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Tyler Childers Performed “Long Violent History” For The First Time Ever In Los Angeles
It only took him 5 years, but I’d venture to guess that Tyler Childers felt this was the right place and the right time to bust it out.
Back in 2020, following the death of George Floyd and the number of riots and protests that came along with it, Tyler Childers dropped a surprise album titled Long Violent History. The album was primarily a collection of instrumental old fiddle tunes, with Tyler showing off some of his amateur chops with a bow in his hand, but it culminated in the album’s title track, which was a rather thought-provoking commentary on racial injustice. Tyler tackles issue issues like racism, protests and police brutality, from a uniquely Appalachian viewpoint, ultimately asking the question: what would happen if white country boys were getting shot in the streets by police? Of course, more white men are killed by police officers every year in America, but black men are killed by police at a rate of 6 per million, whereas white men, 2.5 per million.
Here’s a quick look at the lyrics:
“How many boys could they haul off this mountain
Shoot full of holes, cuffed and laying in the street
Til we come into town in a stark ravin’ anger
Looking for answers, and armed to the teeth.”
“.30-06s and pappa’s old pistol
How many you reckon would it be, four or five
or would that be the start of a long violent history
of tucking our tails as we try to abide.”
It was heavy stuff at the time, and certainly a way to use art to make people think about an extremely polarizing topic. And look, I’ll try to be nuanced on the internet even though I know this post will be met with “WOKE!” criticism, or an “Amen!” from the other side of the aisle…. nothing in between. But the thing about Tyler Childers, who I’d bet differs quite a bit from me in his political opinions, is that’s he’s never been one to ram politics down your throat from the stage, and condemn the fans who don’t always agree with him… he lets his art do the talking, and more times than not, simply calls for empathy and understanding… asking the simple question, how would you feel if you were wearing these shoes? Whatever that issue may be.
That’s exactly what he did with “Long Violent History,” and then he released a video explaining it where he calls for empathy, he calls for compassion, he calls for understanding, he calls for us to engage in the political process and vote, he calls for less anger, he calls for new ways to preserve Southern heritage. And finally, he call for us all to…
“Love each other, no exceptions. And remember… united we stand, divided we fall.”
And up until last night, he had never performed the song live… not one time. But given the riots and protests (make no mistake, both are happening) going on in Los Angeles, and around the country, right now in response to the Trump Administration’s crackdown illegal immigration, he broke it out at the Hollywood Bowl, just down the street (well, not in LA traffic) from where these nationwide demonstrations got started.
@taterhater99 Tyler Childers just played the vocal version of ‘Long Violent History’ live at the Hollywood Bowl—his first time ever. The weight of the lyrics hit even harder, echoing through the night as the National Guard stood watch around the city. A powerful moment of music meeting protest. #LongViolentHistoryLive #TylerChilders #LongViolentHistory #HollywoodBowl #LiveDebut #MusicAndProtest #NationalGuard #LosAngelesRiots #HistoricMoment #CountryRevolution #TonightAtTheBowl @Tyler Childers ♬ original sound – tater
During the song, a popular quote from German pastor, Martin Niemöller, who spoke about his own inaction during the Nazi regime, was shown on the screen:
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
@jizzmzz Sounds even better live #sefardi proud #tylerchilders #ontheroad #countrymusic ♬ original sound – AllGasNoFocus
Obviously, an intention message given what is going on Los Angeles, and the broader conversation about immigration that’s happening around the country. But we’re once again seeing violence and destruction break out in Los Angeles, California, under the guise of “peaceful protest,” and Donald Trump recently ordered the National Guard to Los Angeles.
Donald Trump ran and won on the promise that he would work to get illegal immigration under control and secure the border, after the Biden administration allowed a record number of illegal border crossings during his term. ICE has stated that they’re primarily focused on violent criminals, and people who have come to the United States illegally in the past 2 years, but have acknowledged that there will be some “collateral damage,” and that undocumented, illegal immigrants who have no history of committing crimes could be detained too.
And I can be empathetic to those who come to the United States looking for a better life, and it should be mentioned how extremely the dangerous the journey is, especially for women and young girls. Would I risk my life to give my children a better life somewhere else? You better believe it. But here’s the thing… it can’t be a free-for-all… it has to be done legally, and the government has an obligation to do so with a process that allows for vetting, if nothing else to protect its own citizens, including the legal immigrants who live here. Is that a painfully slow process? Absolutely. Can we make it more efficient? Perhaps. But the answer will never be to let people flood into the country from all over the world, throw them into whatever city will take them, and hope it works out.
I’ve seen it first hand…. dozens of immigrants camped out in the police station parking lot down the street from my house in Chicago… all of them lost, no direction or help, no resources to help them assimilate or get acclimated to life in a new country… it’s just chaos. And that’s not even talking about the bad actors who immediately commit crimes, some have been given the opportunity to commit multiple crimes, and that only serves to turn people against the notion of immigration entirely. You know what else turns people against the cause? Burning down police cars and looting department stores…
Look, most of my friends are immigrants themselves or come from parents who are first generation immigrants… I’ll always support legal immigration, but there has to be a process, and unfortunately, what we’re seeing with ICE now is the result of trying to undo 4 years of bad policy and wide open borders. It’s broken system, and as we’re seeing, fixing it isn’t easy or kind.
All that being said, I applaud Tyler for trying to use his music to make people think, and standing up for what he believes in with a thoughtful, and compelling approach. We need more empathy, we certainly do… but we also need good policy from our leaders.
Highly charged political issues aside… Tyler also teased something new coming out TOMORROW, and based on the cryptic teaser video, fans think it could have something to do with unreleased fan favorite, “Oneida.”
Get excited.
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A post shared by Tyler Childers (@timmytychilders)
The post Tyler Childers Performed “Long Violent History” For The First Time Ever In Los Angeles first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
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