Wednesday, September 30, 2009

DIERKSFANS STORE NOW OPEN! PROFITS BENEFIT DB CHARITIES

Dierks Fans, a website created for fans by fans (DB Congress reps, Nid & Jenny from England), is pleased to announce the grand opening of it's official store at Zazzle. The store has a varied selection of products, including Dierks Fans logo items, and various other country music themed items.

They plan to add more designs in the future, and are always on the lookout for new designs and ideas. If you would like to be alerted when new designs are available, join the Zazzle Fan Club and sign up to receive an email each time a new product is added. Here are just a few samples:

The Dierks Fans brand goal is to promote Dierks Bentley and serve the fans. They promote the official Dierks Bentley site, the Dierks Bentley Congress and everybody involved in helping Dierks Bentley become a household name. Nid and Jenny are very excited about this new project, and the opportunity to give the Dierks Fans name more exposure.
Any profits made over the cost of running the sites will
be donated to one of Dierks Bentley's charities.

To help our friends around the world with shipping costs, the Dierks Fans store has addresses in:
USA - http://www.zazzle.com/DierksFans*
UK - http://www.zazzle.co.uk/DierksFans*
Germany - http://www.zazzle.de/DierksFans*
Australia - http://www.zazzle.com.au/DierksFans*
New Zealand - http://www.zazzle.co.nz/DierksFans*
Canada - http://www.zazzle.ca/DierksFans*


When you copy and paste, please include the * at the end.

DIERKS HELPS DUDES OUT

"As anyone who has seen Dierks live in concert can attest to, he's a dynamic, energetic performer, but the married father (daughter Evie will turn 1 next week) says he loves to slow things down with the love songs, too. He confesses his male fans find them useful, as well -- when they get in hot water with their significant other. "Hey, if I can help dudes get out of the doghouse – that is a great thing," he reasons." Read the rest of the story at theboot.com.

DIERKS BENTLEY: JOB WELL DONE

In a previous life, Dierks Bentley ran off the end of a dock and into the water after doing a dirty job badly. Nowadays he runs to the end of a catwalk and slides into the crowd after doing a job well--the job of entertaining thousands of adoring fans with his vocal prowess and playful personality. GACTV's Tom Roland tells us how Dierks keeps his perspective.

DIERKS ON CONAN LATE NIGHT OCT. 5

Hey DB Congress, set your DVR's! Dierks will be performing his new single, "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes," live on late-night TV next week. He'll stop by The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien on Oct. 5 and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson the following day (airing Oct. 12). Check your local TV listings for air times!

Monday, September 28, 2009

WIN A FREE DB CONGRESS TSHIRT!

How would you like to win a FREE DB Congress T-Shirt? We are so excited about the new design we wanted to give one away! All you have to do is tell us the most unique thing you've done in the last 6 months to promote Dierks that was really effective.

Please explain your initiative, what action you took, and what were the results. We're looking for more than, "I tell everyone I know about Dierks," so be specific.

Your DBC Cabinet will pick one winner from all the comments entered below on Sunday, October 4, 2009 at 6 pm Eastern, so get your entries in before then! Good luck! If you're the winner, you will get a DBC customized shirt with your name and state!

Ronna & Mona

BENTLEY'S BEAUTIFUL WORLD IS FREE!

Ever since Dierks Bentley's Feel That Fire CD was released February 3rd of this year, he has been singing his own praises (and rightly so!) for Beautiful World, the duet with Patty Griffin. In March, Dierks was a guest on the Eddie Stubbs, WSM radio show, and I was lucky enough to have Dierks himself answer the phone when I called in to comment on the song:

ME: Hi, This is Ronna, from Tampa, Florida.
DB: Hey, this is Dierks!
ME: You're kidding?! They've got you on the phones?
DB: Yeah, so how ya doin?
ME: Great! We just listened to you on the Opry, you guys sounded great! We are so proud of you!
DB: Thanks! So what do you think of Beautiful World?
ME: You know I love that song...
DB: So do you think between 'close your eyes' and BW, which one should be the next single?
ME: I love both, but I think close your eyes has a better chance of making it to #1 on radio.
DB: I know, that's the cold hard truth (*he said disappointedly).(*I felt bad, cos he had just said on the air that he wanted to be remembered for that song).

Knowing how much that song means to Dierks, I have to admit when I heard Jack Ingram's next single release was 'Seein' Stars,' featuring Patty Griffin, I was a little worried. How will it look if Dierks now releases HIS Patty Griffin song!

But today, I was reminded of how smart Dierks is. In conjunction with CMT One Country and to raise awareness for his Miles & Music For Kids event (this year several events nationwide), Dierks is offering a free download of Beautiful World! Genius, dude!

Now everyone will get to hear the song even if they don't have the album. And what better match than to pair the positivity in the song with the generosity of giving to the worthy Children's Miracle Network charity.

Watch Dierks' messages here.

Miles & Music benefits the Children's Miracle Network and will kick off in Nashville Oct. 11. Download "Beautiful World" and learn more here.

~Ronna
DB Congress Chair

Sunday, September 27, 2009

IF TOURING WITH DB WAS A CHOICE...

Could this be the view for one lucky fan?

Last week's DB Congress survey asked fans what they would like to win if the fan club offered. An overwhelming 83% said, "A day on tour with Dierks." Of course! That has always been MY dream! Now, if we can only get Dierks.com to have such a contest.! Uh, Morgan, ya there? Who do we have to "sell" on this idea?

I am willing to bet DBC reps would do just about anything to work for that prize! Am I right? Leave a comment and tell us what you would do in order to hang out with with Dierks for a day!

Poll Results:

What type of DB contest (if offered) would you most like to win?
*Front row DB concert tickets 2%
*Phone call from Dierks 5%
*Lunch with Dierks 10%
*Day on tour with Dierks 83%

Not a lot of tour dates left this year, but Vegas would be cool! What do you say Morgan? Vector Management? Capitol Records? Dierks? Anyone who can make this contest happen please respond!

~Ronna
DB Fan For Life

Saturday, September 26, 2009

IS DIERKS APOLLONIAN OR DIONYSIAN?

I ran across this interesting analysis of Dierks Bentley's, What Was I Thinkin' from a blog simply titled, "Colleen." She lives in Massachusetts. I think we need to recruit her to the DB Congress!

