In its 22nd week on the charts, Dierks Bentley's "Home" continued its steady climb to "the penthouse" this week, moving to #3 on both Billboard and Mediabase. It reclaimed #1 on Billboard's smaller-market Indicator chart (labelmate and current #1 holder Keith Urban swiped it from him last week).
Here's the skinny on how this is shaping up. Kenny Chesney's "Reality" limped into the #1 spot on Mediabase this morning, thanks to a plummeting Keith. However, he only gained 10,000 in audience - Dierks gained 430,000! Mediabase, you'll remember, has their arbitrary points system though, and Dierks is 835 points back as of this morning from #1. (He gained 155 points on #1 overnight.) If Dierks keeps up the audience gains, then the #1 on Billboard this week almost seems like a lock, and Mediabase is a possibility, too. Kenny will need to step up his game AND make sure he's #1 on Sunday morning for the Mediabase #1. It likely won't help Kenny that a Capitol Nashville song is falling, and a Capitol Nashville song is next in line - radio can easily trade some of Keith's spins for Dierks and leave Kenny out. ;)
All that said, even IF - and conventional wisdom thinks it's a big IF - Kenny manages to hang on ("Reality" is OLD by Kenny standards, even though 22 weeks is spot-on for a Dierks song) and snag #1 this coming week, Dierks is guaranteed #1 for AT LEAST the following week's chart run. He has a SEVEN MILLION audience impression lead on the next group of songs coming up (Jake Owen, Taylor Swift, George Strait). That's a very large lead and, at this point, even if "Home" were *falling* in spins/audience, it would still get #1 once Kenny falls. I'm watching it very closely. It should be a fun week to watch.
I tweet almost every morning the daily updates, so feel free to follow me if you don't already - @corbers - for up to the minute updates. However, rest assured that once I see Dierks next to that #1 on the daily updates, I'll update the DBC facebook/Twitter feeds as well so we can all congratulate our Prez!
Dierks Bentley dishes to Headline Country's Storme Warren about his youngest duet partner. Watch the video starting at around the 10 minute mark. Then go toheadlinecountry.net to vote for which song on the "Home" album should be the next single: "5-1-5-0" or "Tip It On Back?"
Fresh off a cold Country & Cold Cans Tour run in Canada, Dierks Bentley's current single, "Home," has hit number one on the Canadian charts! Watch DBTV Episode 55, where Dierks, and Dude Inc. has some hockey fun and pranks NHL hockey player and country singer/openerChad Brownlee.
Says Chad Brownlee, “I am so excited to be invited to tour with Dierks. I hope the fans will really enjoy the new blend of my past singles mixed with a few new tracks off of the new album. It is going to be an awesome tour and I am honored to be included.”
There's a line in 'Lot of Leavin' Left to Do' that says "there's at least another million miles under these old bus treads." Apparently Dierks knew what he was singing about and if you're even a slight fan of his, then chances are you know he has a nickname for his bus. Old Goldie recently turned over her 1 million mile mark on the road home from the Canadian leg of the Country and Cold Cans Tour.
Dierks was tweeting throughout the night as the bus inched closer and closer to the milestone.
"69 miles until the Old Goldie 1 MILLION MILES party! somewhere right around the canada/USA border."
"could have leased a new bus a long time ago but I like buses, guitars, boots, etc with stories and character. happy 1 MILLION MILES GOLDIE!"
"anyone want to buy a brand new bus!?!? thanks to our bus driver superman (ken) for keeping us safe all these miles"
Here's to a million more for Old Goldie...and we're sure every mile was truly a memory.
In its 21st week on the charts, the critically acclaimed "Home" jumped two spots to #4 on Billboard, while holding steady at #5 on Mediabase.
Right now is very much about waiting to see if Kenny Chesney's "Reality" will move to the #1 spot at all (which is still very much in question), or if Dierks will catch him before that happens to block Kenny from #1. On Mediabase, Dierks is currently 800 points behind Kenny, who is 1000 points behind Keith Urban (currently #1). On Billboard, Dierks is roughly 1 million audience impressions behind Kenny, who is 3 million back from Keith. I tend to think he's got a better shot at Kenny on Billboard first, but it's going to be a close race.
In the meantime, keep requesting the song and above all, thanking your stations for playing the song. It's definitely important they know we aren't tired of hearing this great song!
Like clockwork, my local grocery store stocks the next issue of Country Weekly every Friday. Wouldn't you know the week Dierks Bentley finally gets the cover again (Fe. 20, 2012), they never showed up on the shelf! Thank goodness for DB Congress friends!
In case you didn't get a copy either, here is the cover and article. If you have an extra copy, please let us know so we can get you in contact with those who need one!
Favorite quote:
"We have to make this worthwhile." He pauses. "Not only for our fans, who spent their time and money, but also for us. I have to walk off that stage feeling like, 'Yes, this is why I'm out here.'"
In its 20th week on the charts, the critically-acclaimed single "Home" rose to #6 on Billboard, and #5 on Mediabase. Dierks narrowly missed the top 5 on Billboard. He was putting up very large gains throughout the week, and Luke Bryan's "I Don't Want This Night to End" was falling fairly rapidly. I knew it was going to be a close call for #5, and in the end, Luke prevailed, edging Dierks by a mere 261,000 in audience! SO close. But, Dierks will, in fact, move into the Top 5 on Billboard officially this week. (He probably did on Tuesday, hehe).
This week is proving a little bit harder to predict. Though it WILL get #5 on Billboard, it's hard to say if it will get any higher than that. "Home" has continued to gain all week, but it's rare for a song to gain 600k on top of a 600k gain on that day in the week prior, so while it's still moving up, it's not flying like last week. The songs falling in front of it, "You" and "All Your Life," aren't falling fast enough to fall past "Home." So this week might see "Home" at #5 on both charts, and then next week #3 - maybe #2 depending on what Kenny Chesney's "Reality" does.
Make sure you're still requesting the song and telling your stations "thanks!" for playing it when they do. One key aspect of getting this song to #1 (though I'm confident it will get there with no problem) is for radio to know that we're NOT tired of hearing the song.
Keep it up, Congress! I know you're all looking forward to celebrating another #1 just as much as I am. :)
As you can see, our Prez has the #1 Country Album in the country! "Home" sold 55,000 copies in its first week to debut in the top spot, doubling the sales of #2 Jason Aldean and #3 Lady Antebellum.
Congrats, Dierks! And thank you to all Congress members who helped make it happen (but that was all of us, wasn't it?). :)
Not only did Dierks Bentley perform his crazy, quick-paced "5-1-5-0" from his new album "Home," on The Ellen Degeneres Show today, but displayed his gigantic heart by generously giving a struggling military family a check for $50,000!
After the performance by Dierks, Steve Misamore, Tim Sergent, Cassady Feasby, Dan Hochhalter, and Brian Layson--which was perfect--Dierks actually appeared on the couch with Ellen after the break.
Ellen asked Dierks about his new album, "Home," and Dierks was quick to point out that while Home meant Cassidy and the girls, the band, the fans, and country music to him, he also realized what "home" means to many military returning home to the United States. At that point Ellen read an email from a struggling military family and brought them up on stage.
"Dierks is sitting here for a reason because he wants to tell you something," Ellen tells the couple.
"Yeah, we're so honored by your service and sacrifice...and wanted to find a way to give back... maybe help you guys out so we have a little surprise," Dierks told them. "On behalf of us and country fans everywhere..." Notice in the video the check is not signed, but D autographs it on the spot!
As somebody who spent 19 of her first 24 years living in Phoenix, Arizona, I identify the state as my "home." It's a state of great and diverse beauty, from the Grand Canyon and snow-covered peaks in Flagstaff, to the Red Rocks of Sedona and the Colorado River in Lake Havasu City. The dry desert shaped me as I grew, and it's a place that I miss dearly now that I've moved away.
