Dierks Chats with Kix Brooks on ACC

Dierks Bentley sat down to chat with Kix Brooks on this week's American Country Countdown. Watch the video where they talk about breaking the bluegrass rules, tuning, toning, and timing, why Dierks' fingers are calloused, 13 guys on a bus, and walking on stage without an electric guitar. "It was a musical experiment, a test, and we won! The fans, they loved it!"

Kix asked Dierks about being away from home 26 out of 30 days: "You got a baby at home-does she still recognize you?" "I love exposing her to music its the coolest thing," Dierks admits. "She can recognize my voice on the radio right away--'da da'. I tell my wife it's a country music kind of deployment--guys in the military are gone 15 months at a time--keep that in mind when you're missing me...doesnt always work. I try to use those guys as an example. It's tough to be away from family."

Welcome New Delaware DB Congress Rep: Amy Shepheard

We're thrilled to introduce new Delaware DBC rep, Amy Shepheard! I asked Amy if she would be willing to be our rep of the week and she replied: "How fun! I would love to be featured!" Enjoy the Q&A!

Where and when was this Meet and Greet pic taken?
House of Blues in Atlantic City, NJ July 2, 2010

How/why did you become a Dierks fan, and fan club member?
My co-worker and I are lone country fans where we work. She has been a Dierks fan all along and invited me to a show at the Delaware state fair in 2009. I had always liked Dierks when I heard him on the radio, but didn't know anything about him or own any of his albums.

He was playing the fair with Brad Paisley, so I figured if Dierks wasn't any good, there was still Brad, right? WRONG. Dierks was amazing at that show!

I am an avid concert-goer, and his was the best I had ever seen... he totally stole the show! I was completely blown away and downloaded every piece of Dierks music I could find as soon as I got home. This year, I stumbled on Dierks's Up on the Ridge tour in Philadelphia at the last minute, not knowing what to expect from the bluegrass. I fell completely in love with him and the music, joined the fan club, pre-ordered the new album, and bought tickets to see him again a month later in Atlantic City!! I can't wait to see him again!

What do you do daily/weekly to promote Dierks in Delaware?
My friend at work and I are a team of Dierks promoters. We have others at work (hip-hop fans nonetheless) listening to him during our shifts! The local stations are slacking when it comes to the new single, so I try to request UOTR as often as I can.

What's your fav DB song/album and what does it mean to you?
As I tell everyone, I play all of his albums on shuffle, and there's not a single song I would skip. I love so many of them. My favorite tune is "Free and Easy" because I have adopted the theme as my life motto... I have been stressed out in the past, but I now realize that Dierks is right... if you only get to go around one time, I'm gonna sit back and try to enjoy the ride! That song makes me smile :-)

Welcome to the DB family, Amy, and thanks for being our fourth DE rep!

Bentley Falls for Late Show Letterman

Dierks Bentley performed Fallin' For You from his Up On The Ridge album on David Letterman Tuesday night. Letterman introduced Dierks: "My next guest is a popular singer and songwriter..."

Dierks delivered an especially soulful rendition of what I like to call "I can't staaaa-and" or "I can't taaa-aake this achin' feelin'." The band made their instruments ache with emotion, while Cassady proved a great Chris Stapleton stand in on harmony vocals.

Beautiful, nice job! That's fantastic, Letterman told Dierks afterward as he shook his hand, then asked him, "Did you hear about Willie Nelson?" Dierks replied, "I did!" But Letterman just laughed and said "We gotta go!"

Dierks Sings Draw Me A Map on Jimmy Fallon

Jimmy Fallon introduced Dierks Bentley as one of his favorite artists on his Late Night show last night. It was very obvious Jimmy is a big Dierks fan! Displaying an oversized graphic of DB's Up On The Ridge CD cover with a big smile on his face, Jimmy could not contain his excitement!

Dierks was joined on stage by Jason Carter (fiddle), Brian, Tim, Steve, Cassady and Sonya Isaacs filled in for Alison Krauss (harmony vocals, Down In The Mine) and she played the mandolin.

DB Congress reps were on stage behind the band on the high-rise. Monica was in the Lavender top and blonde hair over Dierks left shoulder!



Dierks tweeted earlier in the day: "at @Jimmyfallon doing "draw me a map tonight". met Luke Wilson... had to be a dork and mention the importance of Old School in my life"

Emily Sutherland (Gaither staff writer) tweeted: "Sonya Isaacs sent a vid from rehearsal w/ @Dierksbentley. She'll sing back-up & play mando tonight on @jimmyfallon."

Dierks Heats Up Louisville, KY!

Loyal Dierks Bentley Congress member Lee Ann from Kentucky is our guest blogger today! Enjoy reading her HullabaLOU experience!

This is my first official blog, so here goes!

The inaugural HullabaLOU in Louisville, KY! My husband, Lloyd, and I got there in the afternoon, I got my M&G credentials, and then we hung out in the A/C! It was HOT! There were screens in there of the 5 stages. Going to the M&G, we ran into David and Heather. They had been there since about 10:30, and had already been on a backstage tour that Heather won! The M&G went fast. There were lots of radio people there. As I stepped up, Dierks said wow, there are some long time fans here! I gave Dierks 2 bones for Jake and George from the Three Dog Bakery with their names on them! I told him congratulations, and he kind of looked at me (I guess there are lots of thing to congratulate him on!), and I said on the new baby, and he said Thanks! It was hot and loud, with the music in the background from all the music stages.


Well, Lloyd and I then went to see The Travelin' McCourys with Dan Tyminski (sp?). We got right next to the stage. They were great! Lloyd said to me that he forgot how fun they were! They asked the crowd who else we were going to see, and we yelled out "Dierks Bentley!", and Alan (upright bassist) grinned, and said "Yeah, we kind of like him! We just did a tour with him." And we said, "Really, we had NO idea!" lol No, we told them that we had seen them at the Ryman! Unfortunately, their set overlapped with Dierks.

So, we go see Dierks (who they had start early! Boo!) Anyway, we had decent seats, but we were able to move closer for Dierks, since some people hadn't arrived yet. Well, those that missed Dierks, all I can say is "Your loss!" He was GREAT, as usual, running and sweating on that big stage. He brought Sam Bush out with him at one point, and they were awesome!! They did Fallin' For You!!! I hadn't seen that one live!


Then, Bon Jovi came out (15 minutes early! What??). Anyway, I hadn't seen them before, and all I can say is they are AWESOME!! I've been a fan since the big-haired 80s, and wow, these guys put on quite the show! And Jon Bon Jovi is adorable and in great shape, too! They had the crowd going! Then, time for the encore, and we were thinking that they hadn't done Wanted Dead Or Alive yet. So they come back out, and start up that song. And then, Dierks comes out to sing it with them! That was such a treat that took a terrific night and just pushed it right over the edge!!! They sounded great together (future Crossroads?)!

It was a heck of a day and night of music. I think Louisville did a pretty good job with the first HullabaLOU. Hopefully, there will be one next year and Dierks'll come back!

Thanks, Lee Ann, for sharing your memories!

HAS "RIDGE" REACHED ITS PEAK?

After a brief appearance in the Top 20 on Mediabase last week, Dierks Bentley's "Up on the Ridge" slipped back to #22 this week, thanks to a high debut from Kenny Chesney and being overtaken by the newest single by Darius Rucker. It didn't fare any better over on Billboard, where it held steady at #23.

As optimistic as I try to be when it comes to all things charts, I fear the end of the run might be near for UOTR. The coming weeks are going to prove to be equally tumultuous as the past two. UOTR has already proven to be cast somewhat to the wayside in favor of the new songs from Billy Currington, Darius Rucker, and Kenny Chesney. But in the coming weeks, Sugarland, Luke Bryan, Taylor Swift, and Zac Brown Band will be releasing new singles, and most of them are first releases from new albums (the Sugarland single already charted in the mid-40s this week -- 2 weeks before its add date).

It has somewhat leveled back out on Mediabase, after dropping in spins slowly but surely for the past 10 days or so. At this point, it looks like we're going to need another act of Congress -- Let's Save Ridge! Tell radio you're tired of hearing the same old songs on the radio and you're enjoying that new track by Dierks Bentley. If it can survive the next 2-3 weeks, it's possible it can enjoy new growth. So get it on, Congress! Save Ridge!

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

DB CONGRESS CONTEST WINNER!

Congratulations to Stacy, the winner of our "Vote/Request Dierks and send proof" contest!

DB Congress Michigan rep, Stacy hasn't even had her first Meet and Greet with Dierks Bentley yet. But that doesn't stop her from voting and requesting Dierks music daily! She submitted the three photos below of herself voting on CMT.com, GACTV.com and Yes.com for Up On The Ridge, proving her daily dedication to Dierks! Congrats, Stacy! Your prize pack will be on it's way soon!




Cheryl, DBC rep in Wisconsin, is our Runner Up with some great email exchange with her local Morning Show Co-Host Jenny Clark (AJ), from WYTE-FM Y106.5 after the HODAG Festival:

*From: Cheryl
TO: AJ (Jennifer Clark)
Isn't Dierks wonderful? I think for letting you touch his hair (lucky lady!!) you could help by getting Up On the Ridge into the Top 20 songs this week. What do you say? If you wouldn't mind, please e-mail me back and I will send you a couple pics I got. My new camera is a bit of a lemon, thus not all my pictures turned out and I am now not a happy Hodager! Otherwise had a great time! Hope you and Pat had an awesome time too!

*Jennifer Clark wrote:
Hey Cheryl! It was amazing! Hope you had a great time! We'll try to get Up on the Ridge in the Top 20 songs for you. So fabulous that he opened with it! :)

*On Jul 11, 2010, at 11:41 PM, "Cheryl" wrote:
Hi AJ. Thank you so very very much! So did his hair feel as good as it looks? :)

So keep up the great work, "congrass' (as KY rep Lee Ann would say). Keep calling, emailing, tweeting, texting and facebooking your local DJs! Ask them nicely to please play Up On The Ridge! And always, always thank them when they do!

THE THREAD FEATURES THE RIDGE

Dierks's Bentley said his radio show, 'The Thread' was special this week, "since I'm gonna be talking about ME--the whole hour! So if you don't like "me" you might want to tune out."

The radio show is called the thread and this album is called up on the ridge but it might as well be called the thread too because this album really goes back and connects me with the roots of my education in Nashville and the music that really got me excited about being in Nashville and that would be bluegrass acoustic and country music and that's what this record's is all about.

Dierks kicked off the show with the produce of the Up On The Ridge - Jon Randall Stewart. Some know him as Randy or Whispers. One of Dierks' best friends, "nobody knows more about bluegrass music, country music or whiskey and he's one of the great singers and songwriters in this town," Dierks says matter-of-factly.

The first song of the show, "Are You Teasing Me, featured Jon Randall and Patty Loveless.

I'm humbled to have my songs played this entire hour. I hope you hear something you like. He played all the songs from Up On The Ridge in the order they were recorded on the album. Dierks invited listeners to call in if they had any suggestions.

~Up On The Ridge - this song has gotten some airplay - means a lot to me, to hear Sam Bush's slide mandolin and Stuart Duncan's fiddle on the radio

~Fallin' For You - Gave it all I had to try and keep up with Chris Stapleton's powerful voice

~Senor' - I'm a Bob Dylan fan because of Tim O'Brien, and sang it with him at Telluride and recorded with Chris Thile and The Punch Brothers (along with the next song 'Rovin' Gambler'); I think we found a way to make it our own

~Draw Me A Map - one of my 12 favorite songs on this album, Alison Krauss in the background

~Bad Angel - Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson helped me on this Verlon Thompson Suzi Ragsdale tune

~Fiddlin' Around - written by Shawn Camp

~You're Dead To Me - really wanted to have a chance to write with Tim O'Brien on this record - it's a good murder ballad theme

~Pride - special song for me by U2 - only did it once live at The Ryman - hard to replicate live - picking cover songs is hard - bold and brave to take on but bringing in the musicianship of The Punch brothers and Del's voice - so much fun. Del nailed it! I'm really proud of that song.

~Love Grows Wild - One of my favorite singer/songwriters is Buddy Miller - I cut one of his songs on my first album, My Love Will Follow You; I wanted to get back to cut one of his on this album.

~Bottle To The Bottom - I am always amazed I had a chance to sing with Kris Kristofferson; hearing him sing some lines on his own song is one of the coolest thing that ever happened in my career. The song won a Grammy in 1970.

~Down In The Mine - If you're driving your car, you might want to pull over. This is a sad song. Special folks, amazing lifestyle, brave people - we'll send this song out to anyone who's lost a loved one down in the mine tragedies recently.

The podcast is available at wsmonline.com.

DIERKS RISKS RADIO SLOW DOWN FOR 'RIDGE'

CMT.com posted part of their conversation with Dierks Bentley (July 23, 2010, Written by Calvin Gilbert):

Dierks Bentley: "You can define it however you want to define it -- bluegrass, country. I don't care," Dierks Bentley says about his acoustic album, Up on the Ridge.

Some of the greatest music ever created defies simple categorization, of course, and it's been quite some time since a contemporary country artist -- one with current mainstream appeal -- has attempted a project quite as ambitious as Bentley's latest album.

"For me personally, it's something I needed to do for myself and for my hardcore fans [that's us!] that have been asking me to do this for a while," he said during an interview at CMT's offices in Nashville. "So now that it's out there, and people are hearing it and getting that feedback, it feels good, really good."

CMT: I can't think of a mainstream artist -- still in their hit-making prime -- who has done anything like Up on the Ridge.

Bentley: A couple of important things. One is that I've always wanted to make a record like this. I wanted to make it while I was still in the middle of my career. I didn't want it to be on the tail-end or like a send-off piece -- or "now I'm gonna go into the bluegrass community after I've had my run in the country world." I wanted it to be right in the middle of what I'm doing. The second thing is ... is that I knew the big question was, "Are we trying to make something for the commercial country world ... or are we really going to dig in and go for it? And if that's the case, here's what we're going to have to give up, and here's what I'm personally going to have to let go of. Am I going to be able to live with the possibility of not having my songs of the radio for over a year?" That's the hardest question I asked myself because I live and die by country radio. In my soul, I just love hearing my songs on country radio. That's why I moved to Nashville.

I've worked my ass off to become one of the regular guys on country radio, and I had to risk walking away from that to make this record. Once you got past that, then the doors open wide up, and you can make any kind of record you want to make. And once you get past bluegrass, country -- that whole thing -- you can do "Rovin' Gambler," and you can also do "Bad Angel" with Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson. You can bring in Sam Bush and Alison Krauss. You can go do country and bring in Kris Kristofferson. You can make the record you want to make and not worry about those [stylistic] labels. And the cool thing is, if you take that leap of faith and go fully down that path, it kind of comes back around when people give you a lot of props and respect for the fact you did do something like that. And country radio is playing the song [the title track] that was not designed for them at all. I didn't change the song up for country radio. It just felt like it could work at country radio. And there are a few songs on here that could work at country radio. I mean, bluegrass music is country. If radio can go rock or pop, it should be able to lean a little toward the 'grassy side, and it has in the past. Hopefully, I'll be able to ride that a little bit.

CMT: Before you moved to Nashville, you must have been listening to bluegrass music while you were living in Arizona.

Bentley: The only exposure I had to bluegrass music was Hee Haw. I thought it was old people's music. ... I had no idea what bluegrass music was at all. And then there I was -- 19 years old -- in this big strange town hanging out anywhere I could. I remember everyone was kind of trying to be Garth Brooks -- you know, the clothes and the hat and the style. ... I didn't dress like him, so I was like, "Well, I don't know how it's going to work out for me." But a friend of mine from Alabama said, "We need to go to the Station Inn on Tuesday night. You're going to dig this." I walked in there and saw kids my age just dressed in what they wore -- baggy jeans and sneakers -- and they're playing those instruments, singing in harmony. And the power that came off the stage, I felt like Columbus discovering America. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. And I didn't miss a Tuesday night at the Station Inn for about five years. Well, one. I missed one night when it was snowing out. ... My buddies went down there and later told me, "Dude, the power went out. Vince Gill showed up, so we all went to the back room. Amy Grant was there, and they all sang in this small room." And I was like, "I will never miss a Tuesday night again."

How did you make the transition from going there as a fan to getting to know the musicians?

It's not just the bands. It's the community. There was a bluegrass community that was always at that bar. And from there, you hear about pickin' parties at someone's house. ... I would bring my guitar, but I would leave it in my car. I would just listen because I was too nervous for a long time. And I remember all the bluegrass Tuesday nights and Peter Rowan saying something about, "Whoever your heroes are, just make sure you're around them. Even if you have to drive their bus, just be around them." And my hero was Terry Eldredge [currently of the Grascals], the guy that turned me on to this kind of music. And what was great about Terry and those guys is that they were a bluegrass band but they played country songs. They did Haggard songs. They did "Why Baby Why" by George Jones. They'd do all these country songs.

But there's a tradition of that with Jim & Jesse and the Osborne Brothers.

Yeah, the Osborne Brothers. The lines were blurred between country and bluegrass. Now they can be further, in a lot of ways. But bluegrass got me back into old school country.

When you were performing acoustic versions of your mainstream country hits during the show at the Ryman, it became fairly obvious that the bluegrass influence is at the core of your songwriting.

Sure. I mean, there are some songs that just won't go both ways, but I think the acoustic guitar is always going to be a driving force in my music, and the banjo is always going to be prevalent in a lot of my songs. If the banjo can roll to it, it's definitely going to work in a bluegrass configuration. ... If you were trying to define this record, you could define it as bluegrass or country bluegrass or roots music, but you could also define it as just country music without the electric guitar.

How did the tracks with the Punch Brothers come about -- specifically, the U2 song?

I knew Chris. I was a big fan of his, and he had this new band. Jon Randall actually was the one that said, "You've gotta listen to their music." I hadn't listened to it before. So I got the Punch Brothers album, and I would sit there in the bus and challenge the rest of the guys in my country band to listen to their record -- listen to it from top to bottom. Everyone is sitting around with their eyes squinting -- just trying to follow the time signature changes and key changes. It's difficult music to listen to. It requires active participation in the listener. You can't just sit back and drink a cold beer to it. It's crazy.

There were a few songs [on Up on the Ridge] that I knew if we had a bluegrass band to play on them, they're gonna sound like a bluegrass band playing a cover song, and it's going to sound really cheesy after four listens. And these guys [the Punch Brothers] are not a bluegrass band. They're are an acoustic band, and so having them play on "Pride," they're more like an acoustic symphony. I've heard stuff they've done of, like, Bach, and it just blows your mind. So having them play on "Pride" was Jon's idea. So going out to Brooklyn for four or five days and playing with those guys was really inspirational and inspiring for me. A big part of the record is to give that magic, free and outside-of-the-box feel. Those guys took the song and made it their own.

Do you think your work on this album will affect the way you approach your mainstream work in the future?

Having success with a certain production team and a certain writing team and then throwing it all out the window -- working with completely different writers, producer and engineer -- that was a lot of fun. And this was a risk or whatever, but I think I'll see that it's OK to do that. I think I'll take away that it's OK to pour on the 'grass a little bit. I still love the sound of our country show and I love the sound of big electric guitars and bass, but incorporating that in the future and doing a hybrid of it all together, I see that happening. I was telling someone the other day, I'm a country singer that made a bluegrass record -- kind of pushing myself from a rock 'n' roll standpoint. ... I doubt the next record is going to sound like this one because it's going to be a totally different deal. I know that goes against what's popular in country -- as far as success in country. Country music is like NASCAR, where branding is really extremely important. No one really brands themselves as thinking differently between every album. That's a rock 'n' roll thing. With country, we tend to stay right there and lock it in. Hopefully, my brand will be something that people think is fun and a good time, but also that, musically, we're never resting on our heels. Every record is something special.

Something special, indeed! And mainstream radio has not slowed down in playing the new 'grass' stuff! Up On The Ridge is in the top 20 this week...onward and upward to #1!

COUNTRY WEEKLY INCLUDES DIERKS WEEKLY

Country Weekly magazine know Dierks Bentley is hot right now. So hot they've included him in three consecutive issues throughout their pages of popular and up-and-coming artists.

The July 19th issue, with George, Reba and Toby on the cover, has Dierks doing double duty, with a full page "Hot Shots" page of his appearance on the Today show, serenading Kathie Lee and Hoda with "Draw Me a Map." Then on the Letters page, two DB Congress reps (Linda, IN and David, KY) who sent in thank yous for the cover artice (June 21 issue) got published! A feature story, "Musical Schizophrenia" highlights Jon Randall Stewart and his latest record producer project, Dierks Bentley's masterful new Up On The Ridge album.



The following week,--July 26th, Dierks lands on the Hot Shots pages again, this time picturing "the closest to couch time" episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live where DB and the band performed acoustically into Jimmy's lap top due to a power shortage. Skip to the Scoop page and you'll find Dierks lending a hand for Nashville Flood Relief on NBC's Today show. And don't miss the pic of Dierks at the piano on The Pro File page, featuring WUSN Chicago's Lisa Dent and Ramblin' Ray. Read what she had to say about Dierks.



August 2nd--More Dierks in the letters, our very own Molly, DBC rep in New York! Miranda and Blake threw an engagement party for themselves, and Dierks was mentioned as being on the guest list.


Thanks, Country Weekly, for always including a little DB in your magazine! We are extremely grateful and that's why we're loyal CW readers, and most of us subscribe!

~Ronna
DB Congress Chair

DIERKS AND THE BAND IN RALIEGH NC - BEFORE AND AFTER

Dierks Bentley and band (Tim Sergent, Cassady, Brian and Steve Misamore) performed in Raleigh, North Carolina last night and Dierks decided to show us what they all look like before and after an outdoor stage show on a hot summer night:

"what a band looks like preshow walking onto a stage that is 110 degrees in raleigh nc"

"...and what they look like after..."

That's what they get when they go fiddlin' around, right? I'm sure they all had some domestic, light and colds' right after that picture!

GAC'S NAN KELLEY 'WOO HOOS' DIERKS

Nan Kelley interviewed Dierks Bentley on the GAC Top 20 Video Countdown this week, and she made no secret of how much she loved his new album, Up On The Ridge. They talked about how the album came about and how Dierks called each of the featured artists on their cell phones (Miranda & Jamey) to ask them to sing on the record. She talked about how Pride blew her away, and Dierks gave Del McCoury and Chris Thile/Punch Brothers lots of credit.

Dierks talked about his daughter, Evie loving the album, too, and always asking for "da da's" record to be played. Dierks said if she was old enough to buy records the album might be platinum by now.

He also said he likes listening to the record not to hear himself sing, but to hear all the wonderful instruments and artists who make up the whole body of work.

Dierks was beaming ear to ear and Nan was flat out gushing! She said she would love to hear "Draw Me A Map" as a single on the radio (us, too!). Dierks admitted it could happen, that he's gotten a lot of great feedback on that song, with Alison Krauss singing harmony vocals. "Draw me a map, that leads me straight to you - woo hoo!" Nan said excitedly.

Dierks joked he might have to put Nan in charge of radio promotion to get the song played. She joked, "This is Jenny from Ohio" pretending to call a radio DJ. Dierks looked right in the camera and said, "OK, Jenny in Ohio, you gotta call radio now."

Noticeably present on Dierks left hand was his wedding band, which he doesn't usually wear. It was good to see! Guess he's visibly 'fessin' his love for wife Cassidy.

Conspicuously missing was the Up On The Ridge video from the top 20 countdown. So, we need your help, congrass! Vote daily, please! Give it all you've got to give!

VIDEO ALERT: DIERKS SINGS WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE WITH BON JOVI

Dierks Bentley was like a kid in high school last night with the widest smile on his face. He couldn't hide his excitement as he sang live on stage with the legendary Jon Bon Jovi!



Immediately after the show last night at HullabaLOU in Louisville, Kentucky, Dierks couldn't wait to post his unbelievable experience:

"had "sometimes u tell the day by the bottle that u drink" in my high school yearbook (we thought we were pretty cool).still processing.. #fb"

"just sang "wanted dead or alive" with @BonJovi in front of 5 billion people at @hullabaloufest in Kentucky. still processing... #fb"

Special thanks to CTcowgirl (Renee), a DB Congress rep in Connecticut for tweeting and posting the You Tube video!

Dierks, just so you know, you are just as cool as Bon Jovi, and we all have that same smile on our face every time we see you in concert!

BENTLEY'S COLLISION IN LOUISVILLE

Dierks Bentley's most recent tweet from today included a picture of a trio collision. No, not in a car--but musically speaking:

"country, rock and bluegrass collide. hanging out with richie sambora @BonJovi at hullabalou in louisville" Dierks, Richie, and Sam Bush

DIERKS' MEMORY SURPRISING IN CHARLOTTESVILLE

We told you about Dierks Bentley Congress rep, Michele from Maryland who learned from a tweet from Dierks last October that he was taking a train from NYC to Baltimore, so she took a chance and drove to the train station to see if she could get a picture taken with him. Ten months later, Michele tried her luck again. Here's what she had to say:

"So I hadn’t seen Dierks in two months so it was time to strike again in Charlottesville on 7/15. His show was amazing as usual, maybe even better than the last two I saw this summer. Here is a picture of us after the show. He always surprises me when he remembers me. I can’t imagine how many fans he meets a week. Dierks is so great with us and remembers his fans so easily."

I have to agree, Michele. He has the best memory!

DIERKS TV ALERTS: LETTERMAN & FALLON 7/27-28

CAPITOL/NASHVILLE artist DIERKS BENTLEY will perform his song “Fallin’ For You” from his “Up On The Ridge” album on the LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN on TUESDAY (7/27), which kicks off at 11:35p (ET/PT) on CBS-TV. He will also perform his song “Draw Me A Map” on LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON on WEDNESDAY (7/28), which will air on NBC-TV at 12:35a (ET).

DIERKS said: “A lot of times when you get invited to do these shows, you end up doing the same song over and over...usually whatever your current radio single is at the time. It’s really flattering that folks were listening and asking for deeper album cuts. I love being able to highlight as many of these songs as possible because I think they are all special.”

For a full list of upcoming appearances and tour dates for DIERKS, visit www.dierks.com.

BABY BENTLEY #2 ON THE WAY!

Big news from the Bentley household today! Dierks told People.com exclusively:

"We're so excited that our daughter Evie is going to get a baby sister or brother for Christmas," says Bentley, 35, who told PEOPLE when Evie was born that she made life "twice as big." "She's pretty obsessed with a baby doll she carries around now ... We'll see how she does with the real thing!" Bentley says.

On behalf of your DB Congress, Dierks, we want to say congratulations to you and Cassidy! We are so happy for you!

So what names are you thinking about?

~Ronna

NEW DIERKS 'THREADS' ON WSM RADIO!

Four new Dierks Bentley radio show podcasts of "The Thread" on WSM 650 am are available now!

1-Mowing the Bluegrass - Ricky Skaggs. Episode originally aired on Monday, June 14, 2010.


2-The Women of Country - Loretta Lynn,Patsy Cline, and Brenda Lee. Episode originally aired on Monday, June 21, 2010.


3-Songs of the 60's. Episode originally aired on Monday, June 28, 2010. Dierks kicked off the show with newly inducted Country Music Hall of Famer Ferlin Husky's On The Wings Of A Dove.

4-Johnny Paycheck. Episode originally aired on Monday, July 19, 2010. Dierks titled this episode "A-11" for the JP popular song, followed by The Only Hell My Mamma Raised."

DIERKS ON THE OPRY TONIGHT, 7/20

Dierks Bentley is set to perform the Tuesday night Opry tonight, July 20, 2010 in The Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, Tennessee! If you can't be there in person, you can listen online at wsmonline.com.

But wait, there's more! Dierks fans will be chatting online at dierksfans.com (click on "chat room") while we listen on WSM! It all begins at 7:00 pm central (8:00 pm eastern).

Dierks is the feature story on the home page of The Grand Ole Opry's website:

Dierks Bentley surveys the view from UP ON THE RIDGE
Seven summers ago, Dierks Bentley hit the country music airwaves with his debut hit "What Was I Thinkin'," and did for sales of little white tank tops what Catherine Bach did some twenty-plus years earlier for short-short cut-off jeans. This summer, the Opry star has made what the Washington Post called "a supremely gutsy move" and beaten a new path with a rootsy new record, UP ON THE RIDGE. Turns out the view from up on the ridge is a good one for Bentley, with the project generating critical acclaim and a hit title track single, not to mention personal fulfillment. Opry.com caught up with Bentley the day before his July 20 Opry appearance for more on the record and his musical journey since that little white tank top summer of 2003.



This album, of course, has a different sound. Did you do anything different in preparing to record it?

Pretty much everything about writing and recording this album was different. It's something I've been thinking about for a long time...but even so it took a lot of great twists and turns that I wasn't expecting.



Tell us about the first time you remember hearing the kind of music that inspired UP ON THE RIDGE.

I walked into the Station Inn (world famous bluegrass bar) when I was 19 and it changed my life, literally. I felt like I had found the true source of authentic real country music...other than the Opry, of course!



If you had to describe the work of Jon Randall as producer in just a couple of words, what would you say?

Can I say "genius"?! Great ideas, great ears and worked 24/7 on the album.



You're most certainly introducing some mainstream country fans to the music of artists like Sam Bush, who appears on the record and has made a number of recent TV appearances with you. But have you found that some of the fans of the kind of music they do have also recently discovered you and your work?

It's been great hearing "Up On The Ridge" on country radio and knowing that millions of country fans are listening to Sam Bush on slide mandolin! That makes Jon Randall and me really proud. My friendship with the Del McCoury Band, The Grascals and lots of other folks in bluegrass music has led to opportunities to get in front of their fans, but certainly this record has really facilitated that a lot more.



If you could have dinner with any of the artists covered in songs on UP ON THE RIDGE, who would it be?

We covered a U2 song on this album, those guys have worked with Cowboy Jack Clement on their RATTLE AND HUM album, they've recorded with Johnny Cash and they have spent time in the Station Inn! There would be some great conversation over a couple pint glasses.



Is there another instrument you'd like to learn to play?

I took some mandolin lessons from the late Butch Baldasarri. I was 24 and I remember thinking "by the time I'm any good at this ill be in my late 20's." I quit. Wish I hadn't.



There are some great bluegrass band names out there. Have you kicked around any fun names for a Dierks bluegrass band?

Chris Thile and his new band The Punch Brothers I think were originally called "The Tensions Mountain Boys"... say that a couple times fast and you'll get it. Tough to beat that!


Tell us about the last night of the UP ON THE RIDGE TOUR at the Ryman Auditorium. How did it feel to sell out Nashville's most beloved venue?

It was a career highlight on so many different levels. I still remember going to an Opry show at the Ryman for the first time... I also remember going to many, many Bluegrass Nights that were held there. It's the Mother Church of Country Music...and to have sold it out during our Up On The Ridge Tour...to end the tour there...all of these factors made it just the night of a lifetime for me.


After playing this style of music on the record and in shows all spring, do you still like to just go hang and watch it being performed at a place like the "Station Inn"?

A perfect Tuesday night in Nashville for me is to be able to play the Opry and then head over to the Station Inn and be a fan and sit in the back and listen.



Hanging out backstage at the Opry, it seems like some of the best stories and biggest characters come from the world of bluegrass. Who are some of the "characters" you have most enjoyed meeting?

As Pete Fisher can attest to, I enjoyed hanging out backstage at the Opry house a little too much...he limited my backstage access for a little while! But, that was back before I had a record deal and obviously before I got the ultimate backstage pass: Grand Ole Opry membership!

Backstage is the best...overhearing a joke from the late Porter Wagoner, talking to Eddie Stubbs side-stage, having someone like Jim Ed Brown pass along some kind words of wisdom or seeing the newest acts walk out and play for the first time...it's always a good night.



President Obama quoted you last summer, saying country music is "the best shrink $15 can buy." Do you have an equally quotable definition for bluegrass?

Ha! What's an Opry ticket going for these days? I'd say that's the best shrink any fan of country music can buy. If that doesn't work, head over to Lower Broadway and try Roberts and an old Bud Light...works for me.



You're hosting a show called "The Thread" each week on 650 WSM and wsmonline.com. What's the best part of that gig?

Knowing my voice is broadcasting on 650 AM WSM! That station and its history means a lot to me.

...The most challenging part?

I have a great producer, Shannon McCombs. She makes it easy.



So does it feel like seven years since you spent the summer watching "What Was I Thinkin'?" climb to the top of the charts?

It doesn't. I've never gotten tired of singing that song, still look forward to it every night.



Is it still pretty cool to hear someone like Eddie Stubbs say, "please welcome Grand Ole Opry star Dierks Bentley"?

It never gets old, to be honest. It means a little more with every visit to the Opry. Not sure why that is (and it's the same thing with the nervousness), the Opry is the one stage that you never lose that little bit of pre-show nerves.

BENTLEY'S BAD ANGELS IN WINFIELD

DB Congress Oklahoma rep, Karissa, and fellow DBC rep, Lori were 'bad angels' in Windfield, Kansas last weekend. Karissa's story:

"When Dierks Bentley's recent tour schedule was announced I quickly noticed that there were no Oklahoma dates listed, so I looked for shows in surrounding states and found the Winfield, Kansas show. Knowing it would be a 2.5 hour drive and a really hot day, I knew it may be difficult to find a wing-woman for the show....but have no fear....Lori Hillhouse (whom I met after a DB show in February at Winstar Casino in Thackerville, OK) loves traveling and supporting music that she loves, so we paired up, got our tickets, were both lucky enough to win Meet and Greets....soooo...off we went!

We arrived at the venue at about 6pm and were given the run-around about where we could pick up our meet and greet passes (recommend arriving early), but finally about 30-45 minutes later we found them.....only to find out the meet and greet had been delayed an hour, due to the heat. It was an outdoor venue and people and entertainers were dropping like flies, so they moved the performers back an hour to allow for the sun to set behind the grandstands....so, we grabbed a drink and found some shade!

At 8:15pm, we met up with Brittany and only 4 other fan-clubbers and made our way back to see Dierks.

As we got backstage, Dierks was coming out of a trailer where they had 3 guitars set up for him to sign.

After signing the guitars, we each got to talk to him and have a picture taken. He commented on our custom made white tank tops that said "Dierks" on the front and "Bad Angel" on the back. He told me that they had actually played Bad Angel on Friday night with Jamie Johnson, but that it was hard to do with no female vocalist. I think he thought we would be disappointed that he wasn't going to sing it, but honestly, I didn't think he had been doing it "live" anyways, so it was no big deal.


He did say that they would play Draw Me a Map. I gave him a picture to sign and he immediately wanted to know where it was taken, he had remembered meeting me a couple times previously. Since there was only a few people from the fan club with meet and greets Lori and I got to steal another picture and chat with him a little while longer before it was time to go.

So, off we went to the madness in front of the stage...don't ask me how, but we managed to squeeze our way up to the "cat walk" part of the stage and enjoyed the show.

He started with Up on The Ridge, and then sang most of his hits, such as, Free and Easy, Feel That Fire, I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes, Come a Little Closer, My Last Name, Little Heart Wrecker, Every Mile a Memory, Long Trip Alone, Lot of Leavin' Left to Do, All My Ex's Live in Texas (George Straight), Draw Me a Map, then did an encore with Sideways, and What Was I Thinking. He played a good 90 minutes and sounded absolutely phenomenal....probably the best I've heard him! All in all...another great DRT, and definitely worth the drive and the heat!"



All my pics can be viewed at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Karissa1977/DierksBentleyConcert02#

Karissa

DIERKS GETS BLISSFUL ADVICE

When Dierks Bentley was growing up, his mom gave him some great advice. Now he's passing that on to his daughter, Evie.

Listen here:



What advice did you get from your parents that you're passing along to your kids?

DIERKS' GUITAR STOLEN

He may be smiling in this photo, but listen to Dierks Bentley explain about his missing guitar on KILT 100.3's website in this 22 second audio clip.

DIERKS BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW AT JAMBOREE IN THE HILLS

Dierks Bentley gives a back stage interview at Jamboree in the Hills in Ohio yesterday. That must have been some special gum he was chewing--and what talent to talk and chew gum at the same time. Watch as Dierks talks about the first time he performed Jamboree compared to now, his new Up On The Ridge CD, and who he was hoping to bring up on stage with him. Watch the video here. Photo credit (above): Jason L Nelson/AdMedia

Dierks posted this pic on Facebook and Twitter with the following caption: "hey brian and cassady...zz top called...they want their move back"

WIN A DIERKS BENTLEY PRIZE PACK-ENTER BY 7/23

Do you vote or request Dierks daily? Wanna help get Up On The Ridge to the top 20 on Billboard? You could win a prize pack including a DB Congress T-shirt! We're extending the deadline to Friday, July 23 at midnight. To enter, send an email to ronna@dbcongress.com and attach one of these as proof:

1-Email, tweet, or facebook your local DJ and request Up On The Ridge; copy and paste your request and the DJs reply in your email to me.

2-Logon to ratethemusic.com, CMT.com, or GACTV.com and vote for Up On The Ridge, then take a pic of yourself in front of the screen and attach the pic to the email to me.

UOTR, the video is up to #12 this week on CMT! Keep voting daily!

Dierks Bentley More CMT Music More CMT Music Videos

"AAALLLMMMOST" TOP 20: UOTR TO #21

@dbcongress UP ON THE RIDGE aaaalllllmmmmost top 20! banjos across america thank you...they are hoping this leads to more work

You might remember seeing that tweet on July 9th if you follow our Prez, Dierks Bentley, on Twitter. And, this week, "Up on the Ridge" inched ever-closer to that coveted Top 20. On Billboard, it's oh-so-close at #21, enjoying modest but healthy growth of nearly 1 million in audience. On Mediabase, it's #23, but will likely move to at least #21 this week due to songs moving to recurrent status.

It's hard to say if it'll hit Top 20 before Sunday on either chart. The new Darius Rucker song is flying up the charts behind it, already up to #26 in its 3rd week. It's possible that it will pass UOTR and sort of stall any movement for at least the next week. I don't think it's unreasonable to think UOTR will move into the Top 20 for the July 26th chart run, though.

It's worth noting that it's still holding steady with songs that charted at the same time. In their 13th week, "Roll With It" by Easton Corbin and "Hard Hat and a Hammer" by Alan Jackson are at #18 and #19 respectively, and UOTR is just behind Gary Allan's "Get Off on the Pain," in it's 16th week. So, its growth is extremely comparable to most of the songs released at the same time. It continues to improve on the Callout America chart, as well, which is still encouraging as more and more people start to get on board with the song!

Keep up the great work, "Congrass!"

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

Dierks Bentley On Mountain Stage Audio

Country star Dierks Bentley first discovered bluegrass music as a teenager at Nashville's Station Inn. There, he met Rob and Ronnie McCoury and fiddler Jason Carter — all of the Del McCoury Band — and fell in love with the style of music. Now, after many hit songs and millions of records sold, Bentley makes his third appearance on Mountain Stage with songs from his bluegrass-flavored album Up on the Ridge.

Here, Bentley brings along The Travelin' McCourys — Ronnie McCoury on mandolin, Rob McCoury on banjo, Jason Carter on fiddle and Alan Bartram on bass — who also helped record Bentley's new album, Up on the Ridge. They're joined by drummer Steve Mismore and Tim Sargeant on steel guitar; both are members of Bentley's regular touring band. The band gets to stretch out in the bluegrass standard "Rovin' Gambler" before Bentley sings the touching "Down in the Mine."

Listen to the 32 minute show here.

Source

DIERKS ON CRAIG FERGUSON

In case you missed it last night, or just want to watch it again, here is Dierks' performance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.



Kudos to Craig for getting Dierks' name right! And perhaps he was doing a little foreshadowing with the "grammy winning" statement? Fingers crossed!

LITTLE WHITE TANK TOP TRIO MEET THEIR HERO--DIERKS BENTLEY

You may remember an illustration of Dierks Bentley, created by DB Congress rep, Angela Mueller, that resulted in a full page Country Weekly story in the March 22, 2010 issue (Dierks is My George Jones). Four long months later, Angela finally won a fan club Meet and Greet, allowing her the chance to give her composition to Dierks in person. Finally, she was able (through tears) to tell him what his music means to her.

Angela, cousin Katie and friend Emily (all DBC reps in Wisconsin) spent hours preparing for their DRT (Dierks Road Trip), creating signs and home-made little white tank tops, in honor of Dierks' first number one single and anthem, What Was I Thinkin'. Here's her story:

ANGELA:
I drove three hours with my cousin Katie, who is a brand new DB Congress rep, and my friend Emily to the Hodag Country Music Festival in Rhinelander, WI on Saturday, July 10. Katie and I have loved Dierks together since his first single came out and when we are together he's all we talk about. We both grew through our teenage years listening to him. Emily, who we picked up on the way, is a young veteran fan clubber and Katie and I met her when I had my first Meet and Greet with Dierks at the Island Resort and Casino in Michigan. Katie wasn't a rep at the time but along for the show. It was Emily's first M&G at the casino too. We hit it off and have been good friends ever since. Dierks brought us all together!

Hodag was amazing first because of the people. Everyone there was incredibly nice! And people loved our homemade "I Love Dierks" white tank tops. We got a lot of positive attention because of them.

Katie, Angela, Emily (Hodag Fest, Rhinelander, WI, July 10, 2010)

We tried to find Dierks in the campgrounds but a security guard informed us he had already left to go golfing. The day was so long waiting for our Meet and Greets. We saw a glimpse of Dierks later walking around backstage and of course yelled hi to him and he waved. At Hodag you can walk behind stage and see all the buses from behind a gate. He walked up the stairs to the stage where Jack Ingram was playing! We ran back to the front of the stage with the crowd. They did Barbie Doll together and it was amazing! The crowd LOVED IT! Seriously--best duo ever.

Before we knew it the time came for the Meet and Greet. My stomach was doing flips! We got a picture with Brittany. She wasn't sure why we wanted a picture with her but we thought it turned out cute.


For all of us it was our second time meeting him. Katie was calm and collected. Emily and I were freaking out to say the least. I can't speak for Em, but I know he's like her first love, so that's why she was emotional. For me--the first time I met him I was literally frozen with awe or whatever you want to call it so I wasn't emotional until after. This time I was purely emotional--excited and nervous to give him the illustration and show him the CW article in person.

I noticed something. It's funny how while the fan clubbers are in line there is a buzz in the air as we all talk with each other and share our experiences. But when Dierks walks in all goes silent and we are breathless for a second as we stand in the presence of our hero, our inspiration.

He laughed when he saw Emily's tank top first, saying "I love you, too! And you," pointing to Katie, "and you!" pointing at me even though my tank top was covered up at the moment by my flannel shirt.

Of course tears welled up in my eyes, my heart pounded even faster and I almost lost it right there. But I stayed calm. I enjoyed my time in line watching him interact with the other fans. He's so kind and warm and appreciative.

Finally my turn came. I had my shirt undone so he could see my homemade tank top underneath. Of course he loved it and told me I looked great. We posed for the picture and then I opened the magazine for him to sign. He said something to the effect of "wow my manager told me about this! That's so cool, so glad to meet you again!" Then he signed it.



I handed him my illustration which I had printed out at Fedex Kinkos. He told me how awesome it was and started to sign it! I was like, "NOOOOO, it's for you!" It was so funny. He apologized and then went on again about how cool it was, stared at it and turned his almost signature into "from Angela."

I said, "I just graduated from college and I'm so broke so I couldn't get this framed for you I'm so sorry." He laughed and said thats ok. I was trembling and tears began to well up in my eyes. I knew if I didn't say it now I'd be hating myself later. I didn't want it to be like last time. So I started to push the words passed my lips. Then the tears started streaming down my face. All I remember is beginning like this, "Dierks you have no idea..." I know then I paused because of my crying (embarrassing!) so he asked, "Is my music meaningful to you?"

Now I really can barely remember this. I cried and cried explaining in bits and pieces how his music has always been there for me through everything good and bad in my life including my older brother's deployment, fiancé's deployment and now my little brother's deployment. I told him how I'm a song writer starting out just like he once did and he's the one I look up to. I don't remember this but my cousin Katie told me that I kind of stepped away from him as I was crying but he put one arm around me and pulled me back into him. I do remember apologizing profusely for crying though. I could feel everyone there staring at me, at us.


This I remember. Dierks asked, "Did they make it home okay?" referring to my brothers. I really laugh at myself for the way I responded. I said "Yes Dierks, didn't you read the article?" I think my expression was like, "What the hell Dierks, you didn't even read it?" It was kind of disappointing that he actually didn't read it but I sort of expected that. He scrambled to open the magazine and actually tried to read it right there! That was short lived though because he noticed my black nail polish and I think then one of his managers told us to finish it up.

It felt like I had been standing with him there for 15 minutes, which is a very long time for a M&G. His managers had been very gracious to let it go longer. Once again I don't remember what he said but it was a lengthy thank you between the both of us, we hugged, and I walked away. The tears started all over again. Words can't describe how I felt for the rest of the night.

The show was amazing! He played his hits but also played good songs from his various albums like "So So Long" "Draw Me a Map" and "Little Heart Wrecker." He dedicated "Long Trip Alone" to the military and military families like he always does. He said "I know what you guys are going through. I just met a girl backstage who's going through it, too." That had to be me!


The crowd really got Dierks going. This was my sixth time seeing him in concert and this was by far the best. He played for almost two hours! He was so hyped up, more than usual, trust me. He even took our posters and set them up against the front amp for the crowd to see. Yay!


He had a really hard time ending the show and leaving the stage. And he even signed autographs for 20-30 minutes after the show! After it all I tweeted: "pounding headache-check, ringing ears-check, voice gone-check, best concert of my life...CHECK!"

I left an extra copy of the CW magazine with Brittany so hopefully he actually reads it. I'm so glad I got the chance to have met him again. I just hope he doesn't remember me only as the girl who cried.

I still feel like I have not expressed to him enough what his music means to me, what he means to me. Because I guess it goes even further than the music, or actually that his music is ten times more meaningful to me because of what I know of him as a person, too. I look up to him so much. I want to follow his footsteps in life not only as a great musician and songwriter but as a person. From his music to his charity work to his roles as a loving husband and father---everything about him is pure, true and good all around. I mean even learning about his terrible pre-fame job cleaning toilets on house boats is amazing because it shows he is a regular person who worked hard like the rest of us!

And the way he treats his fans is rare and precious. That is why he is my hero--he's a package deal and he never disappoints! I can only hope to one day be half the person he is.

And one thing I've realized after every show I see and especially after meeting him a second time, is that I would give anything to be able to sit down with him and talk music--to just hang out with him for a day and learn more about the person behind the lyrics, learn about what inspired him and how he comes up with ideas for some of his songs, learn about his song writing process--that would be indescribable! As a young songwriter that is one of my biggest dreams, and maybe even have a jam session with him! A girl can only dream.

I'm so glad to be apart of the DB Congress. So wonderful to be able to tell you everything! Thank you!

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EMILY:
As for meeting Dierks it was AMAZING! This was my second time meeting him. The first time I was so shell-shocked that I was meeting him I had no emotion--just in complete shock. This time meeting him when he walked in for the meet & greet I was okay until he walked by Angela, Katie, and me and read our shirts that said "I <3 href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7NHYclv63I1n-nb1MiCxZPEsfJBq8eMizfngnioQFwTzOENDU-dLEAN2ShpHM8veI6itR9RgmaV2vsSuuQ2Y0EsDwkv0jCakQTVb8jPAQyy6Qm-Tm7Z-T1dHgc5vxMGuZ2nYGxbl82ld/s1600/Dierks-hodag-July10-M_G-Emily.JPG">I made a scrap book page of the picture of Dierks and me from last time for him to sign. Dierks looked at the picture from last time then looked down at himself and says " Well I'm so glad I decided to wear the exact same shirt for you again." It was hillarious! We both started laughing!

I have to say Jack Ingram singing Barbie Doll with Dierks had to be one of the best duo performances I have ever seen live!









Dierks actually threw his guitar pick to me after a song! When I caught it I totally flipped out! You see Dierks is my favorite singer/song writer. That guitar pick is now getting framed along with my Meet & Greet picture.


Dierks is such a nice guy --very down to earth. Meeting him just makes me appreciate his music so much more. And if it wasn't for a Dierks show I would have never met my wonderful friends that I have today, Angela and Kaite.

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KATIE:
He was so sweet to all his fans at the concert and put on a great show! The fan club meet and greet was awesome! He paid attention to each fan and was so great! He was super nice and even remembered me from the last time we met in October.


Thanks to Angela, Emily and Katie for sharing the details of your DB experience! I'm not a songwriter, but I have always wanted to sit down and talk shop with Dierks, too!