The song, What was I Thinking, by Dierks Bentley represents both Apollonian and Dionysian traits. In the song, the narrator is thinking irrationally; he only cares about intimate time with Becky, regardless of the consequences. Like a Dionysian, he is thinking based on pleasure, sensuous enjoyment, carelessness, and without reason. He seeks pleasure and sensuous enjoyment, by spending time with Becky. Bentley says, “I was thinking ‘bout a little white tank top sitting right there in the middle by me I was thinking about a long kiss.” Along with seeking sensuous enjoyment and pleasure, this is also careless and thinking without reason. Becky’s father is protective, has a criminal record, and is ready to shoot anyone down who comes after Becky. Bentley makes a big mistake, sneaking Becky out to spend time with her. He now has to face the consequences of Becky’s father.Although Bentley is clearly predominately Dionysian, his Apollonian side is also embodied through the song. Bentley says, “Oh I knew there’d be Hell to pay,” and questions his actions, “What was I thinking?” This is Apollonian, because he starts to think logically, realizing that his actions were wrong and have negative outcomes. This displays knowledge and realizations, both Apollonian traits. Bentley embodies both Apollonian and Dionysian characteristics throughout What was I Thinking.

ARIZONA AWAITS THEIR NATIVE SON

Dierks Bentley heads home to Arizona to perform with Brad Paisley in Phoenix (his hometown) on October 1, 2009. Arizona Central says: "Phoenix native Dierks Bentley has used music videos extensively to climb to his status as million-selling country star." They go on to re-cap their five favorite DB videos: Lotta Leavin' Left To Do, What Was I Thinkin', How Am I Doin', Come A Little Closer, and Sideways. See what Dierks' mom had to say about the CALC video!





{Source: Meg}

DIERKS BENTLEY WALKING ON AIR

Dierks Bentley has been walking on air lately--both figuratively and literally. Not only was he given The Buck Owens Red, White and Blue guitar at the Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, CA, but he actually challenged levitation king David Blaine. He shared both with the Twitter world recently:

@DierksBentley: @davidblaine , you got nothin' on me... great night in the bay area. #fb




@DierksBentley: ok...new highlight in my career...thx buck owens and thx @paisleyofficial

@DierksBentley: hanging at the crystal palace, honky tonkin...this night is the biggest honor! here is a pic of the gtr.


@DierksBentley: still riding high from being given the buck owens red white & blue gtr last night. always wanted 1. a blast at the crystal palace after #fb

Thursday, September 24, 2009

MAKING GAINS: IWMYCYE JUMPS

Dierks Bentley's third single from "Feel That Fire" is starting to make some serious gains on country radio. "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes" jumped a healthy FIVE positions to #22 this week, and its star is definitely starting to shine brighter! It's just a tick shy of the top 20, and I'm fairly confident it should make the jump next week. It's currently neck-and-neck with the current Trace Adkins single, but Dierks is garnering more airplay on a day-to-day basis. Slowly but surely, the sexy song is climbing its way up the charts.

I know we're all doing our part, and our efforts are certainly paying off. To echo what we posted a little bit ago about RateTheMusic.com, I definitely want to encourage everybody to sign up. I would also encourage you to check out your local country station's website(s). Many stations have some sort of a listener advisory board that you can join, and they typically get feedback from surveys through RateTheMusic or something similar. I can say first-hand that the results of the surverys are important. WKKT here in Charlotte has the "Music Mafia" and utilizes RateTheMusic survey results to compile its daily "Charlotte's Most Wanted" countdown. "Close Your Eyes" has been a staple on Most Wanted every day since the station debuted it -- therefore it's resonating with the public. It was even #1 last Friday (it's been #2 all this week). To put it in perspective, not even Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova" has been on there consistently. Radio stations do care what we have to say! Sign up today!

I will see you all again next week, hopefully with a Top-20 chart position!

~ Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

MILES & MUSIC UPDATE

Dierks took to his Twitter account to let us all know that another big name wants to help out on this year's Miles & Music.

DierksBentley: great news...@WynonnaMusic wants to be part of our oct 11th Miles and Music for Kids Ride and Concert!!! more announcements coming today #fb

Visit the page frequently to see if anything has been updated. I'll post the details as soon as more information is given (and if I'm near a computer at that very time..if not I'll post them as soon as I can)!

UPDATE: Heidi Newfield and Michelle Branch have been added to the star studded line-up! (Thanks for the heads up, Carrie!)

"My idea of the perfect Sunday afternoon includes live music, motorcycles, beer and football...but you also have to have girls...can't forget about them," laughs Bentley. "It's awesome that Wynonna, Michelle and Heidi want to come help us raise some money that day...it should be a blast." - Dierks tells THE GREENROOM


Remember M&M tickets are only $20 each for Sunday, Oct 11!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

ANOTHER AWESOME NIGHT REPRESENTIN' DB CONGRESS IN COLORADO

Coloradoblackcat (Kris) has been a proud member of the DB Congress for over two years now. So when Dierks came to Englewood Friday night, this was her chance to represent the DB Congress for Colorado:

"The Show in Denver last night was AMAZING, but what else would you expect from Dierks! When we got there we got our tickets and my M&G pass. Then we went to find our seats, which were about 10 rows from the left side of the stage! A little while later it was time for me to go to the M&G. I went and found where I was supposed to go and then stood in line and waited and waited and waited....ok, it was probably only about 10 minutes, but when you're waiting to meet Dierks, 10 minutes seems like 10 hours!

Finally it was time to go in. We were taken down to the area where we we going to meet Dierks and they explained the rules, and then Dierks came in! He took pictures and signed autographs for everyone, sadly only one per person. When it was my turn to meet him, he smiled and said "I've met you before, haven't I?" I couldn't believe it! I said, "Yeah, I met you last year in Colorado Springs." He apologized that he didn't remember my name, but I told him it was ok, and asked him to sign my DB CONGRESS shirt. He signed it and thanked me for representing the congress.


After he took pictures with everyone else, we all got to ask questions and just talk for awhile. It was way too short but totally worth the wait. As we were leaving he was saying goodbye to everyone, and as I walked by he gave me a hug and said thanks again for coming!

I went back to my seat then, after a quick stop at the merchandise stand. (all my friends asked me to get them shirts--I felt like a pack mule!) I was glad that I got back before the start of the concert, so I got to see all of Jimmy Wayne's set. He was really good. He played for about 30 minutes.

And then it was time for Dierks! He played for about 45 minutes, mostly the big hits, Sideways, CALC, WWIT, Settle For A Slowdown, My Last Name just to name a few. It was too short, but AMAZING! Brad went on then, and his show was really great too. We had to leave a little early, hubbie had to work early the next morning, but the whole night was really great.

Another awesome night in my life thanks to Dierks!

