STANDING IN FRONT of more than 80,000 faces, Eric Church took a moment to absorb the spectacle at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday evening.

“I’ve never played a show this close to my heart,” the country singer and Tar Heel State native noted to the deafening roar of the crowd.

Named the “Concert for Carolina,” the all-star gathering was the brainchild of Church and fellow North Carolina “local boy done good” Luke Combs. The two country stars combined forces and called everyone they knew who might be available to join them.