Tyler Childers urges Kentuckians to use their voice in November by returning to his roots

GEORGETOWN, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — A familiar face returned to his roots on Tuesday to encourage Kentuckians to use their voice in November.

Grammy-nominated Tyler Childers first graced the Country Boy Brewing stage on Valentine’s Day in 2014. After years of selling out arenas, the Lawrence County native celebrated his homecoming back where it all began.

“A lot of songs, years, and beers later, we are still friends. When Tyler asked us to host this livestream that was near and dear to his heart, we jumped at the chance because that’s what friends do,” Nathan Coppage, Co-Founder and Brewery Manager of Country Boy Brewing, told FOX 56.

Tickets to attend in person sold out in a matter of minutes following its surprise announcement. Only 250 people were able to attend the intimate show; however, it was broadcast to living rooms across the nation.

But organizers said that Tuesday’s event served a deeper purpose.

“So we are a relatively small nonprofit and we were founded in 2020 on the idea that those of us in the hoods of West Louisville and North Lexington and the hollers of Appalachia have more in common than we do dividing us,” Mason Kalinsky, of Hood to the Holler , told FOX 56.

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Hood to the Holler, founded by former state representative Charles Booker , said the organization aims to promote positive change in the Commonwealth. Kalinsky said that their team has been working to find a way to reach people from the city to the Appalachian foothills as the election rapidly approaches.

“We came up with the idea of Tyler Childers, because who doesn’t love a Tyler Childers concert? So, we reached out to his team, and they were very gracious and very interested in spreading this message in a nonpartisan way, just helping people register to vote,” he said.

Instead of charging viewers to attend virtually, fans were asked to check their voter registration status and view a sample ballot for their area.

“Our message this year is about voting on the whole ballot and people knowing what choice they’re making ahead of time,” Kalinsky said. “So I spoke before Tyler came on stage and after everybody to look up what’s on their ballot and to make choices on everything on their ballot, not just the presidential race. So I hope that folks are more educated when they go out and vote.”

Before Childers and his longtime band, The Food Stamps , took the stage, Kalinsky covered a variety of issues that Kentuckians can expect on their ballot in November, such as school choice and medical marijuana .

But instead of fans chanting Childers’ name while awaiting his appearance, the crowd began to chant “Vote No” on Amendment 2 .

Childers is no stranger to the world of politics and has risen to be a voice for the marginalized in Appalachia. In 2020, he released his surprise album “Long Violent History,” paired with a five-minute statement calling for “justice for Breonna Taylor, a Kentuckian like me.” Again in 2023, Childers took a stand with his Grammy-nominated music video “In Your Love,” which tells the tale of two LGBTQ coal miners.

“Because as my brother Tyler and I know no matter who you are, what you’re from, the pronoun you use, the color of your skin, how much money you have in your pocket, or what faith you practice. You matter. We matter. And if we stand together, we can do anything,” Booker told the crowd.

“I would like to say a big thank you to Tyler Childers and his team, as well as to Country Boy Brewing, for making this event possible,” Kalinsky said. “We are a pretty small organization and absolutely would not have had the capacity to reach out to as many people as we did without Tyler Childers and this venue.”

“As we leave tonight. Remember how you feel right now and carry this into the work that you do,” Booker signed off. “Shine your light wherever you go. Spread love wherever you go. Let’s keep lifting up our family in Appalachia.

Hood to the Holler offers a variety of resources on its website regarding its mission to remove barriers to democratic participation, engage Kentuckians from the “Hood to the Holler,” and break down barriers surrounding topics of racial justice, and generational poverty. For more information click here .

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