Tyler Childers @ The Anthem [DC] - 12/13/19
Tyler Childers didn't talk much through a 23-song set that spanned the best of his early acoustic work and his two recent full-length studio albums, 2017's breakout Purgatory and 2019's Country Squire. Toward the end, he admitted he was feeling a bit under the weather, but it never showed through his two-hour performance.
He started the night with the first five tracks off Squire and a brief jam that highlighted the skill of his band, The Food Stamps (featuring Rod Elkins on drums, James Barker on pedal steel and guitar, Craig Burletic on bass, Jesse Wells on fiddle, and Chase Lewis on piano). Later in the show, each member got a lengthy rapid-fire introduction from Tyler. Speaking about Barker, Childers' proclaimed he "loves puppy dogs, loves his two youngins, and is quite partial to the woman who birthed 'em both. He likes long walks on the beach, but hates long walks to the beach. And it's a mighty long walk to the beach from his home in West Virginia."
Childers’ Tour Manager Kyle Crownover pulling double duty as the opener in Washington, D.C. (Photo ©2019 Joel Richard / @joelscottrichard)
Late in the set, the band gave the audience a chance to cool their boots left Tyler alone on the stage to run through a few low-key acoustic songs -- "Nose to the Grindstone" "Lady May" "Matthew" and "Follow You to Virgie." -- born from Tyler's reverence for his home in the foothills of East Kentucky and the lessons he learned there.
Tyler's tour manager, Kyle Crownover, filled in for a flu-stricken Liz Cooper & The Stampede to open the night. A lesson in always being ready for opportunity, his heartfelt solo acoustic set earned the respect and support of 6,000 Tyler Childers fans.