~Kris

HAPPY 10TH B-DAY DB CONGRESSMAN BUD!

Many of you have been following MOM-NOS, a blog by a mother of an autistic son. We made Bud and his mom honorary DBC reps because of their love and support for our prez., Dierks Bentley.

Bud turned ten yesterday, September 19, and his classmates decided to do something special to celebrate. Knowing his favorite color is purple, they created a purple book as a gift and the whole day took on a 'purple' theme:

"While Bud was engaged in something else, Kelly showed Ms. Walker a CD she'd brought in and together they snuck to the classroom's CD player to cue up a track. They turned the volume up slowly and watched for Bud's reaction as Dierks Bentley's "Every Mile A Memory" filled the room.

Bud raised his head, smiled, and started singing along:

"Texas stars in a purple night, Not seein' 'em with you, baby, oh they never do look right..."

Bud's classmates from last year smiled in recognition. His new classmates listened to him, then spoke up in appreciation - "Hey! He really can sing!"

Happy Birthday, Bud! DB Congress luvs ya!

Read the rest of the blog here!

DB LIVE IN MID-AIR, SALT LAKE CITY


testing the theory that you can catch more "air" in higher elevation...you guys rocked tonight in SLC #fb

Saturday, September 19, 2009

ONE OF THE LUCKY FEW FEELS PRIVILEGED

September 11th was a day of remembrance for America. It was also a special day for DB Congress New Mexico rep, Kristin (krisweir521). That's the day she found out she won a Meet and Greet with Dierks Bentley.

"Six days before the concert scheduled for September 17th in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I received an email telling me I had won a meet and greet with Dierks and I immediately texted everyone I know to tell them. I waited about 3 weeks from the day I applied on his website, to find out I got it--longest three weeks of my life! I had only seen Dierks in concert one other time in 2008 when he came through New Mexico on his Throttle Wide Open tour. I had front row seats and had the best concert experience of my life! I had joined his fan club the week prior to that concert, but had no idea I could apply for a meet and greet. So, this time around I was not going to let the chance to meet him pass me by."

Kristin and her girls Dierks'd out their car for the Albuquerque DRT:


"Fast forward to this year and the Brad Paisley American Saturday Night tour. At the venue, the other fan club members and I, nine of us in total, met up with Brittany, his tour assistant, and anxiously awaited our turn to be taken back to the outdoor tent. She told us we were allowed to take our cameras and one item that he would sign. I chose to have him sign the insert of my Long Trip Alone cd because it is my favorite album. I was the last person in line. I kinda planned it that way, figuring I might get an extra minute or two alone with him.

When it was my turn, I handed my camera to the person taking the picture and Dierks immediately welcomed me with open arms. He asked my name and then immediately noticed my necklace and made a comment about it. My necklace is his signature guitar pick that I asked, well ok I begged, him for at the previous concert I attended. During his acoustic set I caught eye contact with him and asked him if I could have his pick. When he finished his set he leaned down and handed it to me. Heaven! So I had a hole drilled into it and put it on a chain around my neck. While he was signing my cd cover I told him the story of how I acquired his guitar pick and also mentioned that I follow him on Twitter and loved his frequent updates and pictures.

After we took our photo, the other fan club members and I gathered around to ask him a few questions. I asked him if he's been doing any songwriting and he said "Of course, I'm always writing." After a few other questions, I realized our time together was coming to an end. He took the time to thank us for spending our hard-earned money to join his fan club and individually hugged and thanked each of us for coming to see him. I had so much more I wanted to ask him and talk to him about, but Brittany was bringing in other fans to meet him.

As I was gathering my things, I quickly asked him if he usually gave out his guitar pick to fans and he said "No, not unless someone asks for it, then I will." I said "Ok, I was just wondering if I was one of the lucky few." He said "yeah, you are." Of course, I left the backstage area with a huge grin on my face!

The concert was amazing! I have to say though, when he is not the headliner you feel a little ripped off because he does not get nearly enough time on stage. Don't get me wrong, I loved every minute of his performance, but I look forward to him headlining his own show again. I need a much bigger dose of Dierks to get me through! I'm now trying to figure out how I can make it to another show before year's end.

Meeting Dierks was an experience of a lifetime and I hope I get another opportunity to meet him in person. I will be a fan for life. There are many other talented country musicians in addition to him, but by far Dierks is my all-time favorite and I will continue to promote him and his music to anyone who will listen to me.

I feel it's a privilege to be a member of the DB Congress and love that there is an entire community that feels the exact same way about Dierks as I do.

Take care and thanks for the opportunity to share my story with you and other fan club members."

~Kristin (krisweir521)
DB Congress rep for New Mexico

KYGO TOURS WITH 'THE MEAT' AKA DIERKS BENTLEY

'THE' Kelly Ford, self proclaimed morning show goddess on 98-5 KYGO in Denver, Colorado, posted this video from her backstage tour with Dierks Bentley last night on Twitter. This is one of the funniest, most natural interviews I have seen with a DJ and DB! Thanks, Kelly!

DBC VOTES FAVORITE DIERKS DUET

You may have noticed a new voting box on the right of the DBC Blog page. The first questions was: "Which is your favorite Dierks duet partner song?" And the results are in! Exactly half of the voters like Sweet and Wild, the duet with Sarah Buxton, from Dierks' Greatest Hits CD! The next biggest favorite is Beautiful World, which could very well be the fourth single to be released from Dierks' current Feel That Fire CD!

Sweet And Wild - Sarah Buxton 50%
Beautiful World - Patty Griffin 26%
Last Call - Ronnie McCoury 7%
Good Things Happen - Alison Krauss 12%
Barbie Doll - Jack Ingram 5%

Be sure to vote is this week's poll: "What type of DB contest (if offered) would you most like to win?"

DBC MEMBERS OF THE WEEK - KRISTIN (NM), AMANDA (PA), & LAURIE (SC)

First Name: Kristin
dierks.com username: krisweir521
Location: New Mexico















What is your favorite Dierks Bentley song? Hope For Me Yet

What is your favorite Dierks Bentley album? Long Trip Alone

What is your favorite Dierks Bentley music video? Trying To Stop Your Leaving

What led you to be a fan? "I became familiar with him because of his association with George Strait, who I love, and I figured if George Strait loves him, then I'm sure I will love him, too. And I do! (maybe even a little more than George, shhhh!)."

"I call radio stations and request his songs, post his songs & videos on my Facebook & MySpace pages, and I talk about him all the time to anyone who will listen!!"

