The Chief walked the concourse area minutes before he was to take the stage
During the Grand Rapids stop on Eric Church’s Free the Machine Tour on Friday (Oct 10th), the country superstar shed his trademark Ray-Ban sunglasses and went completely incognito, walking the crowded concourse of the Van Andel Arena minutes before taking the stage.
The “Chief,” known for his passionate connection with his fans, made a spontaneous bet with his road crew about whether he could walk amongst his devoted following, the Church Choir, without being recognized. The result was a surprisingly successful stroll, captured on video, that has since delighted fans and media alike.
“Last night, over too much Gypsy, we were talking about whether or not I can take my sunglasses off and go to my own show,” Church says in the video. “I said I could, and people around me said I couldn’t. Made a little bet and we’re gonna see if I was right or they were right. I have my face on my chest. I have on a Chief hat. I’m gonna see if I can make one lap on the concourse and see if anyone recognizes me.”
Wearing an Eric Church tour t-shirt, jacket, and a Chief hat, Church casually moved through the bustling arena. He greeted fans, offered a friendly, “Hey, how you doing?” and even told a kid, “Nice hat.”
The experiment proved the power of his signature eyewear, as the multi-platinum artist went completely unrecognized by most attendees. While one sharp-eyed fan eventually spotted him, Church successfully proved his point: without his famous shades, the man behind the music can easily blend in.
Video of the playful undercover mission was later shared on his social media channels, giving the rest of the Church Choir a peek into the superstar’s pre-show antics and sparking a wave of comments from fans expressing disbelief that they had missed an opportunity to cross paths with him.
