ( Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians  song) Play Video
• The Shuffle Man Play Video
• Century Play Video
• Madonna of the Wasps ( Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians  song) Play Video
• 1974 Play Video
• I Saw Nick Drake Play Video
• I Often Dream of Trains Play Video
• The Sir Tommy Shovell Play Video
• I'm Only You Play Video
• Olé! Tarantula ( Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3  song) Play Video
• N.Y. Doll ( Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3  song) Play Video
• Satellite Play Video
• Aquarium Play Video
• Queen of Eyes ( The Soft Boys  song) Play Video
• I Wanna Destroy You ( The Soft Boys  song) Play Video
• The Man Who Loves the Rain Play Video
• Airscape ( Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians  song) Play Video

Edits and Comments

22 activities (last edit by zuzuspetals , 28 Apr 2024, 00:27 Etc/UTC )

Songs on Albums

• Airscape by Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians
• Balloon Man by Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians
• I Wanna Destroy You by The Soft Boys
• Madonna of the Wasps by Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians
• N.Y. Doll by Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3
• Olé! Tarantula by Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3
• Queen of Eyes by The Soft Boys
• I Saw Nick Drake
• The Man Who Loves the Rain
• The Shuffle Man
• I Often Dream of Trains
• I'm Only You
• The Sir Tommy Shovell

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• Apr 23 2024 White Eagle Hall Jersey City, NJ, USA Add time Add time
• Apr 24 2024 The Music Hall at World Cafe Live Philadelphia, PA, USA Add time Add time
• Apr 26 2024 Christ Church United This Setlist Lowell, MA, USA Add time Add time

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