=====================================================
First Name: Amanda
dierks.com username: amandaclark8
Location: DuBois, PA


What is your favorite Dierks Bentley song? "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes" or "What Was I Thinkin'?"

What is your favorite Dierks Bentley album? If I had to choose one it would be Long Trip Alone, all of the songs on it are amazing!

What is your favorite Dierks Bentley music video? Well, since a couple weeks ago it changed to IWMYCYE. It is so sexy and sweet!

What led you to be a fan? During my freshman year of college, he came to perform at my school and I knew some of his songs so I went to see him and I was a HUGE fan ever since. He just has so much talent!! (and he is SO beautiful)

How do you promote Dierks Bentley? Well, his CD is playing in my car non stop! I talk about how great his shows are, and I wear his shirts around all the time. Also, if there are any polls that dierks are in I will vote.

"I feel that I am a huge fan of not only his work but him as a person. I will do anything I can to make Dierks get his name out there!"

======================================
First Name: Laurie
dierks.com username: hunterL5
Location: Rock Hill, SC



What is your favorite Dierks Bentley song? Too many…"Wish It Would Break"

What is your favorite Dierks Bentley album? Long Trip Alone

What is your favorite Dierks Bentley music video? "Come A Little Closer"

What led you to be a fan? I saw Dierks when he opened for Kenny Chesney. Dierks put on a better show than the headliner and I was hooked!

How do you promote Dierks Bentley? T-shirts, emails, facebook..I am constantly talking about him and the shows I go to. His picture is on my desk and everyone who knows me knows that everything stops for Dierks!

"There is no other as great as Dierks, and I have been lucky enough to meet him six times. I want to do all that I can to make his music known so he can get the recognition that he deserves. No other artist, in my opinion, is as appreciative of their fans as Dierks. We owe it to him to get his music out there!"

===========================================


Welcome to our newest DBC reps!:
CassieCass
countrykitty
amandaclark8
hunterL5
hockey4me15
mkrajewski
krisweir521
nmm84wvu
janetgrajeda
JGRILLO
tammis

DIERKS LEARNS FROM GEORGE JONES











Does it surprise you to know that Dierks Bentley and George Jones are friends? With Dierks' love of traditional country music and respect for the history of the genre, it seems like a natural fit to me. And Dierks readily admits he's learned a lot from The Possum.

One of my favorite DB songs is "Murder on Music Row" - a duet with GJ from the exclusive Cracker Barrell "Songs of the Year" CD from 2006. The duo's ad lib at the end of the song sounds like two friends just hanging out.

This weekend on America's Opry Weekend, Dierks Bentley takes vocal lessons from George Jones:


"In country music, being technically good is not what it’s all about. It's really about emotion in your voice and singing through a broken heart. There's a lot of people today that can technically sing really well, but have they had their heart broken, and can you hear that emotion in their voice? Not as many as probably the past. I learned that from George ... went out and got my heart broken a couple of times, just so I could sing halfway, nearly a tenth, a fifth of a percent of how good he can sing. That’s the biggest influence George has had on me."

The 9513 recently posted an interview with George Jones in which George mentions Dierks:


JT: Do you listen to any of these young artists on the radio?

GJ: No ma’am. I listen to Alan Jackson and George Strait. They’re still on the stations. And we like Sugarland too. Most of the new artists, they understand me. We’re good friends. Kenny Chesney is like my son, [along with] Dierks Bentley, and several of ‘em. They know I love traditional music and I know what they have to do. We still all go out and have a steak together; they’re good people and they do good work. It’s just ain’t what I like anymore.


On this weekend's America's Opry Weekend, Dierks is scheduled as an Opry Classic Spotlight: "Walk Through This World With Me (Live),” Dierks Bentley. Here's just a little taste of Dierks performing the song for George's 75th birthday celebration at The Grand Ole Opry on September 12, 2006:





Find out more about AOW here.



*Special thanks to Stephanie (DB Congress Historian) and Annie, DBC rep in Kentucky for contributing to this blog
!



Thursday, September 17, 2009

TWITTY-ESQUE "CLOSE YOUR EYES" UP TO #27

Dierks Bentley's current single, "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes," is drawing comparisons to a country music legend as it makes its way up the charts. Coming in at #27 this week, "Close Your Eyes" is being compared to the songs that Conway Twitty once recorded. As CJDC's Margy Holland writes:

Like Twitty, Bentley tells us that sexy love songs are becoming part of his repertoire. "Yeah, I love Conway. I love those kinds of songs. One of my bigger songs still is a song called 'Come A Little Closer' which is that same type of vibe and I think on every record I like to put out something that's really fun, something that's a little left of center and then something that's kind of in that more sexier vein groove and one for the girls, but also one for the guys too."

Bentley says the song can be a useful tool for the guys. "They can play it for the girls, you know. If they can't sing or write a song maybe they can play that in their truck or play it at home and either lead to a good time or help them get out of a rough patch, a rough spot."

Not a bad person to draw comparisons to! (Thank you Research Assistant Meg for the info!)

IWMYCYE is picking up steam at radio, regardless of the comparisons it's drawing. It's steadily growing in both spins and audience, and only 12 stations need to pick it up -- which I'm sure will happen soon. With our efforts, "Close Your Eyes" will be Top-20 in no time!

~ Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter - NC)

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

DB FANS SEE TX STARS ON A RAINY NIGHT

Texas DB Congress rep, Connie, was excited to share her Dierks experience with us:

Well it was a rainy week in Texas, and I had concert tickets to see Mr. Dierks Bentley in Dallas on Saturday September 12. It was only a 2 hour drive, plus I had a M&G so I was going to be there rain or shine. I had an extra ticket to the show and Penny wanted to go, so I told her she could have the ticket.

The drive seemed long--it was raining non-stop the whole way. We finally made it to the venue, and for some reason the lady let me park in the parking lot back where the buses were and told us how to get to the will call. As we pulled in, we saw the green machine (Dierks' jeep), and I was no longer wondering WWIT (what was I thinkin') for driving up here in this weather!

We could hear Brad singing W2TF during sound check, as we were walking to will call. The guy said he didn't have the tickets or passes to check the other side so we walked to the other side but it wasn't even open so we asked a lady and she told us to check the other side. I explained I had just left that side and he told me to come over here and that I just wanted to get pointed in the right direction so I could get out of the rain, because the wind kept messing up my umbrella! Why does it seem like every show nobody knows what's going on?

