SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — It was a moonshine-induced performance, involving a rubber chicken, an old-timey television set, a denim-clad outfit, and a whole lot of string instruments.
Tyler Childers rocked out in front of a sold-out crowd at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Wednesday night, and he did it his way. As part of the “Mule Pull ’24 Tour,” Childers played a 23-song set, running just over two hours on the Broadview stage, showing off his vocal versatility and tapping into his musical roots. The Kentucky native has carved out his own space in the country music world, combining folk and bluegrass with psychedelics and gospel.
Childers put that on display early, opening the concert with his unreleased, slow-paced track “Her and the Banks,” before following it up with his honky-tonk style “Percheron Mules.” Childers kept up the theme of toe-tappin’ country with his hit song, “Country Squire,” but eventually reigned in the feeling with the love song, “All Your’n.” The 33-year-old gave listeners a peek into his inspirations on Wednesday night, performing covers of both Kris Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night” and Hank Williams Sr.
’s “Old Country Church.” While supporting musicians James Barker (keyboard/pedal steel guitar), Craig Burletic (cello/bass guitar), CJ Cain (guitar) and Rodney Elkins (drums) certainly played their part in getting the concert venue ‘screamin’ and a shoutin’,’ Childers took on a solo s.
