Sturgill Simpson Makes Surprise Live Return With Latest Johnny Blue Skies Album, Talking Heads Cover

Sturgill Simpson might have a complicated, contentious relationship with the Nashville country music industry, but he's not going to let that stop him from playing a wild surprise show in the town. Earlier this year, Simpson, working under his Johnny Blue Skies album, released the horny, exultant country-rock-disco-funk party album Mutiny After Midnight, which is now on streaming (with a bonus Eddie Murphy cover) after only being available on physical editions for a while. Next month, Simpson and his band Johnny Blue Skies & The Dark Clouds will head out on an arena tour. On Wednesday night, they warmed up for that run by playing a surprise gig in a small Nashville room.Simpson and his band's warm-up show was at the Cobra, a 200-cap venue in East Nashville. This was their first live show in nearly a year, and they only announced it two hours ahead of time. They played the entire Mutiny After Midnight album, performing those songs live for the first time, as well as a bunch of covers, including some that they'd never done before. They also had an exotic dancer pole-dancing up onstage with them.Simpson's live shows have recently included a bunch of covers, and last night was no exception. Simpson played that Eddie Murphy cover "Party All The Time," and he also did songs like Prince's "Purple Rain" and William Bell's "You Don't Miss Your Water." Under the Johnny Blue Skies alias, Simpson had never previously done his covers of Bad Company's "Feel Like Makin' Love" and Talking Heads' "Life During Wartime," which was the final number of the night.Incidentally, the dancer up onstage with the band is @yourdarkomen on Instagram. She also bartends at the Cobra, and proceeds from the show reportedly went to the bar staff. Below, check out the show's setlist, via Setlist.fm, and some fan videos.SETLIST:01 "A Good Look"02 "Make America Fuk Again" (live debut, into "A Good Look")03 "Purple Rain" (Prince cover)04 "Feel Like Makin' Love" (Bad Company cover, live debut by Johnny Blue Skies)05 "Stay On That" (live debut)06 "Welcome To Earth (Pollywog)"07 "Party All The Time" (Eddie Murphy cover)08 "Everyone Is Welcome" (live debut)09 "Venus" (live debut)10 "It Ain't All Flowers"11 "Best Clockmaker On Mars"12 "Excited Delirium" (live debut)13 "Right Kind Of Dream"14 "All Said And Done"15 "If The Sun Never Rises Again"16 "Ain't That A Bitch" (live debut)17 "Viridescent" (live debut)18 "Don't Let Go" (live debut)19 "Fastest Horse In Town"20 "Mint Tea"21 "Brace For Impact (Live A Little)"22 "You Don't Miss Your Water" (William Bell cover)23 "Situation" (live debut)24 "Call To Arms"25 "Life During Wartime" (Talking Heads cover, live debut by Johnny Blue Skies)