The country artist Eric Church gave an exceptionally powerful performance when he took the stage during “Opry 100: A Live Celebration” on Wednesday evening. The Opry House in Nashville became the venue to commemorate the centennial celebration of the Grand Ole Opry through its radio show beginnings at NBC. When Church ascended onto the stage his performance became something more than concert music which brought him a chance to heal in a deeply personal way.
Recalling a Night of Tragedy
Eric Church started by addressing the members of the audience before playing guitar as he remembered his events at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas in 2017 when the deadliest mass shooting in US history took place. The gunman attacked thousands of concertgoers at this festival when he fired his weapon resulting in 58 deaths among thousands of injuries.
“I played the Opry stage after playing the festival in Las Vegas, and I did not want to be here,”
Eric Church admitted. His words were heavy with emotion as he described the pain and grief he carried with him after the tragic event. But despite his reluctance, Church credited the Opry and its audience for helping him heal in the aftermath.
“That night, the Opry and the people in the crowd repaired a piece of my heart,” he shared.
A Song for the Victims
Eric Church delivered an emotional acoustic rendition of “Why Not Me” which he wrote specifically for the victims during the Las Vegas shooting. The Opry House performers ceased their music when he played guitar creating a total silence that others reported as being silent enough to hear any droplet drop. Church conveyed both mourning sorrow and respectful emotions through each word he sang:
“And when the morning sun hits the mountain / And a glorious still calms the breeze / I’ll ask the God of infinite wisdom / Why you and why not me?”
His heartfelt delivery left many in the audience visibly moved, some wiping away tears as they listened.
A Performance That Will Be Remembered
The musical tribute from Eric Church served as more than a concert piece because it brought attention to strength and grief and music’s capability to provide comfort. Church’s willingness to expose his suffering while paying tribute to lost loved ones made his performance rank among the night’s most memorable performances. Eric Church’s Opry appearance showcased a genuine heartfelt tribute which became a moving testament to how music grants power to comfort people when faced with overwhelming suffering.
