Eric Church loves Kansas City, and he couldn’t hide it in wide-ranging concert
Going into a country concert, what sounds do you usually expect? Probably some screeching guitar solos, a thunderous set from the drummer, all while the lead singer is handling everything in between?
What about a choir, saxophone and hand bells? That’s what country star Eric Church had to offer — and more — during his Kansas City stop for his Free The Machine Tour on Friday, Feb. 20.
Around every corner of the T-Mobile Center, you could find someone in a cowboy hat and jean jacket combo. Nine times out of 10, they probably had a beer in their hand as well. Fans of Church showed out , with some covering a pretty long distance in order to see the North Carolina native live.
Mason Oberheim and his buddy traveled three hours from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to catch the show. Despite having already seen Church twice in concert, Oberheim was still determined to make an effort to see him. The pair had to go back to campus the same night.
“‘Truly just one of the best concerts that I’ve been to, the crowd’s always into it. (Church) is into it,” Oberheim said. “I grew up with Eric Church. He was my dad’s favorite, and so my dad put me on.”
After country alternative band 49 Winchester kicked things off for around 45 minutes, it was time for the man of the hour.
Eric Church didn’t come alone, though. He brought out his usual band, including his guitarists, drummers and his long-time backing vocalist, Joanna Cotten. But he also brought along a choir, an orchestra, and even a saxophonist and a trombonist.
Yeah, this wasn’t your typical country show. There were even moments where maracas and hand bells were used. It was something that can be considered unconventional for traditional country fans. But Oberheim said that this is a way for people to find songs that they will truly enjoy through the show.
“It just captures so many different genres of music all in one that it all meshes really well. Really for anyone, there’s a song that they will enjoy,” he said.
Eric Church has strong love for Kansas City
Usually a headliner will perform a few songs before addressing the thousands of people that paid to come see them. Eric Church was not one of those headliners.
In fact, he performed for around 40 minutes before finally addressing the Kansas City crowd. When he did speak, he asked if the crowd could keep a secret:
“This is the one I’ve had circled the longest, because this is gonna be my favorite city on the Free The Machine Tour,” Church said which led to an uproar from the crowd. Considering this tour has already stopped in Washington, D.C., and is making stops in major markets like Atlanta and Charlotte, this was a pretty sweet compliment for Kansas City.
As the night went on, Church gave his flowers to Kansas City in many ways. He changed multiple lyrics on his songs to reference KC, but also told the crowd that he’s now been to Kansas City nine times.
One of the first times he performed in KC was in the Power & Light District, which was the night his critically acclaimed album “Chief” released in 2011, according to Church. This led to Church choosing some of his older songs to perform off his earlier projects like “Sinners Like Me” and “Carolina.”
“I would play the rest of the shows on this tour here if I could,” Church added.
Church’s band and singers truly stole the show
Toward the tail end of the show, members of Church’s on-stage crew began to dip off by the group. Eventually, it was just him and Cotten performing a duet before Church had the stage all by himself to do some solo work.
He ended the night singing “Through My Ray-Bans,” a nod to an accessory that he wears essentially all the time. Church did take them off a couple of times to salute the crowd, before quickly putting them back on his face.
To cap it all off, he brought back every performer on stage to do a curtain call. The closing theme song that you hear during the credits of “Saturday Night Live” was playing as the crowd applauded the performers for their prolonged presentation.
Church even referred to his crew as the “baddest motherf------ on the planet.”
David Hines from Topeka would probably agree. Prior to the show, he told The Star about how much he enjoyed Church’s music. Afterward, he sent a follow-up text saying that he enjoyed the whole show and that “his band played their a-- off for 3 hours.”
Church definitely made sure fans got their money’s worth, as he was on stage at 9:16 and didn’t get off until 11:50 p.m.
The wait was especially worth it for the Blevins family, who are from Kansas City. At the end of the night, Cotten signed a set list and gave it to 7-year-old Brynlee, after spotting her prior to the show.
“Loved your outfit! You made my night,” the note said. This is the second time Brynlee went to an Eric Church according to her mom, Kayla. She and her husband, Tyler, also brought their 6-year-old son Easton to Friday’s show, which marked his first-ever concert.
Tyler appreciates Church’s music, saying it’s “good for the whole family,” as he said he could play it on the radio without feeling too nervous of what might be said.
Easton ended up falling in-and-out of sleep during the show, as he had wrestling practice earlier, according to Tyler. Considering how often Eric Church finds himself back in Kansas City, it’s safe to say the youngster could get another chance to catch the country star back in action.
This story was originally published February 21, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
