REMEMBERING OUR HEROS ON MEMORIAL DAY

-
Today, on Memorial Day, let us remember the sacrifices made by men and women in the U.S. Military for the country of America.

Here are some inspiring Memorial Day quotes:

"And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I won’t forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me." — Lee Greenwood

“It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.” — Norman Schwarzkopf

"Grandpa took it off to Europe to fight the Germans in the war
It came back on some dog tags nobody wears no more
It's written on a headstone in the field where he was slain
It's my last name." - Dierks Bentley

CMT.COM'S CHET AND CALVIN PRAISE DIERKS

CMT.com Columnist Chet Flippo says it's time to "praise those musical artists who are advancing -- as opposed to obstructing -- the music's development." He reflects on new releases from Dierks Bentley and Chris Young.

Calvin Gilbert, also from CMT.com wrote an article about Dierks closing his Up On The Ridge tour at the Ryman Auditorium, a first for Dierks to headline a solo concert at the historic landmark. "As for Bentley, he's likely to gain a whole new level of respect from country fans, the media and the music industry when he releases Up on the Ridge. It's been many years since a mainstream country act still in their hit-making prime has made such a departure for an entire album."

Check out both articles on cmt.com.

RIDGE IS A TOP 10 ON CMT 12-PACK!

Dierks Bentley lands at #10 on the CMT Pure 12-pack video countdown this week! Vote for the Up On The Ridge video daily! Choose only that video (no need to choose 11 others). Vote Friday through Thursday, and remember to tune in each week to find out which video tops the list on Pure 12-Pack Countdown.

In addition, let's give all we've got to give and get "ridge" to show up on the CMT and GAC Top 20 countdowns as well! You can vote once a day on GAC and results are every Friday night at 8 p.m. ET.

This is a primary campaign, congress! Let's show we can move the video to #1, which is sure to push radio to play the song to #1 on Billboard!

VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!

MOTORCYCLES, MUSIC, AND DIERKS: THESE ARE 3 OF MY FAVORITE THINGS!

Dierks Bentley Congress member, Angie (choppergirl) representing South Carolina, was so excited Sunday morning heading to Killercreek Harley Davidson for the Miles and Music For Kids event in Atlanta (Lanier Lakes Resort), May 23. Proceeds benefited Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Read all about her surprising day below!

We pulled into the parking lot about 7:30 a.m. and was the first motorcycle there. It was my hubby's first Dierks show with me so I was really excited for him to see what an awesome guy Dierks is and why I am ready to go see him everytime I get a chance. As the morning went on, motorcycles came in from every direction, there was a band playing and lots of people waiting to get a glimpse of Dierks coming in. My hubby surprised me and upgraded my tickets to VIP so we were the first bike in the front of the line to be behind Dierks--I was on cloud 9!

I think we finally got to see Dierks around 1:00-ish. He came inside the VIP room in the Harley shop to do an interview and I got a quick chance to speak to him and a quick pic. Then after the interview I talked to him again before we headed outside to get on our bikes.

Angie (mid-sentence) and Dierks:


As the ride started there was probably 10 police escorts in front. The guy told us to pull up and as we got closer to Dierks and a couple of bikes that were with him, to pause and let them go. At first there was a bike in between us and Dierks but after a while he was directly in front of us. Hubby kept picking on me because I was so excited we were right there with him! I was taking pics like crazy. It's a wonder I didn't made us wreck! The ride was alot of fun, and I didn't want it to end but couldnt wait to see Dierks on stage either.


We finally got to Lake Lanier and after getting everybody parked and got in to our seats, Chris Jenson was on stage. Josh Thompson took the stage next. He was really good. I think Jeff Foxworthy was next. He was a surprise guest and it was fun seeing him. Corey Smith and then Drivin' N Cryin' played and then the moment we'd been waiting on finally arrived. Dierks and the band took the stage and the crowd went crazy. He sang a lot of our favorites along with adding in Up On The Ridge! It was an awesome show as always and I can't wait to see Dierks again. June can't come fast enough.

Josh Thompson:


Cryin' N Drivin':


The man of the day (Dierks Bentley):

We got to speak to Tim as we were leaving and then saw Dierks so got a quick hug as they were heading to the bus and hubby was hurrying me to our motorcycle for our two hour trip home. It was one of the best days of my life. Got to enjoy three of my favorite things in the world motorcycles, country music and most of all Dierks Bentley. Also, it was great seeing DB Congress buddies Tammy, Lisa and Tommy.

What a unique experience, Angie! Thanks for sharing!

A LITTLE HOLIDAY WEEKEND TREAT

If you weren't able to attend one of the final stops on the Up On the Ridge tour and purchase the full cd, then Us Magazine has a treat for you...one of the tracks is online!

"Love Grows Wild" is track 10 on the new cd (and apparently a favorite of Dierks' mom according to him at the Ryman show). Go here to give it a listen! Sound off in the comments about what you think of the song.

And don't forget, you can pre-order a signed copy of the cd along with a t-shirt for just $29.99 at dierks.com!



Have a great holiday weekend everyone!

-Stephanie

DIERKS BENTLEY'S HARDWORKING NATURE EARNS AN "A"

Dierks Bentley's hardworking nature earned Krystal Ebner an "A" for her Theories of Personalities class at Kennesaw State University, about 45 minutes outside of Atlanta. The Georgia DB Congress rep and psychology major tells us they had to pick a celebrity, choose a specific personality trait and write a paper on it. "So of course I did mine on Dierks and how he is such a hard worker. It's kind of researchy", admits Krystal," but once you get past that its pretty interesting."

As many up and coming singers will tell you, it is very hard to break into and make it in today’s music industry. The few that do make it have a certain drive, a good sense of determination and have put many years of hard work into their careers which encourages them to keep going no matter what the set back. Country singer/song writer, Dierks Bentley is no stranger to this concept. A mixture of raw talent, hard work and a driven spirit has gotten Dierks Bentley to where he is today.

Dierks Bentley was born and raised in Phoenix Arizona (Jeffries, 2009). Although he had a happy childhood, Bentley was born into a nonmusical family (Jeffries, 2009). Therefore, Bentley’s musical interests did not appear right away. However, Bentley discovered his love of country music during his teenage years and at the age of nineteen he was Nashville bound (Jeffries, 2009). Bentley’s love for country music quickly surpassed interest; he began educating himself on the ins and outs of country music, making music a life style (Jeffries, 2009). When Dierks arrived in music city, the only thing on his mind was songwriting and singing (Jeffries 2009). Although he had these goals in mind, it did not take long for Dierks to realize that the music business requires a certain drive and persistence to break into. Through the entire stardom process Bentley ran into his share of discouragements and setbacks but always kept his goals in site (Jeffries, 2009).

After a couple years of hard work, Bentley’s career path quickly began to change (Jeffries, 2009). One night Bentley walked into a local Bluegrass bar called The Station Inn (Jeffries, 2009). He quickly became a regular and eventually got gigs of his own (Jeffries 2009). While Bentley’s night life was proving successful, his new day job allowed him access to country music history at its best (dierks.com, 2009). During the day Bentley worked in the tape department of the famous Nashville Network (dierks.com, 2009). Not only did these two major career factors give Bentley the recognition he needed but they also gave Bentley a boost of confidence to keep pushing forward. It was not long before Bentley was noticed by Capitol records executives who later signed him on to their record label (Jeffries, 2009). Being signed onto Capitol Records was the big break Bentley needed. Dierks Bentley currently has five studio albums and seven number one singles to his name (dierks.com, 2009).

One of Bentley’s key personality traits is his hard working nature which has gotten him to where he is today. Hard workers are usually characterized by being persistent and working diligently until everything is accomplished (dictionary.com 2010). According to Hard Work/Motivation article, “good job performance is relevant to the goals of the organization, it is in effect to the performance ability and motivation” (Klehe, 2007). This quote applies well to the work ethic artists must have to have a career in the music industry. Each individual artist must work hard in order to motivate themselves and keep up their performance ability to match the goals of the music industry.

One of the personality theorists that best describes the personality trait of hard working is Gordon Allport. In Allport’s theories he argues that people are consistent (Zuroff, 1986). Allport says that people may not be perfectly consistent due to different traits that are activated in certain environments or situations, but for the most part people do remain consistent throughout their life (Zuroff, 1986). For example, if someone is a hard worker early in their life, then most likely they will be a hard worker in the future. Another possibility according to Allport’s theory is if you are not a hard worker to start out with, a change of environment or a certain situation may cause an activation of a trait and may cause a person to change their work ethic.

For instance, for someone who may be involved in the music industry, the trait for hard work may already be present. The alternative would be a person who has poor work ethic may try to break into the music industry and because of the situation this trait may then be activated. For the most part Allport’s theories and studies were based on more of a scientific basis (Nicholson, 1998). Therefore, he believed that a person’s character was formed on more of a scientific scale or nature (Nicholson, 1998). So if a person is consistent, they are that way through nature, yes the environment may have affected them somewhat what, but for the most part they were born that way. For example, it is assumed that a person who works hard and puts forth the effort to succeed is instilled in them through nature.

