Last week, an unlikely pairing shared a bill together at Madison Square Garden: Tyler Childers and Sylvan Esso. While the latter have been a formidable electronica duo for the better part of a decade, they don’t necessarily scream “opening act for a country star.” And yet, Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn were perfect party-starters for Childers, who has quickly become one of the most impressive and likable country musicians in the world.
In his review of Childers’ recent album Rustin’ in the Rain, critic Tom Williams wrote that it was “an ambitious and zealous showcase of the 32-year-old’s ample talents. The title=track opener is a supremely self-assured triumph—beginning with a frenetic electric guitar riff that recalls the work of rock ‘n’ roll ‘Godmother’ Sister Rosetta Tharpe, before transitioning into anthemic honky-tonk. Another surprise arrives at the halfway mark, when a blues-inspired piano line briefly takes center stage, courtesy of Chase Lewis. The song is an effective and exhaustive showcase of the many ambitions of Childers and the alchemized finesse of his backing band, The Food Stamps. Its maximalist tendencies—and Childers’ impassioned croon—suggest that ‘Rustin’ in the Rain’ was designed not just as an audition for Elvis, but to Country Music’s Hall of Fame. In short, this record is Tyler Childers’ claim to greatness.”
Check out photos of Tyler Childers (and Kermit the Frog) and Sylvan Esso’s sets at Madison Square Garden on May 28th, taken by Emilio Herce, below.
Sylvan Esso
Tyler Childers