I headed back to the first will call and the guy told us to come back in a hour. We told him thanks and headed for lunch. After lunch we headed back to the venue and picked up the tickets, and waited for the doors to open. The parking lot was filling up and the guys were starting to get in line for the grass seats. Lucky for us our seats were covered. There was a bar that opened before the venue so we went in and soon after they told us we could head into the venue.

Penny headed to the radio stations to fill out for a Meet & Greet, while I sat by and talked to the stations about concerts and they loved my "Who the hell is Dierks Bentley" T-shirt.

It was time for me to head to the fan club M&G so I left Penny and she stayed there by the radio station tent. As soon as I walked away I got a call from Penny. She said, "I just got a hug from Dierks, he was talking to the radio stations!" I was happy for her that she got to see him, because she didn't win a M&G, but she was happy that she got to see and say hi to him.

Big 96.3 radio posted this video of Brad, Dierks and Jimmy interviews. Dierks is at the 4 minute mark.

I went and lined up with the other people for the M&G. We were all there early so Brittany said ok lets get out of the rain. We all went into the room and she went over how it was going to go. Everyone was to put everything on the table except the one thing you wanted him to sign, and your camera. I handed out the Congress stickers from Alicia.

As we waited we all talked about Twitter, and I mentioned Brad had posted one that said Dierks was bald. She said she hadn't seen it. She said we should have seen the one Dierks wouldn't let her post. I said "Awww...just post it next time!" Someone made a comment about the towel sharing and we all laughed. Then one girl looks around and says "Question--why is nobody wearing a white tank top?" and everyone said "uhhh...its raining." Someone also mentioned getting beer at the M&G. Brittany said, "You'll have to talk to your president about that, but I'm sure it would up your fan club fees."

I was a little nervous about my M&G this time thinking Dierks is probably like, 'I'm tired of seeing this girl.' But Dierks walked in and everyone lined up and started taking pics. One person had a Magazine for him to sign. He said, "I can tell this is old 'cause my name is in all caps and Taylor Swift's is lower case."

It was my turn for my picture. I smiled and gave him a hug. My plan was to tell him, "Whenever you get tired of seeing me let me know," and to thank him for his time during the M&G because I know he doesn't have to spend that time talking with us, because of a past M&G experience that I had with another artist. But instead I said, "Thanks for the beer and popcorn in Ft. Hood, that was the first beer I ever drank!" He laughed. He also asked if we had any signs to hold up and I told him we didn't because our seats were too far back. He asked where our seats were, I told him and said next show I would definitely have some signs.



We lined up for a group photo, and he did Q&A and I told him I was ready for him to headline & pit section!!! A lady asked how long they played for, he said "50 minutes." She asked 15 mins? He said, "Yes, I sing like this," and starting singing really fast and then told her 50 minutess again. The M&G was over and everyone got their last hug. When I got mine, he said "Always good to see you," which made me feel a little better about filling out for a m&g again (fan club allows 2 per year now), and I told him next time I would have signs.

I headed out to my seat, my poor concert ticket was falling apart from the rain. I told the guy it's falling apart so he took out the flashlight to read where my seat was. I went to my seat as Penny & I waited for the show to start. First Jimmy Wayne came on and I knew a couple of his songs, plus he sang "Sara Smile." I think he said that was his next single. I only knew that song from the oldies station.

Next it was time for Dierks. He came out to SIDEWAYSSS -- lots of energy and running around as always. Songs included in no particular order What Was I Thinking, Free and Easy, My Last Name, Lot of Leavin Left To do, Settle for a Slowdown, How Am I Doin, Every Mile A Memory, Feel That Fire, Come A Little Closer (I know I am missing some probably). Even though we were on row R we stood up singing and screaming the whole show.

After Dierks' set was over, my voice was gone a little as I told the people next to us they could move down--we weren't staying for Brad. They looked at us like, What? I said, Yes, Dierks is amazing--we saw who we came to see! They asked, Are you sure? I said, Positive! They thanked us and moved down! In the end it was a great show, and amazing M&G as always, but you guys already know that!

Can't wait to do it again! Every Mile a Memory!

Connie
DB Congress
Texas rep

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

CW OUTTAKES FROM DIERKS

If you haven't been able to find a copy of the Country Weekly September 21 issue with Dierks on the cover, please let me know--I have a few extras. Email me at Ronna@dbcongress.com

In the meantime, CW posted the outtakes of the cover story on their website! See what Dierks says was the hardest part about breaking into the music business, his long term goals, his worst gig, stalkers and guns in the house!

Check it out!

Monday, September 14, 2009

DB DRAWS RECORD-BREAKING CROWD


When Dierks Bentley strolled on stage in front of a sold out Alfond Arena, he asked the audience a simple question: “Have you worked hard all week? Is it time to play?” Judging by the deafening response from the crowd, the answer was clear.

Bentley was referencing his hit song, “Sideways,” which, like many country songs, is all about having a good time. For country fans, Bentley’s honky-tonk romp was probably the second-best way imaginable to ring in the weekend, just behind a cold beer, which surely many crowd members enjoyed after the show.

The show, featuring Dierks Bentley and opening act Josh Thompson, was put on by Student Entertainment with help from Bangor area country radio station Q 106.5. According to Abtin Mehdizadegan, Vice President of Student Entertainment, 4,640 tickets were sold, doubling the 2,300 sold for Panic at the Disco, the most recent concert in the Alfond in spring of ’08. It was the first time the Alfond had sold out since the Grateful Dead concert in 1983; a non-Student Entertainment event.

The record-breaking crowd formed a human sea dotted with NASCAR logos, white tank tops and gaudy cowboy hats. Fans poured out of every small town across Maine, where the simplicity of country music still speaks to the simplicity of life.

“I’m from ‘The County,’ way up in Aroostook County, and country is very big up there,” said concert attendee Emilee Currie. “We’re always listening to the country radio station way out on the field roads.”

The lyrics in opener Josh Thompson’s songs embodied the country attitude that hung heavy in the stadium. He sang songs about the Bible, guns and John Deere. He lamented getting older in his song “Growing Up Is Getting Old,” and praised the simple pleasures of life in his song, “Beer on the Table.” His one-dimensional song structure grew a little tiresome, but the simplicity of country music is perhaps what gives it such pervasive draw.

Dierks was able to explode within the simplistic form of country music. From the moment he stepped on stage, the Alfond was electric. Bentley bounded around the entire time, running out on the catwalk and jumping on top of the monitors. His back-up band was extremely talented and he gave them plenty of room to showcase their skills. Two huge video screens were on either side of the grandiose stage, displaying images and videos throughout the set.

