“I’m excited to share that the time is now,” country superstar Eric Church shared with his Church Choir fan club on Wednesday to announce his forthcoming The Gather Again Tour that will carry into 2022. He teased the idea of a North American tour with his club members in February but was “waiting on the right time.”
A seven-time ACM Award winner, four-time CMA Award winner, and 10-time GRAMMY nominee has continued to demand more from country music following his rallying cry amidst a racial justice reckoning this summer with “Stick That In Your Country Song.” The North Carolina native saw the COVID-19 vaccine as another opportunity to wield his platform and impressive fanbase for the greater good.
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“It became very clear to me that the only way to really get back to normal is through vaccinations. You’ve got to get needles in arms,” he shared with Billboard in the April 3 cover story, depicting the superstar getting his second dose of the vaccine.
“I just want to play shows,” he continued. “Politics’ job is to divide—that’s how you win elections. Those things that unite us are music and sports. The times when, whether you’re a Democrat or Republican or whatever, you throw your arm around the person next to you. We need that. I need that.”
Now, with vaccine efforts underway, Church—after consultation with epidemiologists—has his sights set on a return to the road with this morning’s announcement of a full arena tour. As first shared with the Church Choir earlier today, The Gather Again Tour will kick off this fall and visit 55 cities throughout the U.S. and Canada, including the Saturday, December 4, 2021 concert at the UBS Arena in Belmont Park, New York.
This is the first concert scheduled at the new $1.1 billion multipurpose arena. With its timeless and classic design, the world-class entertainment venue will bridge its iconic past with today’s advanced technology and amenities. Besides being the new home to the famed New York Islanders Hockey Club, UBS Arena is among a few venues in the world designed with a sharp focus on music. It will create one of the best and unique experiences for both artists and audiences. The state-of-the-art arena will deliver an unmatched live entertainment experience with clear sightlines and premier acoustics to even more guests than ever before.
For the first time in his expansive road-warrior career, the artist will adopt an in-the-round setup, with the stage at the center of each arena floor. The new approach ensures Church can make up for lost time, accommodating as many fans as possible. This announced lineup marks his first run since 2019’s Double Down arena tour. The final night of the highest-grossing country music tour drew 56,521 people to Nashville’s Nissan Stadium, breaking Taylor Swift’s attendance record there.
There will be no lack of new material for his upcoming set lists. Heart & Soul—produced by longtime friend and collaborator Jay Joyce—is a collection of three albums created during a single month in the North Carolinian mountains. The 24-track collection set to arrive in three sextets beginning April 16 with Heart, followed by Soul on April 23, and the middle set, & will be delivered to the Church Choir members on April 20.
Tickets to all U.S. dates go on sale to the general public Friday, May 7, on his website. Church Choir members may access tickets early via pre-sale on Tuesday, May 4. On-sale information for the Canadian dates will be announced soon.
“Can’t wait to see,” he says, almost cracking a smile. He reiterates, “I can not wait to see you, I can not wait to see you on the Gather Again tour.”
The Gather Again Tour dates:
Sept. 17, 2021— Rupp Arena ,Lexington, Ky.
Sept. 18, 2021— Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Sept. 24, 2021— Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Cleveland, Ohio
Sept. 25, 2021— KeyBank Center, Buffalo, N.Y.
Oct. 1, 2021— Alerus Center, Grand Forks, N.D.
Oct. 2, 2021— Bell MTS Place, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Oct. 8, 2021— PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Oct. 9, 2021— Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pa.
Oct. 15, 2021— Ball Arena, Denver, Co.
Oct. 22, 2021— Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta
Oct. 23, 2021— SaskTel Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Oct. 29, 2021— Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia
Oct. 30, 2021— Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Wash.
Nov. 12, 2021— Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, Tenn.
Nov. 13, 2021— Ford Center, Evansville, Ind.
Dec. 3, 2021— SNHU Arena, Manchester, N.H.
Dec. 4, 2021— UBS Arena, Belmont Park, N.Y.
Dec. 10, 2021— The Anthem, Washington, D.C.
Dec. 11, 2021— The Anthem, Washington, D.C.
Dec. 17, 2021— Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, S.C.
Dec. 18, 2021— Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, N.C.
Jan. 7, 2022— Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Neb.
Jan. 8, 2022— Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Jan. 14, 2022— Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario
Jan. 15, 2022— Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, Ontario
Jan. 21, 2022— Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Jan. 22, 2022— Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Mich.
Feb. 4, 2022— KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Ky.
Feb. 5, 2022— Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Ind.
Feb. 11, 2022— CHI Health Center, Omaha Omaha, Neb.
Feb. 12, 2022— Wells Fargo Arena ,Des Moines, Iowa
Feb. 18, 2022— T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Mo.
Feb 19, 2022— BOK Center, Tulsa, Okla.
Feb. 25, 2022— Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, Va.
Feb. 26, 2022— Spectrum Center, Charlotte, N.C.
March 4, 2022— Amway Center, Orlando, Fla.
March 5, 2022— Amalie Arena, Tampa, Fla.
March 11, 2022— United Center, Chicago, Ill.
March 12, 2022— Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Mo.
March 18, 2022— Resch Center, Green Bay, Wis.
March 19, 2022— Resch Center, Green Bay, Wis.
March 25, 2022— Legacy Arena at the BJCC, Birmingham, Ala.
March 26, 2022— Simmons Bank Arena, Little Rock, Ark.
April 1, 2022— Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, Texas
April 2, 2022— AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
April 8, 2022— Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
April 9, 2022— Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, La.
April 15, 2022— Moda Center, Portland, Ore.
April 16, 2022— Spokane Arena, Spokane, Wash.
April 29, 2022— ExtraMile Arena Boise, Idaho
April 30, 2022—Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
May 6, 2022— Pechanga Arena, San Diego, Calif.
May 7, 2022— STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, Calif.
May 11, 2022— Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, Calif.
May 13, 2022— T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nev.
May 14, 2022— Gila River Arena, Glendale, Ariz.
May 20, 2022— Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y.
Photo by Reid Long