“A Tough Week For America” – Eric Church Delivers Impromptu Performance Of “Monsters” On Night 1 Of ‘Free The Machine’ Tour

On Wednesday, September 10, conservative media personality and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University.

In the wake of his death, an outpouring of support came around the country from the likes of President Donald Trump, the New York Yankees, who held a moment of silence before their game Wednesday night, Joe Rogan, as well as a significant number of country stars, including Jason Aldean, Gavin Adcock, HARDY, Parker McCollum, John Rich, Aaron Watson, Kane Brown, Randy Houser and many more.

Given that concerts and festivals were ramping back up with the weekend approaching last night, more stars took the time to stop their shows not only to talk about the senseless killing but also the 24th anniversary of 9/11. With Aldean honoring Kirk with a pre-concert tribute and lengthy speech honoring Kirk’s legacy, HARDY condemning the act and calling the state of the country a “f****** mess,” Gavin Adcock showing his support while simultaneously starting a “Charlie Kirk” chant with the crowd and Treaty Oak Revival poignantly urging everyone to love each other before tragedy strikes, the call for peace in the country community has been plentiful.

With Eric Church kicking off his highly anticipated Free The Machine Tour in Pittsburgh last night, all eyes were on the “Springsteen” singer. As we all know by now, Church has never been one to shy away from speaking his mind. From his outspoken Rolling Stone interview following the 2017 Las Vegas Shooting to his tracks such as “Stick That in Your Country Song” and “Johnny,” the North Carolina native has always had his finger on the pulse of issues plaguing the country both in his music and in interviews.

Last night in Pittsburgh was no different.

Though he didn’t give a long-winded speech about Kirk, political violence or division, Church let his thoughts on this week’s events be known with the performance of his 2019 single, “Monsters,” a song that hasn’t been played live in over two years.

Written by Church and longtime co-writer, Jeff Hyde, “Monsters” serves as a powerful reminder of the danger present in this world through the lens of having a conversation with his son thinking there are monsters underneath his bed. In typical Church fashion, he flips this narrative to provide a compelling reflection on the evil that lurks in the world today and his faith, coming to the realization that the real monsters are the ones that walk among us:

“Anymore when a restless feelin’ keeps me up at night
Fallin’ on my knees is my new turnin’ on the light
I keep my faith intact, make sure my prayers are said
‘Cause I’ve learned that the monsters ain’t the ones beneath the bed”

Before performing the song, Church took a moment to address the crowd, calling it a “tough week for America.” He’d also note how this week’s events served as a reminder of the monsters that are still out in the world today:

“It was a tough week for America. And I was thinking about a song, and it wasn’t something I was gonna play tonight, but I remember very vividly my three-year-old son. He came to me when he was three.

He was like, ‘Hey, there’s a monster underneath my bed.’ We went in; we prayed. And I said, ‘There’s no monster there.’ But I remember walking out of his room and thinking, ‘Man, if we only had to worry about the monsters underneath the bed.

It’s the other monsters in the world [that we have to worry about]. I didn’t plan to do this tonight. I don’t know how this is gonna go. We’ve never done it this stripped down, but we’re gonna give it a try. This is ‘Monsters.'” 

Subtle, effective and undoubtedly in Eric Church fashion, he let the music talk for him here. While many are fired up (rightfully so), I appreciate the fact that he chose a song such as “Monsters” to provide commentary on this week’s tragic events.

Watch here:

@concertsin4k Eric Church addresses tough week for America and explains the meaning of his song Monsters. Opening night of his Free the Machine Tour was a SUCCESS!! @Eric Church #ericchurch #freethemachinetour #ericchurchmusic #ericchurchconcert #ericchurchfan ♬ original sound – ConcertsIn4K

Here’s the full performance:

Eric Church Tour Dates

Sept. 12 || Pittsburgh, Penn. || PPG Paints Arena || Elle King
Sept. 13 || Columbus, Ohio || Nationwide Arena || Elle King
Sept. 18 || Philadelphia, Penn. || Wells Fargo Center || Elle King
Sept. 19 || Boston, Mass. || TD Garden || Elle King
Sept. 20 || Brooklyn, N.Y. || Barclays Center || Elle King
Sept. 25 || Green Bay, Wisc. || Resch Center || Marcus King Band
Sept. 26 || Milwaukee, Wisc. || Fiserv Forum || Marcus King Band
Sept. 27 || Des Moines, Iowa || Wells Fargo Arena || Marcus King Band

Oct. 2 || Detroit, Mich. || Little Caesars Arena || Marcus King Band
Oct. 3 || Lexington, Ky. || Rupp Arena || Marcus King Band
Oct. 9 || Indianapolis, Ind. || Gainbridge Fieldhouse || Marcus King Band
Oct. 10 || Grand Rapids, Mich. || Van Andel Arena || Marcus King Band
Oct. 11 || Cleveland, Ohio || Rocket Arena || Marcus King Band
Oct. 23 || Salt Lake City, Utah || Delta Center || Charles Wesley Godwin
Oct. 24 || Boise, Idaho || ExtraMile Arena || Charles Wesley Godwin
Oct. 25 || Spokane, Wash. || Spokane Arena || Charles Wesley Godwin

Nov. 6 || Vancouver, B.C. || Rogers Arena || Charles Wesley Godwin
Nov. 7 || Portland, Ore. || Moda Center || Charles Wesley Godwin
Nov. 8 || Seattle, Wash. || Climate Pledge Arena || Charles Wesley Godwin
Nov. 13 || Sacramento, Calif. || Golden 1 Center || Charles Wesley Godwin
Nov. 14 || Fresno, Calif. || SaveMart Center || Charles Wesley Godwin
Nov. 15 || Inglewood, Calif. || Intuit Dome || Charles Wesley GodwinThe post “A Tough Week For America” – Eric Church Delivers Impromptu Performance Of “Monsters” On Night 1 Of ‘Free The Machine’ Tour first appeared on Whiskey Riff.