Another theory that pertains to the hard working personality trait would be Carl Jung’s theory. Jung’s theories mainly dealt with knowing the self (Shor, 1994). His theory focuses on obtaining self-realization (Shor, 1994). When one obtains self-realization they are more consciously aware and the life is no longer present in the ego (Shor, 1994). For instance, when one figures out what they want out of their life, they feel they are more in control and can consciously handle the situation. Therefore, if a person realizes that pursuing a career in the music industry is the right path for their life, they have most likely realized who they are as a person and can consciously handle the situation and environment.

According to the article, Jung also states that everyone is different (Shor 1994). He explains that no two people are alike; we all have different personality types (Shor 1994). In Jung’s theory he explains that differences in people’s personalities are caused from: personality types, adjustment styles and motivation (Shor, 1994). Jung’s views on how these personality traits occur are due to heredity (Shor, 1994). Meaning that if someone is positively motivated it is because they were destined to be or born with that trait (Shor, 1994). This explanation also pertains to a person’s future in the music industry. If is more genetically motivated than another they will probably be more successful in any career field, especially the music industry.

Being genetically motivated would more than likely push a person to work harder, which would allow for greater achievement than those who are genetically built differently. Personality types and adjustment styles would also play a role in this situation. Having a good attitude in any career field is very important and being able to positively adjust to new surrounding is important as well, especially in the music industry.

Both of the previous theories have provided great explanations on how Dierks Bentley has achieved success. According to The Internal, External Control article, if a person is optimistic and strives for success and fails that certain tasks they will succeed on the tasks that follow (Weiss, 1973). This article sums up Dierks Bentley’s career. He worked hard to get into the music industry and at first he failed but eventually he succeeded. Both Allport and Jung argued that people’s personalities are constructed through heredity or nature. I think this concept is true for Dierks Bentley. He may not have been interested in music as a child but when his musical interests did appear he took it upon himself to musically educate himself. Therefore by nature, Bentley is hard working. He worked hard and put forth the effort to make a career for himself.

In Allport’s theory, personality is generally measured as consistent. This concept also proves true for Dierks Bentley. From the time he moved to Nashville up until today, He has consistently worked hard. Throughout the entire stardom process Bentley, was very determined and therefore worked harder to achieve his goals. Even though he has achieved some of his main goals, Bentley still consistently maintains his hard work ethic to keep his career going. Allport’s other trait concept also fits this situation. Dierks may not have been interested in country music until a certain situation activated a trait. This would explain why Bentley’s interest in country music did not appear until his late teens. In Jung’s theory he argues that there must be some sort of self-realization in order for a person to truly know themselves and what they want out of life. Dierks must have had this realization in his late teens. Once he figured out his love of country music he decided that the best decision for him was to move to Nashville and break into the music industry.

Jung also argued that everyone’s personality is constructed differently. This also may have had an effect on Dierks. Perhaps Dierks is more genetically motivated than some of the other artists in the industry and therefore has had more of a chance at success. Bentley could also be more open minded than other artists, making it easier for him to adjust to the new environment and situations associated with the music industry.

In conclusion, Dierks Bentley has worked hard for all of his success. Allport’s and Jung’s theories help support Bentley’s hard working nature. We are not sure which theory is the correct one for this situation but all of the explanations prove true in one way or another.

COUNTRY WEEKLY RATES BENTLEY'S 'RIDGE' 4.5 STARS

Dierks Bentley's Up On The Ridge album is not due for release until June 8, but copies were already on sale after some of his UOTR shows and available for pre-order through the fan club.

Country Weekly's review calls it a "landmark masterpiece from Dierks", "exceeds expectations", "some of Dierks' most poignant songwriting to date," and "artisitic" are all terms used to describe the album.

CW's 4.5 rating translates to more than Outstanding, but just shy of an Instant Classic.

This review is a welcome improvement to the review of Long Trip alone, which only garnered 2 stars.

Be sure to pick up your copy of the June 7 issue, or keep checking your mail box if you're a subscriber! It's a keeper!

DIERKS WAS SWEET AT DETROIT MEET AND GREET

Supporter, promoter and super fan of Dierks Bentley, Shauna from Michigan is a proud member of the DB Congress. She was instrumental in getting fans to tell WYCD they wanted Dierks for the annual Hoedown and also won a Meet and Greet through the Dierks Bentley Fan Club. Here's her comments:

WOW!!!!!! Dierks' show and meet and greet at the Detroit Downtown Hoedown was awesome. When I had my meet and greet with Dierks-my third time-it was better than ever. I was not even nervous. Dierks was so sweet. He hugged me three time, called me sweetie, and said thanks for getting him booked at the Hoedown. He knew it took me forever getting him booked. The group pictures were awesome. Dierks like grabbed my arms to be in front of him. I wonder why he did that? I did not think he would do that. He is soooo sweeeeet.


Thanks for sharing, Shauna!

TOP 30 FOR "RIDGE"

Last week, in an interview given to The 9513, Dierks had this to say about a Top 40 song coming from his new CD, "Up on the Ridge" due out June 8th:

"The feedback’s been great, and it means a lot to me, but having a Top 40 hit on this record means more to me than ever before. This record wasn’t made with that in mind. It was made just to be an album in its entirety."

So, based on that, I wonder how he felt upon learning that "Up on the Ridge," the debut single, cracked the Top 30 this week on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, coming in at #29 in its 6th week! It moved 8 spots on the chart this week, and picked up 1.2 million in audience! Mediabase is roughly a week behind Billboard, and in its 5th week on there, it's #37. However, as of today, it's already moved to #32, and should easily crack the Top 30 on Mediabase by the next chart run on Sunday -- which is excellent news for those of you who've yet to hear it on your local country stations. Top 30 is the goal, not only for countdowns/syndicated airplay, but because most Country radio formats are now Top 30 as well.

The reaction to this song has been extremely positive. It's refreshing to hear something different on country radio, and I think people are responding to that. And, just for kicks, I decided to go back and see where "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes" was in its 6th week, and wouldn't you know ... it was #29. So let's get Dierks the #1 he should have gotten with IWMYCYE -- and the one that could mean the most to him!

Also, the video for UOTR is up for voting on GAC's countdown! Head over to GAC every day to cast your vote -- let's crash their countdown next week!

~ Carrie (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

THE FINAL STOP FOR UOTR TOUR

As you may have known, Saturday night was the last tour stop for Dierks' "Up On The Ridge" Tour with The Travelin' McCoury's. It was also being taped for PBS and GAC, and will more than likely air in a few more months. As soon as they hit the stage, everyone was on their feet....clapping and cheering for Dierks, Tim, Steve, and the Travelin' McCoury's. They started off with "Train 45", then "Free and Easy", and that broke out into a great rendition of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown".

Dierks mentioned that his wife, Cass, was "somewhere out there" in the building watching, and that his mother had flown from Arizona to be there. He told us how he had the set list worked out just right, and his mother told him before the show that he needs to do #10. He showed us how his set list had been scribbled on to make changes and work the song in.

During his set, Dierks said:

"I never want this tour to end...so many amazing nights," says Bentley. "I'm not sure what memory I will hold closest...playing that first night in Portland, seeing New York City going absolutely nuts over bluegrass music or getting to play at the Ryman this weekend with some of my best friends and biggest musical influences. It has been a once-in-a-career type of tour!"

Other familiar hits with a bluegrass edge included: "Feel That Fire", "Lot of Leavin' Left To Do", "Settle For A Slowdown", "Sideways", "Come A Little Closer", "How Am I Doin' ", and "What Was I Thinkin' ". The fiddle, banjo, mandolin and the voices of the McCoury's didn't take away, yet added so much more to the many top hits. Several new songs from the upcoming album where performed, and "Up On The Ridge" was of course one of those.


Dierks brought out special guests, the Punch Brothers, to do a few songs with them. Now, you may be familiar with one member of the band, Chris Thile. Chris was a part of the group, Nickel Creek a few years ago. Dierks, Travelin' McCoury's, and the Punch Brothers did a Bob Dylan song "Senor", which is a cut included on the new album. Dierks even let the Punch Brothers do a couple of their own as he sat to the side watching and clapping along.

Then, Dierks sure enough brought out yet another special guest. It was none other than Del McCoury. You may recognize him from singing on track number 13, "Train Travelin' ", which is on Dierks' self titled album. No, they did not sing that. Although I did hear someone in the crowd shout that soon after Del was introduced. They sang "Pride (In The Name Of Love)", which was written by U2's Bono. They also sang another song, "Good Man Like Me", which is on the album, Modern Day Drifter.

Dierks joked around with Alan, upright bass player of Travelin' McCoury's, by saying that any one could play the upright bass, and Dierks plucked a few strings on it. Alan said something like, "Yes Dierks. You just proved to me that any one can play." Then, Dierks kind of challenged Alan to throw picks into the crowd. Dierks went first, and the guitar pick went to about 7th row area, but Alan's fell short to about 2nd row.

The show wrapped up with "How Am I Doin'" and Dierks mentioned something about exes and then moved into George Strait's "All My Exes Live In Texas". Dierks stopped singing for a couple of lines, and the whole auditorium kept on singing without missing a beat. "What Was I Thinkin' " and "East Bound And Down" were the final songs of the night. The Smokey and the Bandit movie theme song had everyone up on their feet clapping and singing along.

Via Twitter from Dierks: "thx nashville. magical night for all of us and hopefully you too. perfect way to end the RIDGE tour. will miss those @trvlnmccourys #fb"

A crowd of people fled to the stage and Dierks stayed and signed from the stage for a good 20 minutes signing tickets, posters, album covers, hats, etc. There were many DBC reps at the show and he recognized that way before the end of the night and thanked us for coming when he saw us.

It was so great meeting so many familiar faces for the first time! See you all again very soon, and hope to meet many more reps at the LCB in a couple more weeks...I'm finally attending my first LCB and CMA Fest!! And I guarantee it's not the last either!

Speaking of LCB, be sure to keep an eye on your mail this week....my tickets just came in today!!!



-Amanda
DBC MS Rep
DBC Secretary

PRETTY MUCH NAILED IT -- CHARLOTTE STYLE!

Back on May 9th, some of you may remember seeing this post from Dierks on Facebook and/or Twitter:

"our tour asst brit pretty much nailed it w/ this gaff tape piece of artwork! amazing. our official tour motto."

Janet, DBC Rep in San Diego, mentioned to Nid (currently in England, soon to be DBC Rep in VA!) that it would make a great shirt. So, Nid made it into a t-shirt design over at the Dierksfans.com Store. I loved it, so I ordered one, hoping that it would make it here in time for my show at Coyote Joe's this past Friday in Charlotte. As luck would have it, it came on Thursday, so I was all set for the second-to-last show of the Up on the Ridge tour. Trust me, this is important to the story...

On Friday, I left work an hour early so we could head to Coyote Joe's with plenty of time to get in line to secure either a good table or a good spot in front of the stage. When I got there, I got to see lots of familiar faces: Sandra, Laurie, Lissa, and eventually Tammi was there for our little Greenville Reunion. :) (If there's one thing I love about a Dierks show, it's knowing I'll have friends at each one I attend. Thanks, Dierks!) After waiting out a downpour (thankfully covered) the doors opened and we went in. Unfortunately, we learned that all of the tables on the lower floor were reserved for VIPs, so we got the last table in the far corner of the balcony. I was content with that until I saw Tammi right in front of the stage, and then the urge to be close overcame me and my friend Cortney and I headed down there. Which, in retrospect, was the best decision in a while.

While we were standing around, waiting for the show to start, Tim (steel guitarist) showed up in the audience a few feet to my left. I told Sandra to get his attention so I could show him my shirt. He came over and was like, "oh my gosh, where'd you get that? Look at my little beer! That's so cool!" We got our picture taken, and he eventually went backstage again.

Now, I can only guess as to what happened when Tim went backstage, but clearly he told Brit about the shirt, because she came out onstage a few minutes later. She was standing stage left in one of the corners, and Sandra and I yelled to get her attention. She looked over at us and pointed and said "yes! That's what I was looking for!" and came over. People were staring. Oops. She told me she loved it and thought it was so cool, but asked about royalties and I started to feel bad, because I didn't want to get Nid in trouble or anything like that, but she was seriously really excited. She went and got her camera, and took some pictures, and I figured that was that. But then she came back onstage, and told me to meet her at the side of the stage, and that's when things got really surreal.

She took me into the green room -- yes -- and I walk in and there's Alan from the Travelin' McCourys who's like, "hey! It's the shirt!" and pointed to the original artwork which was hanging on the wall, which I took a picture of. Brit took a couple of pictures of me with the original and then said "I have to go show Dierks" and left. So I was just hanging in the green room with Alan and Travis who plays with Hayes Carll, and Alan was trying to pull up the Dierksfans.com Store on his iPhone. I'm pretty sure I took his iPhone from him at one point, and then realized what I was doing and where I was and just sort of stood there. Ha. Anyway, he got into the Store and was looking at all the designs and thought it was all so cool. Meanwhile, I noticed that Bad Angel was playing, and I was like, "OH! I like this song!" Alan asked where I'd heard it, and I said when Dierks did his interview on Sirius Radio they'd played that and Pride, which I also really liked. One of Dierks' roadies was in there (Pudge), and he was like, "oh, so you know Ridge, then," and I was like, "oh yes, I love it, it's been #1 on WSOC's countdown thanks to me." So Pudge told Alan to put on a new track for me, which I believe might have been Draw Me a Map. Then I babbled about how I was so excited for the CD and the new music and definitely apologized for "fangirling." Alan, though, is unbelievably nice, and was very gracious about the whole thing.

Brit came in soon after that, and Alan showed her the store. I explained that Dierksfans is just that -- fans of Dierks -- who really just want to get his name out there, and we thought the shirt was a great idea. Brit was like, "no, yeah, I love it. I want one. I just want to make sure nobody is profiting from it" so I told her to contact Nid and I was sure he'd see to it that she got one. :) After that I kind of felt ... awkward ... chilling back there so I asked Alan and Brit if I could get my picture taken with them, so we did that, I thanked them profusely, and left.


I was sort of in a state of shock after that, but made my way back to where everybody was, and just sort of took it all in. Hayes Carll came on and was just as good as he was in Greenville, and then it was getting to be time for Dierks. Alan came onstage to get his bass ready, and Laurie, Tammi and I all "woo!"-ed. He smiled, pointed at me, and said "hey! I like your shirt!" Seriously, Alan Bartram is AWESOME. Then it was just a matter of minutes before Dierks hit the stage, and boy, was Coyote Joe's rocking. I heard after the show that it was one of their all-time largest turn-outs, and they were starting to worry the Fire Marshal was going to come rolling in! Way to go, Dierks! The show rocked, as usual. During Settle for a Slowdown, Dierks caught my eye, winked, started to chuckle and shake his head, which I guess was his way of saying he liked the shirt. ;) Tim gave me a few headnods, and when Dierks did his call-out to the DB Congress, we all went crazy and Alan mouthed to me "so that's you guys, right?" Hahaha.


The show seemed to FLY by. The crowd was rowdy, as to be expected at Coyote Joe's, but they seemed really, really into it. You can tell how much it means to Dierks that people are enjoying this "change of pace." A lot more people knew Up on the Ridge than in Greenville, which was really cool. The crowd sang along loudly to Midnight Rider, and went positively nuts when Dierks rolled into All My Exes Live in Texas after How am I Doin? He closed it down with Eastbound and Down, and the crowd LOVED it. I got a setlist from Brit (and later found out that Alan had snagged one for me, too), and headed out to the bus to wait. And wait. And wait some more.

Around 1:15 or so, Alan came out and saw that I was waiting and came over to talk to me. He ran back onto the bus to get a Sharpie, and signed my setlist (it says "Rock that tee!" hee!). Then we chatted for about 10 minutes or so. We talked about the show, the new music, how much they enjoyed being on tour with Dierks and the exposure, how crappy country radio is right now, how he admires Dierks for doing this, how I write for dbcongress.com, the All-Star race (which was last night), Miles & Music (where I was supposed to be today, but a migraine kept me home), and pretty much a million other random things. He said Dierks would be out eventually, Mr. Carrie took our picture, and I let him on his way.


Finally, at close to 2, there were only about 8 of us at the bus, and Dierks left the afterparty. He came down the stairs and came right at me, and started talking to me from about 10 feet away. He told me he loved the shirt, and thought it was so cool every time he saw it in the audience. He gave me a huge hug, and said he loves his fans so much for doing stuff like that, and said the word "cool" about 40 times (he was a little on the inebriated side, but who could blame him?). He signed my setlist, and Mr. Carrie took our picture, and I thanked him again and he said 'no no, thank YOU, the shirt is awesome" and I headed on home.


And that, my friends, was my unbelievable night at Coyote Joe's.

I'll be back tomorrow with the UOTR Chart Update!

PS. Ronna, you'll have mail soon. *cryptic*

~ Carrie (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

UP ON THE RIDGE TOUR COMING TO AN END

This weekend will be the closing for Dierks' Up On The Ridge Tour. The last stops include: Charlotte, NC at Coyote Joe's on Friday night, and the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Saturday night. Coyote Joe's is a SOLD OUT show, and I've heard the Ryman is as well!

@TheRyman: How about a preview of the @dierksbentley Hatch for Saturday's show? http://twitpic.com/1p7iuk

Dierks mentioned on Twitter that there will be special guests, The Punch Brothers and Del McCoury, performing at the Ryman's show with him. Another added surprise, Saturday night's show will be a live taping, which will air on television at a later date. So everyone who is attending Saturday night should show those pearly whites because we might just see you in the audience when it appears on tv!

STILL CLIMBING "UP"

This week, Dierks Bentley's "Up on the Ridge" moves up 3 more spots to #37 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. On Billboard's small-market chart, Indicator, it's already up to #25! Over on Mediabase, it's slowly inching upward, to #39 this week. However, on Mediabase's small-market chart (Activator), it's already up to #30. Clearly, the smaller markets are loving the song! Hopefully the small-market success will prove to be foreshadowing for how it does on the major markets, too.

The good news is, it seems to be gaining traction over the past few days. It's been getting syndicated plays on Whitney Allen's show and Cody Allen's CMT Countdown, and hopefully in the next two weeks it will be on the countdowns as well.

Does your local radio station have a daily countdown that listeners can vote on? Local countdowns are a GREAT way to garner extra spins with higher audiences. (And the Congress is more than happy to help you vote, too!) Otherwise, keep up the good work texting, emailing, calling, and tweeting your local DJs! Let them know how much you love hearing this great, 'different' song on the radio (and be sure to thank them when they do play it)!

PS. The video for "Up on the Ridge" went to CMT and GAC this week. Let's get ready to get the awesome video on the countdowns there, too!

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

MUSIC CITY KEEP ON PLAYIN BENEFIT

Dierks joined up with several artists last night, including Brad Paisley, Lady Antebellum, Kellie Pickler, Martina McBride and Will Hoge, at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium to aid in flood relief! The fundraiser, titled Music City Keep On Playin' - A Benefit For Flood Relief raised over $1.7 million via donations from country music fans, artists and several companies!

For his first performance, Dierks brought Sam Bush on stage for their cover of Jeff Black's "Gold Heart Locket." Despite his nerves, expressed through twitter, the song sounded amazing!

phew! was nervous singing that beautiful jeff black song with my buddy sam bush. didn't want to mess it up! back to phones. pls call

For his second performance, he did one that you don't hear live very often, "You Hold Me Together." He also joined Brad Paisley's band during "American Saturday Night."


The Congress was following right along with the benefit on Twitter and Dierks took a few seconds to acknowledge that!

@dbcongress thanks for helping spread the info on how to help Nashville flood relief. fun teaching @bradpaisley a couple licks at end

And between performances, Dierks was also answering phones and taking donations! Was anyone lucky enough to get him on the other end?



The whole benefit was awesome...performance wise to the amount of money raised to help out flood victims! If you'd like to check out more pictures of Dierks from the benefit, go HERE!

Remember, every bit helps! Have a great week everyone.

-Stephanie, DBC Historian

DIERKS TALKS WITH WYCD

Dierks was in Detroit recently for the Downtown Hoedown and took a few minutes before the show to talk with Edwards & Lee! Listen in as he chats about shrinkage, his family and the recent flooding in Nashville.

DIERKS SHUTS DETROIT DOWN!

Dierks Bentley posted his surprise on FaceBook and Twitter about his performance at the Detroit Hoedown last night:

1st time in detroit hoedown history they had to close it down on a friday night...350,000 people. r u kidding me!?! thx WYCD and fans.

BENTLEY BLUEGRASS REVIEWS ROCK!

Since his launch of the Up On The Ridge bluegrass tour last month, Dierks Bentley has played many small venues and concert halls, showcasing songs from the upcoming album and "bluegrassing" up some of his classic hits. Some were skeptical about his departure from mainstream-type concerts, but the proof is in the sold-out shows and rockin' reviews!

Dierks Bentley's bold bluegrass move
May 8, 3:32 AM Manhattan Local Music Examiner Jim Bessman
Yet the humble Bentley, who also played acoustic guitar, proved himself a big-time star: Mainstream country artists who make the move to bluegrass usually do so well into the backside of their careers, when they have little or no chance left at commercial country radio. Dierks Bentley is so comfortable with his commercial success that he boldly goes bluegrass at the height of it. If this SRO house was any indication, he'll have no trouble at all taking his fan base along--and may bring out new fans who somehow missed out so far.

Dierks Bentley gets rootsy on South Street
May 13th, 2010, Author: Ryan Cormier, Categories: Music, Philly, TLA
Even though Bentley’s country originals connected with fans the best, the new songs from his forthcoming bluegrass album, “Up on the Ridge,” out June 8, were welcomed with open arms, including the somewhat spooky title track, the old time “Rovin’ Gambler” and the swinging “Fiddlin’ Around.” Not many modern country stars would stray from a successful formula, gambling a string of #1 albums for an album and tour dedicated to the much less popular genre of bluegrass. Perhaps that’s what he had in mind as he kicked off “East Bound and Down,” smiling wide while singing, “East bound and down, loaded up and truckin’. We’re gonna do what they say can’t be done.”

I'm very proud to be a die-hard Dierks fan, precisely because he always trys to push the envelope. That's what keeps him and his music fresh and exciting! Of course, that gravely voice could be singing the ABC's and I'd happily sing along!

DIERKS ALBUM GOOD, ANGELS BAD

Dierks Bentley Sends a Pair of 'Bad Angels' to the Ridge, according to The Boot's Donna Hughes.

For his new bluegrass-inspired album, 'Up on the Ridge,' Dierks Bentley has roped in several special guests, including Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson on a song called 'Bad Angel,' written by Verlon Thompson and Suzi Ragsdale. While every single song on the project is his favorite, having Miranda and Jamey take part was extra special for the singer because of their close ties.

"I've toured with both of them. They're both good friends," Dierks tells The Boot. "Miranda likes that kind of music. She cuts Buddy and Julie Miller songs. It really started with that song ... It's such a fun track. I thought of two people who would be perfect on it, whose voices who would all complement each other. They were the first two names that came up, and it was really easy to get them on there. They're excited about it ... they're two people I know I can call and they'll do it before they have to ask anybody. Miranda's voice has never sounded better. She was definitely inspired.

"Jamey was great [too]. We toured together before he went through his transformation kind of thing. When we toured together, it was wild and crazy. I remember he was wearing a hat this big," Dierks continues, holding his arms out to demonstrate just how big. "I don't know what the hell he was doing backstage before they went onstage, but they were amped up. We had a lot of fun on that tour, and then he lost his deal and went through his thing, so we've known each other a long time."

The singer-songwriter even brought cameras into the studio to capture the memories of making the record. "We documented this whole thing," he says. "And it's always awkward having a camera right on you, but it was great. I remember us being in the studio and we were doing some stuff and the camera was right on [Jamey's] face. He goes, 'Yeah, it's sounding good, but I'd love to do a couple of passes without this damn camera in my face.' And my cameraman was like, 'OK, time to go!' [He] packed up and walked right out of the room. I think he was a little scared."

The new album is due out in 24 days-June 8!

MUSICAL FREINDSHIPS HELP NASHVILLE FLOOD VICTIMS

The flood in Nashville two weeks ago was more destructive than anyone outside the area realizes. The national media didn't give it much coverage, but the music city community is banning together to help each other out of a devastating situation.

Dierks Bentley says, "We've all been affected by it. There's devastation all over the city. But to see the Grand Ole Opry affected, that just really hit home for me, even more than having water in my house... At my house, if water touches anything, it's ruined. That wood (at the Opry), hell, maybe it's got enough magic on it that it can survive the worst. I think everything in there is toast (ruined)."

Dierks Bentley says the devastation caused by the historic Nashville floods has brought the entire community closer together.

That point was driven home to the country star when he went to help Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum pump about two feet of water out of his home.

"I went over to his place, and he was talking to his neighbors. He just moved there, and I said, 'That's cool that you know your neighbors pretty well,'" Dierks tells The Boot. "He said, 'I never knew them before today.' Everyone comes out and [bonds] when something like the flood happens. It does have a way of bringing people a lot closer together, for sure."

Although Dierks' home did sustain some water damage, he said it is minor compared with the losses of so many others. He just feels bad that the dangerous traffic conditions brought on by the floods caused him to cancel some shows.

"I hate that for those fans in Knoxville and Charlottesville," says Dierks. "But for me and the crew, there's no way we could have left our houses and families behind. It's even hard leaving once we did, because you feel so connected to your city when something like that happens. You want to be there for the telethons and concerts."

Dierks will join Brad Paisley, Lady Antebellum, Rodney Atkins and other musicians for GAC's 'Music City Keep on Playin' - A Benefit for Flood Relief' telethon on Sunday, May 16 at The Ryman Auditorium.

NEW YORK SISTERS SUPPORT DIERKS

Dierks Bentley fan-clubber (DB Congress rep) Joelle Grillo (center) found out that WBEE (92.5)country music radio station for Rochester, was going to be at a grand opening of a new McDonald's near her New York home. So she called her sister Theresa (right) and told her to wear her Dierks shirt "so we can support DB!"

They got there and waited to meet DJ Terry Clifford (left). "Right away she noticed our clothing so she asked us about our Dierks attire. We told her that we go to Nashville every year to see him and we attended Dierks' Last Call Ball in Nashville last year and how nice and great he was to fans. She agreed and said wonderful things about him and how down to earth he was. She told us that she gave Dierks her business card and he came back a couple years later and pulled it out of his wallet to show her. She took our picture with us for DB Congress and thought it was nice that we support Dierks like that."

The two sisters told Terry that they went to Darien Lakes to see Dierks and how great he is in concert. "Overall we love Dierks and we got the impression she does too!"

Theresa and Joelle at Last Call Ball with Dierks in 2009:



Thank you, Joelle for sharing your story!

DIERKS MAKES FAN FEEL SPECIAL IN SCOTTSDALE

Dierks Bentley made Monica McMacken feel extra special during his April 17 concert from Westworld in Scottsdale. Monica, a DB Congress rep in Arizona, happily shared her photos and a few comments with us!

"Dierks took my hand and then had me sing with him!"


Then he asked me my name!



A girl threw her hat up, Dierks wore it, signed it at the end and threw it back to her. I love how his hair looks!




Thanks for sharing your special experience with us, Monica!