NASHVILLE, Tenn. – With his latest critically acclaimed project, Evangeline vs. The Machine, up for the Best Contemporary Country Album nod at next weekend’s GRAMMY Awards, 11-time nominee Eric Church is already entering 2026 at full throttle. Last night, Jan. 22, the Chief launched the new year with an intimate underplay at Washington, D.C.’s The Anthem, kicking off leg 2 of his Free the Machine Tour and setting the stage for a spring run from the man celebrated by Pollstar for “his high-energy, Springsteen-esque marathon performances.”
The Free the Machine Tour returns following a landmark 2025 run that reaffirmed Church’s reputation for pushing the boundaries of the live concert experience. The 2026 dates carry that same spirit forward, pairing large-scale ambition with moments of raw immediacy.
That energy is captured on today’s release of “Give Me Back My Hometown (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025).” The reimagined version of Church’s 2x Platinum, chart-topping hit appears on the forthcoming Evangeline vs. The Machine Comes Alive (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) arriving Feb. 13 via MCA. The 19-track live album serves as a companion to the IMAX® exclusive theatrical release of Evangeline vs. The Machine Comes Alive on Feb. 11 and 14.
Church hosted a special screening event for members of his passionate Church Choir in Nashville earlier this week, previewing the limited theatrical release that showcases Church performing his GRAMMY-nominated eighth studio album front-to-back before transitioning into select catalog hits, all reimagined with a six-piece band, four-piece horns, four-piece strings, eight-piece choir and vocalist Joanna Cotten. Filmed across two nights at The Pinnacle in Nashville, Tenn., the performance comes to life through a unique perspective that can only be achieved in IMAX. A full list of locations for the February showings is available via IMAX.com/EricChurch, with tickets on sale now.
With a new live release out today, the Free the Machine Tour back on the road and both an IMAX film and live album on deck, Church’s 2026 is already defined by momentum that continues to challenge expectations and reaffirm his place at the forefront of modern country music.
For more information on all to come, visit EricChurch.com and follow on Facebook and Twitter/X @ericchurch and on Instagram @ericchurchmusic.
Evangeline vs. The Machine Comes Alive Track List
*denotes songs out now
1. Hands Of Time (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)
2. Bleed On Paper (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)*
3. Johnny (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)
4. Storm In Their Blood (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)
5. Darkest Hour (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)
6. Evangeline (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)
7. Rocket’s White Lincoln (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)
8. Clap Hands (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)
9. Desperate Man (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)*
10. Give Me Back My Hometown (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)*
11. Homeboy (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)
12. Sinners Like Me (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)
13. Creepin’ (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)
14. Knives Of New Orleans (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)*
15. Smoke A Little Smoke (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)
16. The Outsiders (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)
17. Hell Of A View (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)*
18. Mistress Named Music (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)
19. Springsteen (Live At The Pinnacle, Nashville, TN / May 24, 2025)
2026 Free the Machine Tour Remaining Markets, Venues and Special Guests:
Jan. 23 || Washington, D.C. || The Anthem || Caylee Hammack
Feb. 5 || Omaha, Neb. || CHI Health Center || Ella Langley
Feb. 6 || Sioux Falls, S.D. || Denny Sanford PREMIER Center || Ella Langley
Feb. 7 || St. Paul, Minn. || Grand Casino Arena || Ella Langley
Feb. 12 || Toronto, Ont. || Scotiabank Arena || Ella Langley
Feb. 13 || Buffalo, N.Y. || KeyBank Center || Ella Langley
Feb. 14 || Albany, N.Y. || MVP Arena || Ella Langley
Feb. 19 || North Little Rock, Ark. || Simmons Bank Arena || 49 Winchester
Feb. 20 || Kansas City, Mo. || T-Mobile Center || 49 Winchester
Feb. 21 || St. Louis, Mo. || Enterprise Center || 49 Winchester
Feb. 26 || Tulsa, Okla. || BOK Center || Stephen Wilson Jr.
Feb. 27 || Fort Worth, Texas || Dickies Arena || Stephen Wilson Jr.
Feb. 28 || Austin, Texas || Moody Center || Stephen Wilson Jr.
Mar. 5 || Knoxville, Tenn. || Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center || 49 Winchester
Mar. 6 || Greensboro, N.C. || First Horizon Coliseum || 49 Winchester
Mar. 7 || North Charleston, S.C. || North Charleston Coliseum || 49 Winchester
Mar. 19 || Birmingham, Ala. || Legacy Arena at the BJCC || 49 Winchester
Mar. 20 || Atlanta, Ga. || State Farm Arena || 49 Winchester
Mar. 27 || Hollywood, Fla. || Hard Rock Live || Kashus Culpepper
Apr. 3 || Greenville, S.C. || Bon Secours Wellness Arena || Ashley McBryde
Apr. 4 || Charlotte, N.C. || Spectrum Center || Ashley McBryde
Apr. 10 || Jacksonville, Fla. || VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena || Ashley McBryde
Apr. 11 || Tampa, Fla. || Benchmark International Arena || Ashley McBryde
About Eric Church
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner (including 2020’s Entertainer of the Year), TIME100 Philanthropy 2025 honoree and 11-time GRAMMY nominee – including four nods for Best Country Album, Eric Church has built a passionate fan base through his critically acclaimed catalog of music. Church’s October 2024 release, “Darkest Hour,” saw the superstar signing over all of his publishing royalties to the people of North Carolina to provide immediate relief following the devastation of Hurricane Helene while also providing ongoing funds to support a more resilient future for his home state. The song is featured alongside current single “Hands Of Time” on his latest album, Evangeline vs. The Machine, marking his first new music since 2021’s Heart & Soul triple album (“Stick That In Your Country Song,” “Hell Of A View”). That project followed prior releases including RIAA Gold-certified Desperate Man (“Some Of It,” “Desperate Man”), Platinum-certified Sinners Like Me (“How ’Bout You,” “Guys Like Me”), Carolina (“Smoke a Little Smoke,” “Love Your Love the Most”) and Mr. Misunderstood (“Record Year,” “Round Here Buzz”), Double-Platinum certified The Outsiders (“Like a Wrecking Ball,” “Talladega”) and 4x Platinum-certified Chief (“Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand”), as well as 32 Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum certified songs. Church is also a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, a co-owner of the iconic Field & Stream brand, and has his own SiriusXM music channel, “Eric Church Outsiders Radio,” his own liquor offering, Whiskey JYPSI, and his own six-story venue on Nashville’s famed lower Broadway, Chief’s. |
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