Miranda Miller, Contributor
Eric Church set a new attendance record at a sold-out concert last night with more than 7,000 people at the Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre.
Abbotsford was Church’s first stop on his Blood, Sweat and Beers Tour. He came on stage with a ballcap and sunglasses, and instantly had the crowd standing on their feet, singing along to his country rock music for the entire evening.
The crowd consisted mostly of younger faces, and a lot of cowboy boots, plaid shirts, and western hats. Colt Ford was the opening act, and kicked the night off at 7:30 p.m. with a lively set list. He helped get the crowd amped up for Church’s performance. After much anticipation, Church came on stage at 9 p.m. and sang one hit song after another, such as Drink In My Hand, Creepin’, and Springsteen.
His energy was contagious, and the audience kept cheering him on, as he impressed everyone with his heart-felt sounds and lyrics. Church engaged with his fans throughout his performance.
Holding up a glass of Jack Daniels, he said to the crowd, “We are in this together, let’s see where this night ends up,” and proceeded with his famous Jack Daniels song. The pyrotechnics were flashy, from sparklers, to flames, and smoke machines.
The lighting ranged from a single spotlight on Church, to pulsing strobes and a variety of coloured lights that scanned the crowd and stage. The backdrop changed for each song, and fans erupted with cheering when an image of the Canadian flag was displayed, with a cannabis leaf replacing the maple leaf. The night came to an end at 10:30 p.m. and the audience called him back for an encore.
Church began his music career in 2006 with his album Sinners Like Me, and since then he has been producing music that is making the billboards and being recognized with prestigious awards such as Country Music Awards and the American Country Awards. For more information on Eric Church visit his website ericchurch.com.