Before Eric Church took the stage to perform his No. 1 single ‘Drink in My Hand’ at the 2012 CMT Music Awards, Big Kenny and John Rich introduced the singer from the middle of a screaming crowd outside the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The quirky duo joked that the entire performance line-up at the CMT Music Awards felt kind of like a drinking game. Still, they toasted red solo cups to Eric Church, and he busted out a crowd favorite song.

Church donned a baseball cap and his signature sunglasses when he performed ‘Drink in My Hand’ in front of a jam-packed and energetic crowd. With smoke machines, screens displaying gigantic flames and bright strobe lights, Church’s performance was definitely unforgettable. The crowd went wild every time he sang the chorus, singing and screaming along with him.

Not surprisingly, the bridge of the song — where Church mentions his alarm clock and yells “bang, bang, bang” — seemed to be the crowd’s absolute favorite moment of the set. Church looked elated as he smiled, laughed and shook his head in disbelief at the pumped up crowd that stood before him.

At the end of the song, the rising country superstar put his guitar on his back and stepped to the edge of the stage to get as close as possible to the energy. That might have been the most energetic performance of the night, for sure.

Watch Eric Church Perform ‘Drink in My Hand’ at the 2012 CMT Music Awards

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