Country and gospel are probably not the first musical styles that spring to mind when the name Marilyn Manson comes up. But in a truly surreal set on January 20th at Los Angeles' Ace Hotel, the antichrist superstar tackled both genres at once when he joined country superstar and actor Kris Kristofferson and guests Dennis Quaid, Shooter Jennings, Tanya Tucker and more to perform Kristofferson's 1972 song "Why Me."
The off-kilter sing-along, as seen in the fan-filmed footage above, was part of a two-set show by Kristofferson and his backing band the Strangers and featured 30 songs from both the singer's catalog and covers of Merle Haggard tracks. Sounding like a regular Sunday church gospel tune, "Why Me" retains its original peaceful vibes as Manson sways his arms and adds vocal touches throughout. Fascinating and unexpected, the addition of such an eclectic roster of guests seems out of place and awkward, but fun nonetheless.
Manson took to social media after the event, captioning a photo of himself and the country legend, "An honor to be invited onstage with the true Star Is Born. The legend Kris Kristofferson," followed by hashtags #kriskristofferson, #shooterjennings, and #whymelord.
