Eric Church gives 40,000 fans a piece of his new Nashville bar: 'This is our house'

Eric Church is giving members of his fan club, The Church Choir, the recognition they deserve at his new bar in downtown Nashville.

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Church announced his plans to open Chief’s on Broadway, a new BBQ Restaurant and live music venue on Nashville’s Lower Broadway strip in January 2022, and as the opening creeps closer, Church is making sure the bar highlights the people he built it for — his fans.

“Believe me, this is not just another club downtown. This is our house,” Church told fans through his comments to Rolling Stone surrounding the bar. “You’ve helped me build my career, brick by brick, and I want the whole world to know the building is yours.”

The singer-songwriter is taking literal approach to his comments by dedicating an actual brick of the building to The Church Choir in honor of their support throughout his career. “I’ve been involved in every step of restoring this historic building into a place we can call our own and, because you’ve been with me every step of my career, I’m proud to dedicate a physical brick of the Chief’s building to each and every one of you.”

Members of The Church Choir received note of the dedication this week along with a virtual version of the brick that grants them access to exclusive content including an ongoing series of digital collectibles like never-before-heard demos, unreleased video footage, giveaways and VIP entry to Chief’s.

The approach to the bar is similar to the one Eric has with his music — releasing all ownership to the fans upon its release.

“My songs are mine, until I release them, and then they’re never mine again, and this building’s a lot that way,” Church shared of his mindset. “It’s been mine in the building of it, in the cultivating with the stories, the challenges, and the successes. But once Chief’s opens, it’s not mine anymore. It belongs to the Choir. It belongs to the fans. It belongs to the patrons. It belongs to the stories they create there. It belongs to the music they listen to there and share from there. So, my story ends where theirs begins and that’s the essence of what you do musically and what we’re trying to do at Chief’s.”

Church has yet to reveal the exact day he’ll pass the torch with a grand opening, but an active countdown on the establishment’s website pointing to March 11 has fans hopeful it’s mere days away.