
“Tribalism is the most dangerous thing.”
Nearly a year later, Church’s observations have proven to be prophetic as, beyond a few dust-ups on mask mandates and vaccine requirements for entry to shows, bitter partisan tribalism has grown. passed out at the start of football matches in a crowded stadium and concerts, large, medium and small.
The “Gather Again” tour is largely a weekend affair, with Church playing back-to-back shows each week rather than three or four concerts every seven days.
This weekend, for example, he will play Lincoln on Friday and Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Saturday. Then it’s Grand Rapids, Michigan and Detroit on January 21 and 22, Indianapolis and Louisville, Kentucky on February 4 and 5, and Omaha and Des Moines, Iowa on February 11 and 12.
This spectacle of Omaha, a month after he’s due to play Lincoln, is one of the main reasons why, unlike Church’s first two appearances in Lincoln, Friday’s concert won’t be sold out.
“With them playing both the markets and the uncertainty of COVID, it has sold very well,” Lorenz said. “But we kind of expected (it didn’t sell).”
The Church team was at the arena Wednesday morning to begin preparations for Friday’s concert, following protocols that allowed Church’s tour to remain on the road for four months without cancellations created by COVID.