Never skip a Joanna Cotten performance. It’s been a hell of a month for Eric Church. In addition to premiering his first-ever concert film, Evangeline vs. The Machine Comes Alive, in theaters across the U.S. and Canada last Wednesday (and again on Feb. 14), the “Springsteen” singer recently reignited his Free The Machine Tour with the likes of Ella Langley and Caylee Hammack throughout both January and February. In case you didn’t get to catch the concert film or the tour itself yet, it’s arguably the Chief at his very best. Not only has he called upon his six-piece backing band, but the North Carolina native is also employing a four-piece horn section, a four-piece string section and an eight-piece choir to accompany him. Undoubtedly, this has led to some absolutely brilliant moments throughout his shows, ranging from the entirety of his Grammy-nominated album, Evangeline vs. The Machine, being played in its entirety to beautiful reimaginings of past hits like “Springsteen” and “Give Me Back My Hometown.” In typical Church fashion, however, he’s still throwing a whole lot of curveballs each and every night. Whether it’s removing the strings and choir entirely throughout different portions of the set, going acoustic for other stretches or even calling upon fan-favorite Joanna Cotten for segments featuring duets together, Free The Machine has been yet another tour for the ages. Famously, Church finally brought out the red-hot Langley, who is riding the highs of scoring her first-ever all-genre #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Choosin’ Texas,” over the weekend for a surprise performance of Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind” in Buffalo. A few days earlier, however, Church and Cotten delivered yet another killer cover that flew under the radar of many during their stop in St. Paul, Minnesota. After Langley fired up the New York crowd, Church opened up the show, per usual, with the entirety of Evangeline vs. The Machine before diving into hits and fan-favorites such as “Springsteen,” “Drink In My Hand,” “Sinners Like Me” and “Holdin’ My Own.” As the night wound to a close, he’d break into an impromptu acoustic session, starting with “Mixed Drinks About Feelings” and ending with a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City.” In between those two, however, he and Cotten teamed up for a killer cover of “Jackson.” I doubt “Jackson” really needs an introduction. First released in 1963 by the Kingston Trio, the track was then made more famous when Johnny Cash and June Carter released their version in 1967. Not only did it reach #2 on the Billboard Country Singles chart, but it’s also remained arguably the most popular duet from the duo to date. As for Church and Cotten’s version, I can’t help but love it. I think it would be outright blasphemy to say it’s better than Johnny and June’s version. With that being said, Cotten proves here once again why she’s not only a fan-favorite among die-hard Chief fans but also one of the most underrated vocalists working today. Like usual, her vocals are off the charts here during “Jackson.” Watch here: @hashiehousebets @Eric Church #chief #music #country #ericchurch #countrymusic ♬ original sound – HHB 2026 Free the Machine Tour  Feb. 19 || North Little Rock, Ark. || Simmons Bank Arena || 49 Winchester Feb. 20 || Kansas City, Mo. || T-Mobile Center || 49 Winchester Feb. 21 || St. Louis, Mo. || Enterprise Center || 49 Winchester Feb. 26 || Tulsa, Okla. || BOK Center || Stephen Wilson Jr. Feb. 27 || Fort Worth, Texas || Dickies Arena || Stephen Wilson Jr. Feb. 28 || Austin, Texas || Moody Center || Stephen Wilson Jr. Mar. 5 || Knoxville, Tenn. || Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center || 49 Winchester Mar. 6 || Greensboro, N.C. || First Horizon Coliseum || 49 Winchester Mar. 7 || North Charleston, S.C. || North Charleston Coliseum || 49 Winchester Mar. 19 || Birmingham, Ala. || Legacy Arena at the BJCC || 49 Winchester Mar. 20 || Atlanta, Ga. || State Farm Arena || 49 Winchester Mar. 27 || Hollywood, Fla. || Hard Rock Live || Kashus Culpepper Apr. 3 || Greenville, S.C. || Bon Secours Wellness Arena || Ashley McBryde Apr. 4 || Charlotte, N.C. || Spectrum Center || Ashley McBryde Apr. 10 || Jacksonville, Fla. || VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena || Ashley McBryde Apr. 11 || Tampa, Fla. || Benchmark International Arena || Ashley McBrydeThe post WATCH: Eric Church & Joanna Cotten Team Up For Cover Of Johnny Cash & June Carter’s “Jackson” In Minnesota first appeared on Whiskey Riff.