Oliver Anthony, the singer behind the recent viral hit “Rich Men North of Richmond,” held a live performance in North Carolina over the weekend, triggering passionate appreciation from the gathered crowds.
Mr. Anthony performed at a free show on Saturday at Eagle Creek Golf Club and Grill in Moyock, North Carolina, with security members estimating that 6,000 to 8,000 people attended the event, according to Billboard. The singer began his performance with his other songs like “I Want to Go Home” and “I Gotta Get Sober” before performing the popular number “Rich Men North of Richmond.”
Though Mr. Anthony made no political comments, the crowd did go political in one instance, echoing the anti-Biden “Let’s Go Brandon” chant.
Attendees held up U.S. flags during the performance, with some enthusiastically chanting “USA! USA!”
Mr. Anthony also sang “Doggonit,” which elicited cheers from the crowd. The song contains a lyric criticizing both America's established political parties—“And Republicans and Democrats/I swear they are all just full of crap.”
In an interview with Fox News at the event, the singer stated that his song “Rich Men North of Richmond,” touted as an anthem for blue-collar employees, represents more than the working class.
“This is something that has touched people globally and there's a reason for that,” he stated. "It resonates with the suffering in the world right now. Like even in our own country, we've had years of people feeling depressed and hopeless, and every time you look at the TV or get online, everything's negative.”
“And so I think people are just desperate for something positive again. There's been a lot of people that have died for us to be able to stand on this dirt and do what it is we do every day, and we should be excited for it.”
Mr. Anthony went viral this month when “Rich Men” captured the attention of Americans, racking up millions of views. The song, uploaded to the Radiowv YouTube channel, has already crossed over 30 million views.
It ranked #1 in the Top 100 USA Apple Music chart as of Aug. 21. On Spotify’s Top 50-USA, the song ranked #2.
At the event, audiences heaped praise on the singer. “Nobody wants to hear the truth and here we have somebody who's going to speak it,” one attendee told Fox News.
“Rich Men” refers to Washington politicians, according to Mr. Anthony. The song laments the gritty and thankless lives of everyday Americans. In the song’s lyrics, he identified several trends of American society—including cancel culture, the surveillance state, and high taxes.
“Rich Men North of Richmond is a key example of the populist-nationalist vs. establishment paradigm,” conservative media personality Jack Posobiec said in an Aug. 12 post on X.
“The anti-establishment message is gaining traction right now, and explains the dynamic we see in the GOP primary where career politicians are struggling against outsiders.”
In an Aug. 17 Facebook post, the singer, who lives in Farmville, Virginia, revealed that he has brushed off “$8 million offers,” which attracted “blank stares” from people in the music industry.
“I don't want 6 tour buses, 15 tractor trailers, and a jet. I don't want to play stadium shows, I don't want to be in the spotlight. I wrote the music. I wrote because I was suffering with mental health and depression,” he said.
“These songs have connected with millions of people on such a deep level because they're being sung by someone feeling the words in the very moment they were being sung. No editing, no agent, no bullshit. Just some idiot and his guitar; the style of music that we should have never gotten away from in the first place.”
In the post, he also said that his real name was Christopher Anthony Lunsford, and Oliver Anthony was a dedication to his grandfather.
“There's nothing special about me. I'm not a good musician, I'm not a very good person. I've spent the last 5 years struggling with mental health and using alcohol to drown it. I am sad to see the world in the state it's in, with everyone fighting with each other. I have spent many nights feeling hopeless that the greatest country on Earth is quickly fading away.”
Mr. Anthony said that he hates the way the internet has divided people, calling it “a parasite that infects the minds of humans and has their way with them.”
He pointed out that never in human history has the world enjoyed freedom as it currently does and asked people not to let others “take it away from you.”
“Just like those once wandering in the desert, we have lost our way from God and have let false idols distract us and divide us. It's a damn shame.”
In an interview with Billboard, Mr. Anthony’s co-manager Draven Riffe stated that though the singer is in no hurry to sign any major label deals, he is still producing music.
Five more acoustic videos are set to roll out that were recorded at the singer’s farm. The videos will arrive on Radiowv’s YouTube channel and streaming platforms.
“Oliver’s very passionate, not just about getting his message out, but helping a lot of other musicians [get] their message heard,” Mr. Riffe said.
“That’s a key part of it. Yes, he can play some big shows with big musicians, but he’s very passionate about bringing other unknown, unheard musicians up and helping them get their music out as well.”