Before they became bona fide legends. It’s hard to even put into words just how important both Sturgill Simpson and Tyler Childers are to the flourishing independent/alt. country scene today. Influencing the likes of Zach Bryan, Flatland Cavalry, Colter Wall, Colby Acuff, The Red Clay Strays and pretty much every other key name in the subgenre today, the pair have cemented themselves as a cornerstone of the genre in a time where the historically underappreciated alt. country scene has finally risen to national prominence. Of course, you can thank Bryan for proverbially blowing the hinges off the door in terms of overall popularity for independent acts across the genre, but as it stands, Simpson and Childers remain the forefathers of today’s alternative country movement. In many ways, the pair share a similar overall career trajectory. For Simpson, he burst on the scene in 2013 with the release of High Top Mountain before cementing himself with the all-time classic, Metamodern Sounds in Country Music in 2014. For Childers, it took a bit more time, but the results were just the same. After putting the then-smaller indie scene on notice in 2011 with Bottles and Bibles, he’d then release his classic, Purgatory, six years later in 2017. What truly defines the pair, in the years following, specifically, is just how diverse their discography has gotten with each subsequent release. The “Long White Line” singer, for lack of a better term, has nearly gone in every direction possible. Delivering an atmospheric journey on the Grammy-winning A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, a full-blown rock adventure in SOUND & FURY, a bluegrass double album on Cuttin’ Grass, the narrative-driven The Ballad of Dood & Jaunita and finally being rebirthed as Johnny Blue Skies on Passage Du Desir and the upcoming Mutiny After Midnight. Childers, while not being quite as genre-fluid as Simpson, has continually pushed the envelope over the past decade. After establishing his sound with Purgatory and Country Squire, he’s delivered an eclectic gospel album on Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?, a full-blown bluegrass instrumental project with Long Violent History and a short but sweet bluegrass and traditional-centric offering on Rustin’ In The Rain. Most recently, he delivered his most boundary-pushing and diverse record yet with the Grammy-nominated Snipe Hunter, which also netted him his first-ever Grammy win for Best Country Song (“Bitin’ List”). Simply put, today’s country music scene would not be the same without Childers and Simpson, and with the two being more popular than ever, especially with Childers coming off a Grammy win and Simpson readying his second Johnny Blue Skies album, I thought now was the best time to highlight one of their rare appearances together. That appearance, of course, is none other than Simpson joining his fellow Kentucky native for a killer performance of “Whitehouse Road” at the Ryman Auditorium back in 2018. Though the “You Can Have the Crown” singer doesn’t sing throughout the performance, he provides some killer licks and fills throughout “Whitehouse Road,” highlighting his severely underrated ability as a guitarist that has been showcased more often over the years at his sprawling sets. It’s a bit hard to imagine, but this “Whitehouse Road” performance at the Ryman is one of the only videos online today of the two performing together, save for some collaborations with the likes of Wheeler Walker Jr. With that being said, if you’re a fan of Simpson and Childers (which you should be if you’re a country music fan), this performance is nothing short of a must-watch. Watch here: Snipe Hunt Tour Dates April 23 – Dallas, Texas – Dos Equis Pavilion – with Scott T. Smith June 4 – Birmingham, Alabama – The Coca-Cola Amphitheater – with Evan Honer & Scott. T Smith June 7 – Lexington, Kentucky – Railbird Music Festival June 10 – Darien Center, New York – Darien Lake Amphitheater – with Evan Honer June 11 – Hershey, Pennsylvania – Hersheypark Stadium – with Evan Honer June 13 – Columbus, Ohio – Buckeye Country Superfest July 9 – St. Louis, Missouri – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater – with Wednesday & Scott T. Smith July 12 – Chicago, Illinois – Wrigley Field – with Jon Batiste & Wednesday July 14 – Kansas City, Missouri – Morton Amphitheater  – with Wednesday July 15 – Des Moines, Iowa – Casey’s Center – with Wednesday July 18 – Boulder, Colorado – Folsom Field – with Jon Batiste & Wednesday September 30 – Sacramento, California – Golden 1 Center – with Wednesday October 2 – Seattle, Washington – Climate Pledge Arena – with Wednesday October 3 – Portland, Oregon – Moda Center – with Wednesday and Scott T. Smith The post Throwback To Sturgill Simpson Joining Tyler Childers For A Killer Performance Of “Whitehouse Road” Back In 2018 first appeared on Whiskey Riff.