The Budweiser Clydesdales parade down El Paseo in Palm Desert
The Budweiser Clydesdales returned to El Paseo to put on a show amidst local businesses ahead of Stagecoach Country Music Festival.
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.
After a lengthy church organ song 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 “Halleluiah” 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 during his third appearance at Stagecoach.
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 2Pac’s “California Love.”
An hour and six minutes into the set, Church still hadn’t said more than “How you guys 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, and the various solos that many of its members got towards the end.
So why did he chose to do a gospel set with the occasional country ballad (and even a Tupac song)? 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.
Church took Stagecoach to church, but Stagecoach had other ideas in mind, even after Jelly Roll’s many references to Jesus and the Bible earlier in the evening.
Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye.