Eric Church Will Come Out ‘Swinging’ on Toby Keith Tour

Having completed tours with Miranda Lambert and Jason Aldean -- both of which fit his personality and music to a T -- Eric Church is getting ready to hit the road with the Big Dog Daddy himself, Toby Keith, which the singer says is a good fit for both artists.

"We've done things our own way. We don't care a whole lot about what people think and probably never will, and I think that makes for a good tour," Eric tells The Boot. "There's not people out there following rules and trying to be something that they're not, and I've always respected that about Toby, and I think that's so far why we've gotten along pretty well."

Toby has been warned by Eric that he is bringing his A-game to the trek. "I just straight up told him, 'Man, I'm coming out there to step on it!,' laughs the North Carolina native. "I don't care. I know it's your tour. You're Toby Keith, [but] I don't care. I'm coming out there swinging, so either stand there and get punched or swing back. It's going to be fun."

So, Eric, what do you think Toby's going to do, get punched or swing back? "He's going to swing back, I promise you!," he says with a big grin, anticipating the challenge.

Before he kicks off the Locked and Loaded tour with Toby, Eric will play several of his own dates, beginning with a show in Biloxi, Miss., on Saturday (April 23). For a detailed list of Eric's tour dates, click here.