“[The concert] was fun, energetic,” said attendee Andy Shorey after the show. “He had us all standing the whole time. He just does what he does, all the time.”

Dierks sang songs that the audience could relate to and they sang right along. He sang about love in his song “Every Mile a Memory,” about good times in “Sideways,” and about chasing girls in “What Was I Thinking.”

It may have been hard for some to find sympathy for him during his songs about heartbreak — his handsome looks could have gotten him any enticing young lady in the place. Every girl, and probably some guys too, couldn’t help but swoon as his curly, golden locks bounced up and down while he strummed his guitar. And he certainly didn’t pass up the chance to flirt with the lucky ladies in the front row.

Dierks was enjoying himself just as much as the audience. “Personally,” he said as the lights came down for a sparse acoustic portion of the show, “personally I think this kicks a–.”

He told the audience about skating with the UMaine hockey team earlier that day and pulled out a jersey with his name on it — easily the highlight of the night.

“He’s a huge hockey player, and the fact that he got to go skating with the [Black] Bears — he hadn’t skated in two months — he loved it,” Mehdizadegan said. The athletic department’s cooperation with the event helped make everything run very smoothly, according to Mehdizadegan.

For Mehdizadegan, the success of the show went far beyond what happened on stage. He said the help from his team of volunteers and Bentley’s staff made for a perfect concert experience.

“I think — and I can say this with a lot of confidence — that this show was absolutely flawless,” said Mehdizadegan. “I think people enjoyed it because he’s a great performer. He’s pretty mainstream when it comes to country. He’s not too niche based. Student Entertainment has never done country and when I came into the job, I knew I wanted to do different genres.”

With a crowd of nearly 5,000 packed into the Alfond — 1,900 of them students — it’s hard to deny country’s widespread appeal. Love it or hate it, the show sold a little less than twice the amount of tickets the Dropkick Murphys (2,800) and O.A.R. (2,500) sold last fall, and over three times as many as Ben Folds (1,350) last spring.

Source
By Kegan Zema
Posted on Thursday, September 10th, 2009, 1:44 am

DIERKS IN A DIFFERENT LEAGUE

The first time I saw Dierks in concert was when he came to Oklahoma City with George Strait, Halloween seven years ago. It was when "What Was I Thinking" was brand new. He sang and I thought "Hey this guy has a really unique voice. He's prety good." So I started following him.

Modern Day Drifter is my favorite CD, not that I don't love "Long Trip Alone" and "Feel That Fire", but MDD is the one that got me completely hooked on Dierks' music. "Settle For A Slow Down" is hands down my favorite Dierks song!

In July we went to see him at Chaos At The Cove in Eufaula, OK. It was no less than one hundred degrees and we were packed like sardines in front of the stage. We were all sweaty and people were slinging beer so we were covered in that too. So aside from the heat, sweat, beer and hot bodies it was the craziest, funnest concern I'd seen yet.

I came back to work Monday still totally jazzed up from the weekend. So I got on Dierks' website and saw a new concert was posted for Norman, just down the road, so I called and bought tickets. After my incredible experience at Eufaula I didn't see how I'd ever be able to go to another Dierks concert sitting out rows away from the stage. So I thought if I joined the fan club I'd get better seats. So I joined and signed up for the Norman Meet and Greet. When I receieved the email informing me I'd been chosen, I nearly cried. It was fantastic.

So I arrived at Riverwind Casino last Thursday and picked up my M&G pass. I was the first one in line to meet Dierks. We walked into the back room and there he was finishing up pics with the previous group. They had me stand like three feet away to wait my turn. I really don't get nervous much, but standing three feet away from Dierks Bentley is intimidating!

He finally looked at me and asked if I'd been caught in the rain. I had been at the casino since 5:45 waiting for the M&G and it was now 7:30 so I had no idea it had even been raining so I stuttered a minute trying to think of something more intelligent than that and finally settled on "I didn't even know it was raining. I've been waiting for the M&G." He laughed and said "Well did you do some gambling?" I said "Just a little but I didn't win." I don't think I really scored any WOW points but I didn't make a COMPLETE fool of myself.



So we get our picture taken and I start to walk away and he says, "Do you have something for me to sign?" Of course I did, I was just scatterbrained. I said "Yeah sorry, I'm new." and laughed. He was really nice and probably very used to dealing with star struck fans so he handled it great. He signed my CD and I stood aside and took a dozen more pics of him signing autographs and taking pictures. He gathered us all up and thanked us for being in the fan club and answered our questions. I never quite worked my nerve up for another question but NEXT time hopefully I'll do better.

He was just a nice, normal guy. I enjoyed getting to meet him. I will sign up for every meet and greet that comes through Oklahoma. No matter what I'll keep buying his music and going to every single concert I can. His voice and his music belong in a league of their own and I hope he knows how much his fans support him.

Needless to say the concert was great. My sister and I never sat down. We spent the whole two hours on our feet screaming, singing, cheering, dancing, clapping and more screaming. As usual he blew us away. Neither my sister or I had much of a voice left but that's a small price to pay to get to see Dierks up close and doing what he does best. Thanks a lot.

~Kelly,

Oklahoma DB Congress rep

Sunday, September 13, 2009

WHITE TANK TOPS GET DB's ATTENTION

After loving Dierks Bentley for years and finally dragging 3 of my friends to see him in Eufaula, OK on July 3, 2009 in 100+ degree temps for 6 hours, I was hooked and had to join the fan club--as did my friend Angela.

Then, we realized that DB was coming to Riverwind Casino, so we bought our tickets ( third row) and signed up for our Meet and Greets! We also had special white tank tops made.

I got a M & G, but Angela didn't. Of course, she was upset. We arrived at Riverwind about 5 pm and as we walked by the buses we of course had to snap a few pics. The green machine was there. (Dierks' Jeep).

Just as we passed the buses, we noticed the "backstage" doors just in time to see Chris (Tour Manager) come out. Dierks was doing sound check. So, we ventured into the casino and picked up my M & G and snapped a few more pics. We were getting lots of compliments on our tanks!

So, about 30 minutes later we ventured back outside and no one was there except a couple security guards, so, one of them told us to hold on a minute (apparently the second guard told Dierks that we were waiting for him) and Dierks came out and told us to come over. So, we all introduced ourselves and he loved our tank tops. We got a quick pic and chatted for a minute, then we let him go to his bus to get rested up and ready! Angela and her mother, Roxanne were pumped.....and freaked!

So, we go back in and eat and I met another girl from the fan club. About 7 pm they lined us up for the M & G and his tour assistant Brittany came and got us. There were other M&G's going on before and after the fan club also, like radio, casino, bud light, etc. I also saw some girls representing with their DB Congress shirts on.

At the M & G we all got our pics taken and I got my tank signed. Dierks said it was good to see me again and told me not to worry, that he wouldn't forget about the "Dierks Girls" during the show.. He then did a Q & A. Everyone was so quiet. He said his family was doing well, and he had actually just gotten in from a few days in Phoenix, mentioned about taking off in Jan. and Feb. and working on some music and a bluegrass album, mentioned maybe doing a small venue tour in March and April and hopefully headlining next fall. He talked about a small bar in Little Rock, Arkansas with low ceilings and how he about took out a ceiling tile during a show. Then we all gathered in for the group pic. Dierks thanked us all for coming and being in his fan club, then gave us hugs!



Show Time!

Dierks came out with Sideways and made it a point to come over to us and point out our tank tops--it was awesome and got quite a rise from the crowd!
Other songs included (in no particular order): Long Trip Alone, Feel That Fire, Come A Little Closer, I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes, Life on the Run, Better Believer (looked up and thanked God when it was over....gave me chills), What Was I Thinking, Free and Easy, My Last Name, Lot of Leavin Left To do, Settle for a Slowdown, How Am I Doin, Every Mile A Memory, and Fulson Prison Blues.

Even though we had third row seats, we didn't sit. We were up close and personal by the stage except for the 1 or 2 songs that they (security) ran us all back to our seats. That didn't last long!


Great Show as usual and many memories! We are now looking at going to see Dierks in Vegas in December!

Here is a link to all the pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/Karissa1977/DierksBentleyConcert#

I also shot a few videos....here is my you tube link:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Karissa1977


Karissa Shields
DB Congress Rep
Oklahoma City, OK

RATE THE MUSIC


Thanks to Mona, DBC rep in Iowa, and Director of Promotions for DBC shirts, we know that Dierks Bentley's, "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes" is on this week's Rate The Music survey. You just need to register (it's free) and then select:

YOUR CURRENT SURVEYS (Available to Complete)
Click on the survey name to take a survey:
Country-September 11, 2009 NEW!
(ends on September 17, 2009)
You will be presented about 20 songs to "rate", and Close Your Eyes is one of them. Make sure you click "Like a lot" and "No" I am NOT tired of hearing it on the radio!

We need your help to get IWMYCYE into the top 10 for the Rate The Music Top 10 Country songs! Every little bit helps!

Click here to register, or login in and take the survey. It only takes about 5-7 minutes!

Thank you, DB Congress!


~Ronna
DBC Chair

Saturday, September 12, 2009

DIERKS OFF THE RECORD

Dierks Bentley has always had a special connection with his fans--especially his hard-core followers. That's how I became a DB fan--because of his ability to look you in the eye and instantly connect and suck you in for life! Not that I'm complaining.

Dierks Bentley told the national radio show GAC Nights: Live From Nashville: "I really feel like I've met everyone who's bought one of my records. I truly feel like that. We spend so much time out there. We have such hardcore fans that sing along to every song off the record and know the whole new record by heart. I feel really blessed to get out there every night and have them get up and sing these songs back to me."

So, let's show Dierks how much he means to us, too! Vote for the I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes video on the GAC Top 20 EVERY DAY!

LEVITAN GUIDES BENTLEY'S CAREER

Dierks Bentley signed with Vector Management, the powerhouse company headed by Ken Levitan, back in January 2009. The Capitol Records Nashville artist was previously with Scott Kernahan’s Rogue Music.

Since that time, a swarm of promo events--Jimmy Falon, The Bud Shoot Out in Daytona, The Today Show, Regis & Kelly, Jimmy Kimmel, Ellen, Bonnie Hunt, Kathie Lee and Hoda--managed to help Feel That Fire debut in the #1 album slot for Dierks the first week of February.

Ken Levitan will receive the Jack Emerson Lifetime Achievement Award for an Executive at the Americana Music Association’s 8th Annual Honors and Awards ceremony, on Thurs., Sept. 17 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

As founder and Co-President of Vector Management, Levitan guides the careers of Americana stalwarts Lyle Lovett, Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, John Hiatt, Buddy Miller and others. Also signed to his powerhouse roster are Kid Rock, Kings of Leon, Hank Williams Jr., Bon Jovi, B-52s, Ben Folds, Michael McDonald, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Trisha Yearwood, Peter Frampton, Trace Adkins, and Dierks Bentley.

Levitan, whose first foray into the music business was as chairman of the Vanderbilt Concert committee, is also a Grammy Award-winning producer for his work on The Apostle soundtrack.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pretty impressive! I'd say Dierks is in good hands! Congratulations Ken! Now, if you could just "manage" to get DB a CMA nomination or two, the DB Congress would be eternally grateful!

Thank you!

Ronna
DB Congress Chair



Source: Sara Skates

DIERKS HOT STUFF UP FOR BID

Attention, DB Congress! Our friends from Country Music Tattle Tale need our help! Apparently, there are a few items from their charity auction to benefit Special Kids of Tennessee that were not paid for, so they are putting them back up for bid.


Two of those items are Dierks-related:
  • Dierks Bentley autographed American Songwriter Magazine
  • Dierks Bentley autographed bottle of hot sauce from his #1 Party (Feel that Fire)
Time is limited! If you want to bid on these items, go to CMTT before Friday, September 18!

ROAD DOGS DIERKS AND JAKE MAKE THE COVER OF COUNTRY WEEKLY

Country Weekly's September 21 issue is on sale now! Not that I ever miss buying the magazine every single week, but this week is special! Dierks Bentley is on the cover with his best friend Jake! And this is the second time this year CW has made us Dierks fans very happy by recognizing him as the featured artist on their cover. Seems to me the CMA could learn a lot from Country Weekly!

The article, a six-page spread, surrounds a day in the life of two road dogs - Dierks and Jake. The particular day of interviewing and photo shooting was August 18 in Atlanta, Georgia at The Tabernacle. It's exciting to know I was there that day and got to watch the photo shoot along side many DBC-ers!

Now I could scan in all 6 pages and post them here for you, but what better way can we show our appreciation to CW than to run out and buy our own personal copy? What I will do is share a few of my favorite quotes from the article:

"It's tough. I'm so lucky that Cass totally supports me. She knows this is my dream. Without that I couldn't do it."
(on being on the road)
"More than anyone else, Jake has seen me at my lowest points...he was there through all of that unpleasant, soul-searching time."
(on his best canine friend)
"They get excited, I take that energy backstage and make it my own when I go on stage...It makes the show more personal."
(on meeting fans in the parking lot)
I always make it a point to send a thank you email to CW Editor In Chief, Larry Holden, for any and all Dierks exposure. I want him to know how much I appreciate it. So when I found out a few weeks ago this DB issue was coming, I sent Larry an email and this was his reply:

"Hey, Ronna, we at CW are also extremely happy that Dierks is back on our cover. And, here’s a little known fact—it was Jake who asked him to do it for us!

Larry"

In addition, Dierks is also mentioned throughout the issue on pages 29, 31, and 49, so make sure you get your copy today! I promised Larry lots of sales for this one, so make me proud, DB Congress!

Ronna
DB Congress Chair

Friday, September 11, 2009

DEVIN DIGGIN' DIERKS; GEORGE JEALOUS OF JAKE?

Country Weekly's Septemer 14 issue published a few Dierks Bentley related letters:

*DB Congress rep, Devin from South Carolina submitted her letter:




*Is George jealous of Jake?

Thursday, September 10, 2009

5TH ROW ON THE 5TH!

Meet DB Congress representative, Kristi, from Pennsylvania! She bought tickets to see Dierks in Allentown seven months ahead of time and won a Meet and Greet through the DB Fan Club! Here's her story:


I went to see Dierks at the Allentown Fair on September 5th, 2009 in Pennsylvania. This was the second time I had seen him play there. The first time I saw him in Allentown was three years ago. This time Dierks was there to open up for Brad Paisley. I had been looking forward to this concert since February when I bought the tickets. I was able to get 5th row seats right near the catwalk thanks to Dierks’ fan club presale.

I was even more excited about the show when I got an email saying that I won a meet and greet with Dierks! I honestly didn’t think I would get one BEcause I knew a lot of fan club members would be at the show. All I can say is the meet and greet was awesome! There were about 20 of us who got a Meet and Greet with Dierks. I got to talk to several fan club members while we were waiting in line to meet him.

We each got a chance to talk to Dierks. The first thing I said to him was how great it was to have him back at the Allentown Fair. He said it was great to be back. I also talked to him about a previous show I had been to of his and he remembered it very well. It always amazes me how much he remembers from shows that were from a long time ago. After we chatted we got our picture taken and he gave me a hug. Before I left he made a comment to me about my white tank top and blue jeans that I was wearing. I was glad I decided to wear that because during the show Dierks asked where all the white tank tops were and I waved my hand and he smiled and pointed at me! That was awesome!

During the Q&A he talked about how he was out driving around in his jeep. He also said he went to the gym. I told him that I saw him on the CMA Fest special that was on TV. He said he watched it and he thought it was a really good show. He also talked a little bit about Twitter. Someone asked him what he has planned for the rest of the year. He mentioned some of the shows that he was going to be playing at. After the Q&A he gave each of us a hug and thanked us for being in his fan club. You can tell that he really appreciates his fans which is what is so great about him.

As soon as the meet and greet was over and I got to my seat the concert started. Jimmy Wayne was up first and then Dierks came on. He did an awesome job! Dierks sang for about 45 minutes and sang 10 songs. The crowd really seemed to love him. He always puts on a great show. He was running around stage and used the catwalks a lot. He always has so much energy! Each time I see Dierks in concert he always gives 100% every single time! You would never know that he played a show every night that week including a couple shows in Canada prior to the Allentown show.

When I was leaving the venue after the concert was over I heard a lot of people say how much they loved Dierks. I overheard a couple people in front of me say that they mainly came there for Brad but after the show was over they said they liked Dierks better! When I heard that it made me so happy. It made me so proud to be not only a Dierks Bentley fan but also a fan club member.
Hopefully I’ll get to see him in concert again soon. I can not wait until he starts headlining again!

NO CMA AWARD NODS FOR DIERKS

Sadness, disappointment, anger, disbelief, shock. These are not emotions I experience when I listen to Dierks Bentley's music. But when the CMA Awards nominations were announced yesterday, and Dierks was not among them, I was feeling all those things and more!

What I don't understand is how Dierks can accomplish all he has in the last year--a #1 album, two consecutive #1 songs, a sucessful tour supporting Brad Paisley, the second most played artist on the radio (Keith Urban was #1), two Country Weekly covers, a CMT Music Award (Country Boy w/AJ, GS & BP), the CMT International Artist Achievement Award, an American Songwriter magazine cover, performed Beautiful World at the Nobel Peace Prize concert and much, much more--and still be over-looked by the Country Music Association!

I just don't understand how they can not recognize Dierks' extraordinary talent in songwriting, and vocals that seep deep into a person's soul! His lyrics, music, and voice give me great joy and happiness--makes me dance and sing out loud--not to mention travel thousands of miles a year to see his live performance!

So, maybe somebody can tell me--what was the CMA thinkin'? I mean, out of six possibilities, not one nod? That's just not right! He deserves to be in the top five.

I know most of you agree with me, but if anyone can enlighten me on this strange rationale, please leave a comment! Apparently, I am missing something! Oh, I know, the typical response may be, "it's policital," but I need more than that!

Anybody?

~Ronna
DB Congress Chair

WEEK 7: IWMYCYE HAS STALLED

Well, "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes" ran into a "Cowboy Casanova" roadblock on the charts this week. Carrie Underwood's brand-new single stormed onto the charts, debuting at #26, and preventing Dierks Bentley's latest single from being able to climb. So, it is still at #29 in it's 7th week on the Hot Country Songs Billboard chart.

The good news is, it is still being steadily added to more radio stations, and as of today is being played on 205 of 225 stations. Only 20 more to go!

It looks as though the public is starting to respond positively toward the song. Here in Charlotte, both country stations have a daily countdown, and IWMYCYE has been solidly in the top 3 for the past week on both stations -- which is awesome because one of the stations literally just added it last week! That same station (WSOC) has a message board on their homepage. I've been bugging them since the end of July to play the song via the message board (hehe), but yesterday when I went to their site I noticed 3 comments had been recently posted -- and EACH ONE was about IWMYCYE! And I didn't write them! ;) One said it was the greatest new song for couples. One said it was simply a beautiful song. And one requested it and said it was a must-hear. I was SO happy to read those positive comments. I think we'll really start to see the airplay pick up in the next few weeks, and I don't doubt the new video will help things along as well!

As always, keep doing what you're doing! Call and email your radio stations! Vote on the countdowns if you can! Request it on Yes.com! Keep it up, Congress! We'll get to #1 for sure!

~ Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter - NC)