It's typical to play to an audience of 20 at the start of your career. But when you are arguably at the height of your powers like Tyler Childers, it can probably feel a little disheartening.
Videos by Wide Open Country
However, just because the "Bitin' List" singer could count the number of fans in the crowd at this "rehearsal performance" on his fingers and toes, it was by no means a disappointing turnout.
Doesn't Tyler Childers Sell Out Venues?
As reported by Saving Country Music, the audience members participated in a fundraiser organized by Childers' fan club, the Hickman Holler Hunting Club.
Fans had to donate to the Shriners Hospital, then send their receipt to an email address. Participants were then entered into a drawing. The randomly chosen winners could bring a guest to a secret show on Sep. 17 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.
The "secret show" was a private rehearsal performance Childers organized not only to practice a tour run-through for his latest album, Snipe Hunter, but also for the enjoyment of the lucky drawing winners. Childers pulled no punches for the rehearsal performance, which included a full band and set list.
The Songwriter Also Gave Concertgoers $1000
Those at the special show had the opportunity to meet Childers, which would have been a big enough perk on its own. However, he took it one step further by giving $1,000 each to the ten winners and two representatives from the Shriners Hospital.
The amount is a reference to "Eatin' Big Time," the opening track to Snipe Hunter. Scott Lowery was one of those lucky few selected.
"I actually got to meet Tyler and say hello," Lowery told Saving Country Music. "'Okay, let's just have the people who were selected get in a picture. So we were standing there, and right when we were done taking that picture, I see Tyler hand money to the guy beside me. Then he just looks at me and hands me $1,000. It was just other-worldly because I didn't really know what was happening."
Lowery added, "About halfway through, I thought, 'I have to be dreaming. None of this makes sense. I'm in Rupp, got my little girl with me. Tyler is putting on a show for 20 people. I have $1,000 in my pocket that he handed me. [It] was more like a silly dream that you make up. It was too surreal to go, 'Yeah. This is normal.' It wound up being the coolest thing not having phones because I just watched it all. It was definitively a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Just beyond cool."
