Entertainment

Eric Church Comes Home to Charlotte with Full Music Production

"Homeboy" Comes Home

Eric Church in Concert - Spectrum Center - Charlotte, NC April 4, 2026

Rusty Wise (WNN)

Posted Monday, April 6, 2026 2:37 pm

By: Rusty Wise - Wise News Network

Charlotte, NC (WNN) - The local boy Eric Church from Granite Falls in Caldwell County, North Carolina, came back home to wow the crowd Saturday night at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, April 4th, 2026. Country-rock star Church was promoting his new album, Evangeline vs. The Machine, released in May 2025 with the "Free The Machine Tour".

Eric Church - Evangeline vs. The Machine - Album Cover

Eric Church - Andrey_Kuzmin

The Concert

Country music star Ashley McBryde started the night off at approximately 7:30 PM for her 10-song 45-minute set. There were quite a few fans there for her, wearing their fan t-shirts and screaming. After roughly an hour, Eric Church took the stage. Church started with songs from Evangeline vs. The Machine, complete with the "choir" backup singers, orchestra strings, brass, and the ECB (Eric Church Band) band. This concert was the full production, just like the recently limited-release IMAX movie version of the concert. There was even a cable-mounted camera zooming around the Specteum Center audience, drawing everyone's attention. The second portion of the concert featured more of Church and just his ECB band, along with notable singer Joanna Cotten. Songs such as "Springsteen" and "Drink in My Hand" really got the crowd going. Also unveiling a Number 3 Dale Earnhardt flag during the song "Talladega" certainly drew huge cheers and applause. The roughly 3-hour, 31-song concert lasted until approximately 12:15 AM the next morning for the sold-out show. Church's membership fan base is called the "Church Choir". Ironically, the concert ended on Easter Sunday. Eric Church did look down at his watch towards the end, and I think he knew what he was doing, ending it on Sunday.

Eric Church - Full Stage - Spectrum Center - Charlotte, NC - April 4, 2026

Rusty Wise (WNN)

Local Roots

48-year-old Eric Church was born and raised in Granite Falls, North Carolina, which is approximately 60 miles northwest of Charlotte. He graduated from South Calwell High School and received a degree in marketing from Appalachian State University. During the concert, he mentioned "I like coming home," and the times he played at Coyote Joe's in Charlotte in his early days. Church is an avid UNC fan and a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets.

Career

Church has won numerous awards over the years, including Album of the Year for the Chief album and Song of the Year for "Springsteen". What makes Church unique is his ability to songwrite and the rocky edge of his country music. And what about him wearing sunglasses in concert? He stated that his contacts kept falling out while playing due to dry eyes. He tried wearing sunglasses, and it worked, so he kept doing it. Now sunglasses are part of his trademark look. Some diehard fans say he is slowing down and doesn't show the energy he used to, but others say his music is just better. By the audience's reactions and the show performed on Saturday, the latter seems to be the case.