Upchurch at the Rust Belt -- April 27.
Saturday, April 27, 7 p.m.
The Rust Belt, 533 12th Avenue, East Moline IL
Currently touring in support of his recently released album Blue Genes 2, a work showcasing the more serious alter ego of comic hick-hop performer Upchurch the Redneck, country rapper Ryan Upchurch headlines an April 27 concert event at East Moline venue The Rust Belt, his remarkable discography including more than 20 albums released since 2016, as well as such platinum-selling singles as "Outlaw" (featuring Luke Combs), "Rolling Stoned," and "Holler Boys."
Born in Pegram, Tennessee, in 1991, Upchurch initially created Upchurch the Redneck, a humorous figure who played on stereotypes of young men in the Deep South, for the amusement of his friends and himself. In 2014, as noted on AllMusic.com, "Upchurch began making videos with his friends in which he portrayed the Upchurch the Redneck character, as well as showing off his skills as a rapper. After Upchurch started posting the videos online, word about his work began to spread, and as he developed a fan base for his 'hick-hop' music, he released an EP, Cheatham County, in May 2015. The EP rose to number 29 on the country albums chart, and Upchurch the Redneck's recording career was on its way. In February of 2017, while Upchurch's Web presence was still dominated by his hick-hop and comedy videos, he offered fans a look at another side of his talents with the song 'Where It All Went Down,' a modern country number where Upchurch sang rather than rhymed."
Upchurch's second full-length album, Chicken Willie, was released in August of 2016, and went on the reach number 22 on Billboard's Top Country Albums and number 11 on the Rap Albums charts, selling 2,800 copies in the first week. The following year, Upchurch released another EP titled Summer Love, which is completely country-oriented, with no elements of rap music, while another studio album titled Son of the South. Summer Love debuted at number 33 in the Top Country Albums chart with 3,700 copies sold. Upchurch's first rock album, 2018's Creeker, was released on April 20, and that August's Supernatural, a rap-focused album with some country elements, peaked at number six on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart. Since then, more than a dozen additional Upchurch albums have debuted, as well as EPs and songs crafted in collaboration with Bottleneck, Katie Noel, and Colt Ford.
Upchurch brings his national tour to East Moline on April 27, admission to the 7 p.m. concert event starts at $64.75, and more information and tickets are available by visiting TheRustBeltQC.com.
