Hearing the Call

I was a junior in college and Eric Church embarked on his groundbreaking Holdin' My Own Tour. I wanted more than anything to see him perform live. These shows were not just typical concert affairs, they were something new altogether. He was, as his tour was so aptly named (after one of his songs), holding his own tour. No openers, just approximately three hours, split into two sets, of him and his band, The ECB, playing as many songs from his catalog, from the hits to the deep cuts, as they could fit, along with some covers. Each night, the setlist changed. And as I found out when I began my journey of following the tour online, jaw dropped, was opening the show solo, just him and acoustic guitar onstage. As the instrumental interlude of the song began and he deliberately moved to the main portion of the stage (because the stage was an original design that included a pit within it - notable in and of itself), it then broke into the rock guitar solo on the electric guitars and the stage lit up as a local high school choir sang the backup vocals. It was epic. Each night of the tour, in each new city, a new choir made their debut.

This tour also saw the premier of the choir loft, a seating area behind the stage for The Church Choir, his fan club. This area was just as it sounds, up high, with an unobstructed rear view of the stage. He specifically designed the stage so that there would be no bad seats and more people could be closer.

All of this mattered so much to me because Eric and his music have been an invaluable force in my life. At the time, I had a beater car to get me to school and around the area. I loved Delilah, and I still miss her today. Her charming two-tone self never let me down, but she was not the sort of vehicle that instilled confidence in you in the likelihood of a successful long trip.

I spent my evenings on youtube, searching for new uploads of videos from the latest show. And my fellow Church Choir members who were luckier than I and able to make it to the shows never let me down. There was always new content to enjoy before I went to dreamland for the night. I'd look forward to cozying up and watching on my tablet all day.

Now, at this point, years later, I don't remember exactly how it happened, I believe I stumbled upon it accidentally, but I was on Facebook and there was a suggested group called the Holdin' Our Own - Eric Church Fans group. I answered the question about my favorite song or album or something to that effect. I, of course, had one of those, “it's impossible to choose just one, but The Outsiders has always been a standout and "Give Me Back My Hometown" especially resonates with my soul” kind of answers. I was accepted into the group and I didn't know how my life would change because of that decision to join.

I discovered a whole community of the most passionate, caring people on this earth. Our shared love of Eric and his music brought us together like a family. When one of us has a sick family member and asks for prayers, we send good vibes their way. When someone loses someone close to them, we're here for support when they share the Eric song that has been getting them through this time. When there's a new member of the Choir Community to welcome into the world, we celebrate and feel the joy. When someone is looking for name suggestions for a fur baby, we come through with suggestions. When there's lyric confusion, we have each other's backs. We roll out the welcome mat for new group members. We rejoice in good news like marriage, new jobs and moves. We breathe collective sighs of relief when someone makes it through to the other side of a tough spell and tells the tale of how The Chief and our support helped get them through. We grieve together when we lose one of our own. I have been moved to tears on multiple occasions when a member I've known since the start has left us too soon. On these occasions, I'm struck by the close-knit nature of this community. I'm touched at how the shared love of one man's music can join people across physical distance, varying ideologies and beliefs and create something altogether original and special. The love in this community is strong and fierce, just like the love The Chief sends out into the world. This group is exactly what he loves about live music: It is a force to bring people together across differences to create one unified community. I celebrate other member's giveaway wins just as thoroughly as I celebrate my own. I feel like I know so many of the people in this group, though they live miles away. I have benefited from their advice. I have appreciated their artistic creations and been moved to awe and laughter at their imaginative interpretations. I have seen Eric, and the world, through their lenses, both literally and figuratively.

I am grateful for all of it. And it all started back in 2017 with my digital journey following the tour. In a way, though I'm still bitter that I missed that experience, I'm even more thankful that I've been able to be on this journey, and that I still continue to be. Here's to us, Holdin' Our Own Group, continue to "live, love, and die, holding [your] own" (Eric Church, “Holdin’ My Own”).