Eric Church performs at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sept. 28, 2019. Original photo: Sean Liming/STAFF.

Country star Eric Church canceled his sold-out April 2 show at AT&T Center in San Antonio.

It happens. Maybe his vocal cords dried up. Maybe his guitar strumming hand exploded. Maybe someone hid his cowboy boots. Life can be unpredictable.

North Carolina drew Duke in college basketball’s Final Four, and Eric Church wanted to go.

Ah … what?

Meticulous research (Google) shows capacity at the AT&T Center in San Antonio is 18,581 people. So the week of the Saturday night arena show, for which more than 18,000 people hired babysitters, switched work schedules, made dinner reservations, sent their fanciest cowboy hats to the cleaners … whatever people in Texas do to get ready for a big concert, Eric Church said his desire to watch a basketball game in person was more important.

Huh.

Now, I understand loving basketball. I once begged a vice president of the company at which I worked in Santa Monica back in the early ’90s for an advance on my paycheck so my roommate and I could drive 400 miles in my rickety car the next morning to see a Warriors-Sonics playoff game in person.

We left at 6 a.m. and drove straight to the guy selling the tickets, then straight to the parking lot to make sure we ingested the minimum requirement of beer and Doritos legally mandated of 20-somethings before entering a sporting event. It was a glorious day.

Eric Church cancels his San Antonio gig for a basketball game and we’re supposed to be cool with it? How about you refund my fucking airfare and condo rental too? Four day vacation you just shit on because you’re selfish. Asshole move. Get a DVR and go @DukeMBB pic.twitter.com/PFNrLp8k3I

— Chris Frost (@MNFrostyBoy) March 29, 2022

But … if my band, which was playing to “crowds” of anywhere between three and a couple hundred people at the time, had a gig that night, the question wouldn’t have even come up.

Of course, I was the drummer, so I didn’t get a lot of choices. I was just happy they let me sit on the same stage, without a curtain around me or something.

But, yes, that makes me better than Eric Church. And a lot less rich.

Church issued refunds and released a statement, saying:

“This Saturday, my family and I are going to stand together to cheer on the Tar Heels as the team has made it to the Final Four,” Church wrote in the statement to his fanbase, which is known collectively as, of course, the “Church choir.”

Yes, that poor North Carolina basketball program obviously needs Church there, as they’ve only been to the Final Four 21 times.

“As a lifelong Carolina basketball fan, I’ve watched Carolina and Duke battle over the years but to have them matchup in the Final Four for the first time in the history of the NCAA Tournament is any sports enthusiast’s dream,” Church continued. “This is also the most selfish thing I’ve ever asked the Choir to do: to give up your Saturday night plans with us so that I can have this moment with my family and sports community.”

Well, he is right about something: It’s incredibly selfish.

“However, it’s that same type of passion felt by the people who fill the seats at our concerts that makes us want to be part of a crowd at a game of this significance,” Church said “Woody Durham always said, ‘Go where you go and do what you do.’ (T)hanks for letting me go here and be with the Tar Heels.”

Did they have a choice?

What a load. Nice try. I understand it’s a big game. Duke’s legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski is retiring after 750 years. Its college basketball’s biggest rivalry, even if they’ve never played in the tournament.

But they schedule these things out WAY in advance. If Church was such a big fan, why didn’t he just not schedule shows for Final Four weekend?

Church has told fans he’ll return to Texas in September to play a free show. Which is the least he can do. But what are the chances that all 18,581 fans can go?

We’ve all had a pretty lousy couple years and getting back out to see live music is one of the most important ways a huge chunk of the population is feeling like things are getting back to normal. Canceling a big show that really matters to people to watch a college basketball game (I think Eric Church can afford a TV to rewatch) is a lousy thing to say to the people that make you all that money so you can make decisions like this.

Nice work, Eric. Go Duke.

Follow music critic Tony Hicks at Twitter.com/TonyBaloney1967.