Tyler Childers Mule Pull ’24 Tour – Birmingham and Nashville Shows April 15 and 19
@shanaleighphoto
I headed south to Birmingham on April 15th. It was a beautiful day to fulfill a long-time dream to photograph Tyler Childers in the home stretch (of the first run) of his “Mule Pull ’24 Tour”. It was also my first-time seeing Tyler play live, in-person.
As fans were gathering into the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC), Appalachian alt country band 49 Winchester kicked off the show amidst the sheeted backdrop of covered props and set design. These small-town boys, out of Castlewood, VA, have been burning up the roads opening for artists like Luke Combs on his European tour, and making waves at your favorite festivals across the U.S. The band has been playing together for 10 years and they lend their longevity to the fact that they’re lifelong friends before business associates.
It was a full circle moment for me to get to see 49 Winchester open for Tyler Childers. I’ve been photographing them for several years at festivals like Floydfest and Bristol Rhythm & Roots, as well as their second performance at the Grand Ole Opry. They were at the start of my music photography journey so it was a special moment to see them opening for fellow Appalachian crooner Tyler Childers. The life of a musician is made up of years of grit and hard work, playing in small town bars and grinding through shows where people are often, seemingly, too out of their minds to appreciate quality music. The life often consists of time away from loved ones and the yearning to get back home to that genuine love that you can’t get on the road. That bittersweet feeling of life on the road was the inspiration behind recently released “Yearnin’ For You,” the first single ahead of their upcoming album, Leavin’ This Holler, set to release to streaming platforms on August 2nd, 2024. The boys have certainly ventured out of the holler and fans are chomping at the bit to see what they do next.
The intermission was a build up of anticipation as the sheets were pulled away from the nostalgic Appalachian set. A vintage television, plants and old furniture, mason jars and a dynamic screen behind the band, ready to enhance the theme of every song they were set to play. Attention focused to the side screens while a mule pulled around in a circle as the countdown began for Tyler to take the stage. The excitement was palpable.
Tyler enters to a roaring, packed-out crowd and kicks off the show with “In Your Love,” a love song about waiting for love, standing firm and not running. A song about recognizing a love worth fighting for. The crowd sang along to some of the favorites “All Your’n” and “I Will Follow You to Virgie.” As the band took a break, Tyler sat down and spoke to the crowd playing songs like “Lady May,” an obvious fan favorite and a special one for me. It was a moment I was waiting for and I wasn’t the only one. Pouring his soul into every song he sang it was easy to see why his neotraditional country, folk tunes have reached a broad audience. He’s lyrically far outside the box of modern country music, while still energetically pulling at the heartstrings with relatable context.
Tyler mentioned the upcoming shows in Knoxville and Nashville. After those shows it was time to go home, he said. A comforting statement for a band who is on the road away from loved ones for much of the year. He released the single “Going Home (Live)” the day after the Birmingham show. The song is a part of Live From Mountain Stage – Outlaws and Outliers, an album released on April 19th that features some of the best country and Appalachian music from the likes of fellow folk artists John Prine, Jason Isbell, Sierra Ferrell and Bela Fleck, to name a few. Americana music has hit mainstream in recent years and it goes to show that fans are longing for depth and connection through the music, digging deeper than what you often find on mainstream radio. Tyler is at the top of the charts for his authentic style and the nostalgic, storytelling nature of his songs. You can see it in his face when he sings. The expression in his eyes. It means something to him, to us. The crowd feels it.
On Friday, April 19th I had the pleasure of witnessing night 2 of Tyler’s Nashville shows at Bridgestone Arena. The last show before he headed home to rest and spend time with family after this first leg of shows on the tour. The show was filled to the brim with fans singing along to that Universal Sound. Sitting in the crowd at a Tyler Childer’s show you witness people smiling, dancing, crying and holding their lovers. Tyler speaks of the awareness of the space we share together in these moments. He brings to focus the people we are standing next to that we may not know. The fact that we have this moment in time together and we might as well make the most of it. At his Knoxville show he spoke of his sobriety and how it’s made him more present in his personal life. While I wasn’t at that show, I did catch a video of him speaking about it online. You can feel the pain and regret in his voice as he spoke of coming home from tour and wasting precious time recovering from the ill effects of drugs and alcohol. His sobriety has brought him back to the present with himself and his family, and gifted him with the enlightenment that we can’t ever get that time back. Filling him with sobering realizations that a sober life is worth its weight in gold.
The vulnerability in sharing his struggles and speaking stories to the crowd between songs, gives off the energy of ancient oral tradition. The beautiful thing about folk music is that we are enlightened from the rich storytelling. We relate to stories in our own way. Learn from them maybe. This is the magnetism of folk music at its core. It brings us back to one another, and to ourselves. In a fast-paced world that is starving for genuine connection we are seeing artists like Tyler Childers growing in popularity and finally getting the recognition they deserve.
I feel fortunate to have been a part of two shows that week. I danced with a stranger, cried with a friend and fulfilled my own dream of telling the visual and written story of an artist that encourages and inspires this small-town girl to stay present, have the courage to pursue the calling and stay vulnerable in heart.
http://www.tylerchildersmusic.com
Enjoy our previous coverage here: Show Review: Tyler Childers in Knoxville TN
I’m lucky in that my cousin Rod Elkins plays drums for him so I know from where they come. I have known Craig Burletic and James Barker since high school. I was watching them since they played in my family’s garage jams. They’re the BEST show you’ll ever see. And that’s a fact.
Very cool that Rod is your cousin. I love the stories that take us back to the roots. I bet you have some good ones. Thanks for reading! I can’t wait to see these guys play again. Such an amazing show!
I very much love Tyler & hope to see him one day before I leave this world.
God bless him.
I hope you have a chance too Renee. He’s amazing!