If you know anything about Whiskey Myers, then you’re well aware of the fact that they sing the national anthem of sad cowboys…aka “Broken Window Serenade.”
Or at least that’s how the East Texas band and a majority of the internet coined the 2011 hit off of their sophomore album, Firewater. Trading in the heart-wrenching track for the United States’ actual anthem, last night one of the band’s members made a special appearance at the Minnesota Vikings Monday Night Football game.
While the Vikings ended up getting absolutely destroyed by the Buffalo Bills, losing 23-6, it was nonetheless an exciting night for the team, as legendary running back Adrian Peterson (who played for the team from 2007 to 2016) was inducted into the Vikings’ Ring of Honor. In honor of the Texas native’s momentous ceremony, the game hosted his long-time friend and lead guitarist of the staple rock-country band, John Jeffers, to perform the National Anthem.
Insanely enough, Peterson and the Whiskey Myers band member go all the way back to first grade, growing up in the same small town together before conquering their differing star-studded careers. Jeffers and Peterson also happened to share the same field back in the day, playing on their high school Palestine Wildcats football team.
Given the full-circle moment, the performance itself was a pretty epic nod to Peterson’s roots, not to mention the perfect opportunity for Jeffers to show off his insane guitar-shredding skills. While I do have to admit, I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to the national anthem (and yes, Chris Stapleton still holds the crown for the best rendition to ever do it), there’s something undeniably patriotic about hearing those iconic chords ripped on an electric guitar.
Sporting the legendary running back’s No. 28 jersey, Jeffers’ rendition has since also sparked some mixed reactions online, with a handful of lame viewers picking apart his performance on X. But then again, that’s pretty much what X users do with just about any performance these days.
Check it out for yourself below: