How many of you held up your hand at a Dierks Bentley concert in 2012 and gestured "5" "1" "5" "0" as you sang along at the top of your lungs? I know I did!
What a crazy but memorable 2012 for DB Congress! We'd love to know your favorite DB memories! Go to our Facebookor Twitterpage and post your comments and pictures and you could win a prize! Be one of the top 3 with the most "Likes" or "Retweets."
We hope you all have a happy and healthy new year and that 2013 brings you good health and lots of awesome Dierks Bentley memories!
Merry Christmas, congress! Your dedicated daily support of Dierks is phenomenal and never ceases to amaze me! It's very much appreciated! Have a blessed holiday season and prosperous new year filled with DRTs!
You might remember how Dierks Bentley and Lady A's Charles Kelley are good friends. That friendship was tested in the latest Lady Antebellum webisode, where Dierks gets egg on his face! Watch below!
We're guessing "Am I The Only One" and "5-1-5-0" are the two songs Dierks Bentley will perform at the Capital One Bowl Halftime Show on January 1, 2013! We found videos on YouTube where the All American cast members were practicing their choreography for cheer/dance, twirl and flag routines for both songs!
Here's a sneak peek:
Cast member choreography training for the 2013 Capital One Venture Card All American Halftime Show in Orlando, Florida on Jan. 1, 2013. The Capital One Bowl football game is broadcast live on ABC-TV.
Looks like quite a production! Who will be there in person?
From the Ryman in Nashville,Tennessee to Anchorage, Alaska and even down under in Australia, Dierks Bentley was all over the world in 2012! How many of these memories did you experience in person? Leave a comment!
Part Two: Episode 87:
Part Two: Episode 89
You can vote for your favorite 2012 memory on our Facebook page!
Nashville, TN – Dec. 17, 2012 – Award winning singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley has one of the most recognizable voices in country music, and this year, that signature sound that could only be Dierks was heard more than ever on country radio with three consecutive No. one hits off his sixth studio album HOME bringing his total as both a singer and a songwriter to 10. It was a dizzying 2012 for the artist, who also toured internationally, nabbed award nominations from the ACMs, CMAs and most recently the GRAMMYs, mined GOLD singles and found himself sitting at the top of critics’ year end lists.
“Seems like every man in Nashville wants to be the Nashville Everyman. Here, Bentley actually pulls it off, singing from various vantages with smarts and charm. Bonus points for the patriotic title track, which still sounds sensible after an election season that left America covered in red-and-blue bruises.” - Washington Post, 2012’s Top 10 Albums
“Bentley always utilizes banjo, fiddle, mandolin and especially dobro in his music, but with a modern beat and energy that, along with his distinctive voice, gives him a compelling sound of his own.” – Associated Press “Dierks Bentley’s music reaches all the way from Nashville to my kitchen in Dublin. When he sings “Home” I feel patriotic about America and I’m not even American. I think anyone who hears it understands that America is not just a geography, it’s not just a country, it’s an idea. I think country fans get that deeper than most.” - Bono Bentley’s tribute to Johnny Cash on the GRAMMY Nominations Concert capped off 2012’s string of television appearances this year that included TODAY, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock, CBS' Teachers Rock, and awards shows including the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards, 47th Annual ACM Awards, 46th Annual CMA Awards and the 2012 American Country Awards.
Bentley toured the US and beyond to Canada and Australia during his 55-city Country & Cold Cans Tour. The road warrior sold out shows across the country including the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater, and along the way notched the one millionth mile on his faithful tour bus “Goldie.” He also shared the stage with iconic rock guitarists Mike McCready of Pearl Jam on Record Store Day and Chris Shiflett from Foo Fighters at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. The Grand Ole Opry member lent his voice to the theme song of the final season of "Weeds" and set down his guitar to test his hosting skills at the 2012 ACM Honors where he charmed the industry-filled audience with jokes about his peers, thoughtful stories about his idols and obscure facts about Country Music history. Not done yet, Bentley also found time to record and release the fan inspired COUNTRY & COLD CANS EP, as well as design and unveil his signature HD Dierks Bentley Custom Signature Artist Edition Martin guitar.
After some time off the road for the holidays, Bentley will ring in the New Year with pre-game concerts at both the Capitol One Bowl in Orlando and the BCS National Championship Game in Miami. From Florida, preparations will begin for the launch of the Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley: Locked & Reloaded Tour set to kick off Jan. 17 in Columbia, SC.
For a video look at the year in review and a full list of upcoming appearances and tour dates, visit www.dierks.com.
Want to ring in the New Year with Dierks and football? Here's your chance to do both on January 1, 2013!
Dierks is excited to be headlining the half-time show and a full concert at the pre-game fan fest at the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Florida. Check out this video with Dierks talking about the big day. He even calls out DB Congress!
"Leave the stereo at home...I'll take care of the tunes."
Dierks will also be performing at the BCS National Championship Game in Miami, Florida on January 7th.
Blogs are popping up all over the web listing their best albums of 2012, and a few have honored our prez, Dierks Bentley's, "Home" CD. 1. The Washington Post. Sliding in at number 9, “Home” is one of only two country albums to make the list:
"Seems like every man in Nashville wants to be the Nashville Everyman. Here, Bentley actually pulls it off, singing from various vantages with smarts and charm. Bonus points for the patriotic title track, which still sounds sensible after an election season that left America covered in red-and-blue bruises."
2. The Boot. The AOL-owned website features their top 12 best albums of the year. Dierks takes the #9 slot on this list as well.
"This was Dierks' first return to mainstream country after releasing his bluegrass album, Up on the Ridge, in 2010, and it reminds us why his songwriting is so compelling in any genre. Each song is a stand-out, but perhaps none are as poignant as the title track. The song was partly inspired by the devastating Tucson, Arizona shooting that wounded 19 people (including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords) and killed six."
I'm sure we haven't heard the last of the "Best" lists for 2012 and we fully expect Dierks to be on many more to come! If you find one, please send us the link so we can share with all the DB Congress!
According to countryweekly.com, Dierks Bentley is dreaming of a dry, hot Christmas. Instead of snow and cold, Dierks remembers sand and heat during the holidays. Such is life growing up in the Arizona desert.
"Me and my family and a couple other families would go out to the desert and bring a big turkey and just kinda have a cookout in the middle of the desert . . . and drink beers and ride four-wheelers and . . . well, I wouldn't drink beers, but they would. I'd drink some Coca-Cola, I guess...We'd ride four-wheelers and horses and just kind of spend it out in the middle of the desert, which was kind of a cool way to spend Christmas...So whenever I think of Christmas, I always think of the desert, which is a little weird, but that's just the way we did it out in Arizona."
Be sure to tune in or set your DVR to see Dierks Bentley perform on ABC's "CMA Country Christmas" special, Thursday, December 20, at 9 pm eastern. Can't wait? Here's a sneak peek at Dierks singing "Baby, Please Come Home."
Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles will host the "CMA Country Christmas" special. In addition to Dierks, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Scotty McCreery, The Band Perry and Keith Urban will be on hand to perform and share their favorite tales of the season.
Don't worry. If you miss the 12/20 show, the special airs again Saturday, December 22 from 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET on the ABC Television Network.
Dierks Bentley shared the stage with Heisman Trophy winner, Johnny Manziel last week at KILT's Ten Man Jam in Houston, TX. The 20 year-old freshman Texas A&M quarterback signed guitars and boots while jamming with Dierks, Kevin Fowler and Roger Creager.
Watch to see what Dierks tries to pick up with his guitar:
Dierks Bentley walked on stage in his wild stallions shirt, a step away from his usual white T, to perform at the American Country Awards, Monday, December 10th on FOX. Earlier in the day, Dierks was debating wardrobe choices on Twitter for "Dr. Feasby," his bass player, Cassady Feasby:
backstage #americancountryawards in vegas. @drfeasby having wardrobe issues. can u help him decide?! "wild stallions"...or jean jacket with southwestern carpet sown into shoulders.
Dierks was nominated for Album Of The Year, for "Home," but it was Luke Bran's night, winning Album and 8 other guitar trophies.
Dierks Bentley - Home
Luke Bryan - tailgates & tanlines--WINNER
Eric Church - Chief
Lady Antebellum - Own the Night
Blake Shelton - Red River Blue
Taste of Country blogged, "...Bentley was ready to rock out from the moment he walked on stage. Fortunately, his band was up for the task, too. While his band played perfectly in tune with ‘Country & Cold Cans,’ images of Bentley’s fans having a blast at his concerts played in the background."
Check out Dierks and the guys backstage and part of their "Country & Cold Cans" performance on DBTV Episode #88. "Aw, Vegas! Raise 'em up!"
Order your Country Music Hall of Fame 2013calendarwith Dierks Bentley in it no later than Monday, December 17 and you can receive it before Christmas! This is special since it's the first year Dierks has every been included!
We first told you about the calendar in August. Be sure to buy a few copies--you'll want one for home, work and a few for all your country music-loving friends!
Ten time Grammy nominee Dierks Bentley, just received his 11th all-time nod during tonight's Grammy Nomination Concert. And he's up against some tough competition for the Best Country Solo Performance, to be awarded at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards February 10, 2013, at 8 pm EST on CBS.
Dierks's nomination for his performance of "Home" will compete against Eric Church's "Springsteen," Ronnie Dunn's "Cost of Livin'," "Wanted," by Hunter Hayes, Carrie Underwood's, "Blown Away," and the CMA "Song of the year Award winner, "Over," performed by Blake Shelton.
The Nomination concert was held in Music City (Nashville, TN), at the Bridgestone Arena, where Dierks performed live with The Band Perry. They sang an impressive rendition of "Jackson," honoring the late Johnny Cash, in perfect harmony.
Photos from www.grammy.com; Dierks Bentley and Kimberly Perry (The Band Perry)
So, who watched? Who DVR'd it? What did you think of our president's performance? What do you think his chances are of winning in February? Leave a comment with your thoughts!
Dierks Bentley says he's not the big star in the family when they all gather for Christmas, his brother, Fife, is the big star. While he's on the road entertaining all year, Fife is on the road in Guatemala saving people's lives through the Peace Corps.
In DBTV Episode 86, Dierks sends out a special holiday message about a cause that's very personal and close to his heart called Partner for Surgery. Take a look:
If you're in the Dierks Bentley Fan Club (DB Congress), you likely received the email below. If you will be near Nashville on Wednesday, December 5, here's your chance at FREE tickets to the Grammy Nomination Concert where Dierks will perform!
RSVP by Tuesday, December 4th by noon (See details below).
==========================
Hey
Congress Member! Want tickets to attend “The Grammy Nomination Concert” in Nashville,
TN on WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5TH from 9:00pm to
10:00pm, which will air live on CBS?! We've been offered a limited number of tickets and
wanted to offer them to you, The Congress, as a thank you for your tireless
support. Therefore, you have the chance to request a pair of these
tickets.
In
addition to Dierks, there will be appearances and performances by Taylor
Swift, LL Cool J, Luke Bryan, Hunter Hayes, Ne-Yo, Little Big Town, fun.,
Maroon 5, and more TBA! (Maroon 5 will play for 45 minutes
after the show ends, so you'll have the chance stay for this
special performance as well)
CHECK
IN LOCATION:
TBD (Confirmation Letter emailed once you RSVP)
CHECK
IN TIME:
TBD (Confirmation Letter emailed once you RSVP)
DRESS
ATTIRE:
Upscale CONCERT or CLUB attire.
Nice
jeans & cute tops/shirts are great, Cowboy hats ok, Fedoras ok.
Please
NO baseball caps, NO all white clothing or all white T-shirts, and NO large
Logo’s
that can be seen on-camera.
PLEASE
BE AWARE, ADMISSION WILL BE FOR STANDING ROOM ONLY ON THE
FLOOR IN FRONT OF THE STAGE “SCREAMING FAN SECTION”.
To RSVP, please email the following information to grammynominations@gmail.comby this Tuesday
December 4th at noon:
1) First & last name plus the full name of your guest (Maximum of 2 persons per RSVP)
2) Mention that you are a member of the Dierks Bentley
Fan Club
Once
you RSVP, you will be emailed a confirmation letter with check-in location and time. Confirmation letters will be emailed out
starting Monday, December 3rd.
Dierks Bentley once said he's not a good harmonizer, but his duet with Terri Clark on her new album, "Classic," proves him wrong. The Tammy Wynette and George Jones classic, Golden Ring, blends Terri and Dierks' voices beautifully! Listen below.
According to Country Weekly, "She let her duet partners pick what songs they wanted to sing with her, which helped determine the final track list."
A few months ago, Terri tweeted this picture of her and Dierks Bentley on Twitter with this quote:
“Dierks Bentley in the studio. Sang the George Jones and Tammy Wynette classic "Golden Ring" with me for my new record. He killed it !!”
You can download the whole album or just Track 6 featuring Dierks HERE.
Dierks will be one of the performers at the Grammy Nominations Concert Live in Nashville on Wednesday December 5th along with The Who, Maroon 5, Fun., Ne-Yo, Hunter Hayes, The Band Perry and more! Dierks will perform with The Band Perry for a tribute to Johnny Cash.
The one-hour special will air live on CBS at 10 p.m. ET and The Grammy Awards will take place in Los Angeles on Feb. 10.
Got Dierks? If you're like me, you have most everything there is to buy with Dierks Bentley on it. But maybe your family and friends don't. Here's your chance to do all your Christmas shopping in one place without leaving your couch! A Cyber Monday exclusive, dierks.com is offering FREE shipping on all orders purchased through the dierks.com store. Only on Monday, November 26, 2012! Use the code DIERKS-MYALAMO when you check out. Check out all the DB merch HERE! And don't forget, Dierks has finally been included in the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum calendar! Now through December 17, they are offering FREE shipping! I already bought two--one for me and one as a gift! Order yoursHERE! Merry Christmas! ~Ronna (FL) DB Congress Chair
If you had purchased tickets via
Dierks.com for the Miles and Music for Kids event in Nashville that was
unexpectedly cancelled, thank you for your patience.
Despite the unfortunate
cancellation, our
goal remains to make a sizable donation to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s
Hospital at Vanderbilt. Therefore, we are offering 3 options
for the face value of your ticket purchase (please allow 2 weeks for requests
to be fulfilled):
OPTION 1: In lieu of a refund, the face value of your
ticket can be considered a charitable donation on your 2012 taxes.
Please fill out THIS FORM and
submit it electronically by January 12, 2013.
A receipt will be issued to you
for your tax purposes. Proceeds will go to the Monroe Caroll Jr. Children’s
Hospital at Vanderbilt.
OPTION 2: Receive an event t-shirt in lieu of a
refund.
Please fill out THIS FORM and
submit it electronically by January 12, 2013. Proceeds will go to Monroe
Caroll Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
OPTION 3: Receive a refund for the face value of your
tickets.
Please fill out THIS FORM and
submit it electronically by January 12, 2013. No refunds will be honored
after the 90 day refund period on January 12, 2013.
Dierks Bentley and wife Cassidy on the red carpet, CMA Awards 2012
While his fans may be furious over yet another year of disappointment for their favorite artist, Dierks Bentley displayed nothing but class at last night's CMA Awards. Nominated for three awards - Single and Song of the Year for "Home" and Album of the Year, Dierks took home no trophies.
Instead, he gave a killer performance of Tip It On Back and congratulated his friends who did win.
"had a blast. thought the #cmaawards rocked. especially happy for @LBTmusic. so deserved"
Little Big Town walked away with the Single ("Pontoon") and Vocal Group of the Year awards. Song of the Year went to Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton for "Over You" and Album was awarded to Eric Church's "Chief."
Maybe someday the Country Music Association will recognize Dierks with a win!
In a 2-day shoot filmed outside of Athens, Georgia, Dierks Bentley's video for his current single, "Tip It On Back," features a couple (Sarah Ames and Jason Burkey) struggling to keep the family farm. They go out on the town to 'let it all go' at - where else - a DB concert. Director Wes Edwards and Producer John Burke (5-1-5-0) captured a surreal sequence of them reminiscing about their childhood. Read our interview with Wes HERE.
Thanks to our DB Congress Chart Reporter, Carrie, we know the song is #21 this week on Mediabase and #23 on Billboard's "airplay" Chart. Two of the three songwriters told us their thoughts on the video:
"I absolutely LOVE the video!!! It's
fantastic and I really hope that helps push the song into the top 20." - Ross Copperman
"The video is pretty much amazing. Me and my wife and daughter huddled around the computer
and watched online. It was eerie how
similar the feelings the couple in the video went through were to some of the
feelings we have been through. It feels
like my life. It's got the tough days and
the fun nights when we blow off steam.
I love the end, tipping on back the for sale sign. If you can't tell I'm pretty over the top
happy!! Unreal cool." -Jon Nite
An American Idol Hollywood contestant (Sarah) and an actor in the 2012 motion picture, October Baby, (Jason) shared their experience on the set of "Tip It On Back" with us through this exclusive interview.
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
Jason, we know your background is in film, television, commercials and theatre. Which film or TV show do people most recognize you from? You’re from Atlanta, right?
The
film people might recognize me from is a movie called OCTOBER BABY. It was #8
in the box office when it opened in theaters March 23rd and can now be found on
DVD everywhere in Walmart and in Redbox. I'm originally from Chicago.
Sarah, your Twitter profile says “you can catch me singin’” in Nashville, TN. Tell us about your musical journey. Is acting also in your background?
I’ve been singing ever since I was really little and began to take it more seriously as I got older. I spent two years in the USC Thornton School of Music Popular Music program, and it was during that time I participated in American Idol Season 10, but was cut during Hollywood Week. It was at USC that I really began to write songs and do my own shows. I then decided to leave USC and move to Nashville. For the last year and a half, I’ve been in Nashville writing, meeting new people, and singing! Acting is definitely in my background as well, as I have taken acting classes inside and outside of school since middle school and have been in many plays and musicals.
How were you chosen to be in the video?
Sarah: My agent in Nashville called me to the audition. I auditioned for the director and then he chose Jason and I!
Jason: I
came in to audition for the role. Apparently I did something right!
What did you think won you the part?
Sarah: I auditioned, and Jason happened to be auditioning after me. After Jason auditioned, the director ran out to catch me and called me back into the audition room with Jason. He then had us do some scenes from the video. I think Jason and I had the look the director wanted for the video, and we had chemistry during the scenes.
Jason: I
think the chemistry that Sarah and I showed in the audition may have been a
deciding factor.
Did you know each other before the video? If not, what did you do to get comfortable with each other to be “husband and wife”?
Sarah: We didn’t know each other before the video. As an actor, you have to be ready to put yourself into any character, whether or not you know the other actor in the scene. Jason and I got to know each other a bit before we shot the video because there was some down time between shots.
Jason: No. We met at the audition and then again once we got
on set. Sarah is a fun, laid back girl so I think our personalities clicked;
made it easy to pretend like we liked each other on camera.
How did you gear yourself up for the emotions you portrayed so well throughout the video?
Sarah: I just really put myself into the mindset/situation of the character and let it flow naturally. I understood that their love was stressed by hard times, and I really put myself there and tried to let those feelings go.
Jason: Just lived in the moment. Wes gave us clear direction
for each scene so we knew exactly what had to be done and where our characters
were emotionally throughout the video.
How much did you know of Dierks and/or his music before getting the job?
Sarah: I definitely knew about Dierks and his music before getting the job. I love his music—really talented guy.
Jason: I
knew of his music pretty well before doing the video. I dig his songs.
Did you know the song (Tip It On Back) prior to being in the video? If so, what were you doing when you first heard it?
Sarah: I actually hadn’t heard “Tip It On Back” until I found out about the video—I should have known the song! It’s a great song.
Jason: I did not hear of the song before doing the video and the first time I heard it was onset. It was in my head for the next week at least after that.
Have you been in any other music video? If so, how did the TIOB experience compare?
Sarah: I have been an extra in a couple other music videos, but this shoot was by far my favorite. Everyone was so great to work with. Jason: I’ve done a handful of other country
videos. This particular shoot was great because it was a two day shoot and it
was in Athens which was a fun town to film in. We had a great crew to work with
as well which made it a blast.
Did you find the video treatment uplifting or sad?
Sarah: I think it is both sad and uplifting. The video is a progression of emotion—from sadness, to its release. Jason: I
found it to be hopeful. It was a very real look at how financial pressure can
effect a relationship, no matter how strong it is. I also liked the carefree
nature of the song; not letting life’s worries get the best of you.
What surprised you the most about filming the video?
Sarah: I was really impressed by how nice Dierks was to Jason and I, as well as the extras. I had always heard that he was a nice guy, but he was super appreciative, down to earth, and friendly. Jason: I think I was surprised at how many
Georgia students showed up to be extras in the concert scene. They brought a
lot of energy to the set and seemed to really enjoy the whole experience.
What was it like to work with Dierks? Can you share some of your conversations?
Sarah: Dierks was great to work with. He was positive, funny, and appreciative. Dierks and I crossed paths in the theater and he knew my name, shook my hand and personally thanked me. He said he saw my audition tape and thought I did a great job and was happy to have me there. Really nice of him! Jason: Dierks
is a standup guy. Very nice and genuine. I remember he made his way through the
crowd and approached me to say hello and tell me how much he enjoyed my
audition tape. I was honestly shocked that he even watched it. I like how
involved in his own career he is and that he takes time to connect with people.
Those are rare qualities to find in someone who’s as well known as he is. It
was refreshing.
We know the concert portion of the video was filmed at the Georgia Theater? Where was the rest of the video shot?
Sarah: The first part was shot at the Georgia Theater. The second part was shot on a farm outside of Athens. It was beautiful and the family living in the house was so sweet.
Jason: We
filmed at a farm house on a beautiful piece of property belonging to a very nice
family who loved having us there. It was a great location.
Was that real beer in your cups? How many “takes” did that scene take? ;)
Sarah: Yes, that was real beer! There were countless “takes” taken throughout the shoot—too many to count! Dierks’ performance shots took around 3 hours. Jason and I were still filming our scenes in the theater when Dierks left. Jason: We
spent an entire day in the Georgia Theater. Couldn’t even begin to tell you how many takes we did! haha
Were you a part of the audience when Dierks did his “stage dive?” Or were you edited in later?
Sarah: We were in the audience! Jason: Yes,
Sarah and I were standing in the middle of the crowd when he dove. It was
pretty cool.
Jason, did you hammer that sign into the ground yourself, or was that a stunt double? (haha) Admit it, your favorite part was pulling it out of the ground at the end of the video as if to “tip it on back.”
That
was all me! No need for a stunt double. I spent a solid few hours hammering
that thing in. It was a great workout actually.
Was there a “script” ahead of time or were you “directed” on site?
Sarah: We were directed on site, but we did have some idea of what we had to do ahead of time. Jason: There was a treatment that we read
over to understand the story, but pretty much we were directed on set.
What was your favorite memory of the day? Funniest moment?
Sarah: Meeting Dierks was great and spending time on the farm was really fun. It’s difficult for me to recall the funniest moment—maybe Jason remembers one!! I do remember the cows on the farm being pretty funny to watch. We saw a calf that had been born the day before we got there!
Jason: Oh thats a tough one... My favorite
memory was probably going to Dierks’ show after we got done filming at the
Georgia Theater that night. He performed for the students there in this
impromptu show; that was definitely a good time.
We learned a little about the behind the scenes story from Jenny Sue, who did your make up. You both looked great! What was that like working with your own make-up artist?
Sarah: Thank you! Jenny is so sweet and so great to work with. She was always there for touch ups during shots. It was so nice to not have to do my own make up-- I could just relax while she worked her magic!
Jason: Jenny Sue had her work cut out for her! It takes a lot
to make me look decent for camera. She did great! Photos below are from Jenny Sue's blog.
Sarah Ames and Jason Burkey on set; make up by Jenny Sue
Jenny Sue, Sarah, Jenny's boys shown in the video, and Jason
How do you feel the final video turned out?
Sarah: I’m really happy with the final result. I really think it turned out well and captures the essence of the song. Wes Edwards did an amazing job with this video, as always! Jason: It turned out exactly as I envisioned. I think its
great!
Did you have a party for the crew after the video was all done?
Sarah: No, not a party! We had been filming since 7 am on the final day, so by 4 pm, we were tired and needed to drive back to Nashville! Jason: We
did celebrate a bit by going to the Dierks show. Again, it was a solid crew to
work with so we had a lot of fun working together for those two days. Good
memories!
In DBTV Episode 80, go behind the scenes with Dierks and the crew as they film the video for "Tip It On Back."
Watch the official video for Dierks Bentley's, "Tip It On Back."
Dierks Bentley (left) presents a plaque to video director Wes Edwards at the No. 1 party for "5-1-5-0" in Nashville on Aug. 30, 2012. Photo Credit: Brian Tipton
Wes Edwards has been making films ever since he was 12 years old. He's been directing professionally for more than 10 years, working with everyone from multi-platinum recording artists. to children in the townships of South Africa.
Couple that with commercials, short films and nearly 50 music videos, including Dierks Bentley's "5-1-5-0" and "Tip It On Back," and you've got one talented dude who's vision and hard work results in a moving experience for the viewers that immediately connects them to the song.
We found each other on Twitter and Wes quickly agreed to contribute to the "Tip It On Back" story behind the video DB Congress Blogs - Part One is below.
How did you come up with the treatment story for TIOB? Is the video process
collaborative or do you bring the vision to the table?
The
treatment was fitting because I came up with it after a couple of drinks one
night!
My
parents had just sold our family farm in Kentucky and though it was the right
thing to do for them, it was still weighing heavily on my mind. The
core idea came about when I was just listening to the song and I imagined the
for sale sign at the farm falling over or "tipping back." It
was a really exciting moment because I knew that could be the final twist in
the story to leave the audience with.
The
only thing I wrote down that night was: "On one level it’s a video about
losing your inhibitions ... but in a deeper way, it’s about how losing your
inhibitions makes you discover your priorities." So
with that image, I wrote the story of the young couple forced to sell, and how
"tipping it on back" made the guy realize that he would do whatever
it took to keep the farm.
The
for sale sign we made listed the farm at 276 acres - the same as our farm in
Kentucky.
How much ad-lib do you allow Dierks to do? Was the stage dive his idea?
Actually I think I brought up the stage diving the day
before we shot in a text message to Dierks and he just said, "yeah let's try it!"
I
let Dierks ad-lib as much as we can shoot. Driving Big White through the
mud on "5-1-5-0" was his idea, and all I had to do was get the cameras ready.
Dierks
is awesome to work with. He has ideas but in the end he just wants a
great video and defaults to what I think, so we are both free to try something
and if it doesn't work we just scrap it and try something else.
Dierks
is also great at speaking up right away if he doesn't like the vibe of
something. For example, when
we first started shooting performance he thought the stage looked too clean, so
we added some rugs, some equipment, and made it a little more messy. It
suddenly felt more authentic and the video was better for it. I love
working with Dierks because he actually cares about the end product. He's
reached a level of success where he could only be concerned with how much time
he needs to be on set, but he actually cares about the quality of the video as
a whole and that's what is really impressive after 18 videos.
Can you share a sample page of the script or do you just use an outline?
I
just worked with a simple shot list on set. Actually, it wasn't even a
shot list, just an event list. It looked like this:
-
couple enters theater
-
couple orders beer
-
couple loosens up
-
dancing
Etc.
Obviously
there is a lot more subtlety to the video but I've found that sometimes
it's better to let things happen on set and not in an overwhelmingly long and
detailed shot list.
When
we shot the scene of the couple first arriving at the venue and ordering a
beer, it was a much more simple thing ... Order beer, get beer, exit. Once
we got on set I could see that the actors were expressing quite a lot through
the expressions on their faces. It became a way to say: they are upset,
but they love each other and they are going to do their best to forget about
everything and just have a good time. And that's something that if I had
just stuck to a shot list, wouldn't have been conveyed.
Had you planned to use the little boys as flash back or did (make up artist) Jenny Sue happen to
have them on set?
We
were going to find a little boy down there. We found out Jenny Sue had a
son so I said, great can you bring him?
Then
I found out that she had two boys and that the younger boy LOVED "5-1-5-0" and I
thought, we can't have this kid stay at home while his brother gets to be in a
Dierks Bentley video, it'll ruin his life! So I said, bring them both
... And she did. Their names were Jack and Walker and they were awesome.
Did you personally pick Jason and Sarah? If so, what sold you on them getting
the part?
We
didn't do regular auditions, I just brought people in and asked them questions
on camera. It's more important to me that the person be comfortable and
collaborative than just be able to "perform."
I
had just seen Sarah and really liked her. As she was leaving Jason came
in next. I also liked him but found out that he was moving the next week
so if I wanted to pair him up with a girl this would be my only chance. About
a minute in to his interview I ran into the hall and yelled "get that
Sarah girl back here!"
My
producer called her, she turned her car around and came in. I put her and
Jason together and it was magic. They looked so comfortable together, like
they had known each other for years. I auditioned a lot more people but
they were my first choice from the moment I put them together.
You have done a ton of Jason Aldean videos. It's interesting that Jason's
bassist, Tully Kennedy was a co-writer on Tip It On Back. How much insight did
you get from the "Tip It On Back" songwriters to create the treatment?
I've
known Tully for years but had no idea he was a writer on the song until the day
we wrapped the shoot. He's a great guy and I hope the song does well for
him.
Who has been your favorite artist to work with?
Well
I can't pick favorites .... I love all the artists I work with. I'll say
that my two videos with Dierks have been extremely fulfilling. Dierks is
a very responsive artist who is awesome as a creative collaborator, and is just
a pleasant down to earth person. You really couldn't ask for more from
an artist.
Editing seems to be a really long and tedious process. How long did it take
after two days of filming TIOB?
I
had the first cut within three days of getting back home. I think we
delivered about three weeks after wrap. Editing is tedious but I have a
love/hate relationship with it. When you're on set you're always up
against the clock. Since I edit my own videos, the pressure of the clock
goes away and I take the time to make it as perfect as it can be. And
though it can be tedious, it's worth it to get the cut just right.
Do you prefer music videos over commercials or short film? If so, why?
I
love them all for different reasons.
There
is a lot of freedom in music videos and it's nice to write a concept and bring
it to the screen. It becomes the visual that people associate to
the song, so there's something very fulfilling about that.
With
commercials the concept is written by the ad agency, and it's nice to have the
creative already written when I come aboard. There are only 30 seconds to
fill in a commercial so you have a lot more time on set to perfect the shots,
which is refreshing after working on a lot of music videos where you have to
just keep moving.
Short
films are great fun. I ultimately want to direct movies so short films
are the closest to feature film-making for me.
But
I love it all.
Thanks, Wes!
Stay tuned for Part Two of the Behind the Scenes Exclusive Tip It On Back video interviews with the lead actors--Sarah and Jason!
