Eric Church Honors Bob Seger With Eight-Song Hometown Tribute in Detroit [Watch]

Eric Church paid tribute to one of his own musical heroes during a concert in Detroit on Friday night (June 23). The country superstar honored hometown hero Bob Seger with an eight-song covers medley that saluted the blue-collar rocker's musical legacy.

As Ultimate Classic Rock reports, Church and his band performed at the Pine Knob Music Theatre on Friday night, and they took the opportunity to tribute Seger, who actually played a pivotal role early in Church's career. When Rascal Flatts famously fired Church as their opening act in 2006 after he repeatedly exceeded his allotted time on stage, Seger unexpectedly came to his rescue.

"The next phone call we got was Bob Seger," Church — wearing a Bob Seger T-shirt — told the audience on Friday night, "and it went something to the effect of, 'You can't open for them, but you can open for me,' so that's what we did...I would not be here at all if it weren't for Bob Seger."

Church has included Seger covers in his Detroit shows ever since, but he went above and beyond on Friday night. The country superstar recounted that the last time he was at Pine Knob was actually for Seger's farewell performance at the venue on June 21, 2019, as part of his Roll Me Away: The Farewell Tour.

"[Sitting] right there, right by the sound board, I watched Bob Seger burn this son of a bitch down," Church told fans. "So tonight...it just feels like the right thing to do. We're gonna try something we haven't tried..."

Church began his tribute with "Turn the Page" before running through a series of Seger's hits that included "Like a Rock," "Roll Me Away," "Mainstreet," "Get Out of Denver," "You'll Accomp'ny Me," "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man" and "Night Moves."

Friday night marked the second night of Church's 2023 The Outsiders Revival Tour, which launched on June 22 in Milwaukee and runs through Sept. 30, when it wraps in Tampa, Fla.

The tour includes a massive roster of rotating special guests, including Ashley McBryde, Parker McCollum, Midland, Koe Wetzel, Lainey Wilson, Elle King, Jelly Roll, Hailey Whitters, Travis Tritt, Whiskey Myers and Cody Jinks. Other acts on tap for the tour include Paul Cauthen, Jackson Dean, Morgan Wade, Muscadine Bloodline, Shane Smith and the Saints, Ray Wylie Hubbard and the Red Clay Strays.