Arizona turns 100 tomorrow, February 14th, and our President, Dierks Bentley, shares Arizona with me (and many others) as his "home." And as part of the Arizona Centennial festivities that were this past weekend, Dierks was the honorary Grand Marshal, his Top-5 hit "Home" was the official song, and Dierks was asked to lead the Centennial Ride, a 16-mile motorcycle ride from nearby suburb Mesa to the State Capitol in downtown Phoenix.
Before the ride, Dierks shared some pictures via Twitter:
couple pics from the AZ ride today. me sitting on the "copper chopper"
and me riding in to the state house. proud to be an AZ native! off to the grammies. 3rd city today...
As we all know, Dierks is no stranger to motorcycle rides, as he hosts his Miles & Music for Kids charity rides across the country each year. But he was particularly excited about this ride:
"I've done some pretty cool rides in the past, but this will definitely
be the coolest one," the 36-year-old singer says. "The feeling of pride
(in) Arizona, the centennial, motorcycles, being out in the desert --
I'm getting more excited about it every day."
At least 2,000 motorcyclists were expected to join the ride, but one estimate after the Centennial Ride had upwards of 4,700 bikes in it! That's HUGE!
After the ride, Dierks joined Arizona Governor Jan Brewer on the main stage at the State Capitol, where he performed "Home" to kick off the evening's concert festivities.
I hope that all Arizonans, whether native or raised or living there, feel the pride that 100 years brings this week, and enjoy the place "we all call HOME."
Imagine my surprise when flying home from Nashville (after seeing DB perform at The Ryman), to find "Home," Dierks Bentley's new album promoted on the plane. Have I told you lately how much I love Southwest Airlines? Check out page 30 of their February in-flight Spirit magazine!
I've always wanted to see Dierks Bentley perform at Joe's Bar in Chicago. The timing never works with my schedule. It's also on my "DB Bucket List" to be in the front row when he does a stage dive into the audience for a little crowd surfing. I could've checked two things off my list last night! In case you missed it on Twitter:
Via @DierksBentley's Twitter page: "crowd surfing in chicago. thx joe's and @US99!"
In its 19th week on the charts, Dierks Bentley's ACM Song of the Year nominated single "Home" continues its climb up the charts, coming in at #7 on both Mediabase and Billboard.
Billboard contained quite a treat this week, with a cover story about Dierks and the new album, but it focused primarily on the song's creation and meaning. Here are some highlights, and I'll include a link to the story below, as well:
"When the Academy of Country Music announced Dierks Bentley's "Home" as a song of the year finalist, the moment was, frankly, a bit obvious."
"I'm always looking for a new sound," Bentley observes. "I draw a little bit from the rock bands I like. [Their albums are] different from the records before -- some you like, and some you don't. I always try to push for something new. That's a big part of who I am. I don't know if it's the smartest thing to do, but it's definitely me and the way I work." "And then Dierks said, 'You know what? I've always wanted to write a really inclusive patriotic song.' And I thought, 'Okay, there's some common ground that we can all get behind.' At that point, I was willing to follow his lead. You just get a sense that this is someone who's got honorable intentions in life." (Dan Wilson, co-writer of "Home.")
(Click picture for full-size image)
This week, "Home" has been showing excellent growth at radio, so far picking up 2.5 million in audience (through Friday). It is a lock for #5 on Mediabase, and it's possible he'll just squeak past Luke Bryan's falling "I Don't Want this Night to End" (which will go recurrent next week), to snag the #5 spot on that chart as well. Keith Urban will be your next #1 song with "You Gonna Fly." It's hard to say whether Kenny Chesney's "Reality" will get enough oomph in it to hit the top spot, but if it does, Dierks will be next in line. If not, Dierks will take #1 after Keith has 2 weeks at the top. Either way, this song looks ripe and ready to take the top spot!
As fans, we’ve waited a long time for new music from Dierks
Bentley. We’ve watched from silent web
cams, made up stories about the players in the Asheville, NC studio as well the
songs. And because Dierks had to make an
album that was as creatively satisfying as “Up On the Ridge,” no one knew what
to expect: including Dierks.
HOME debuted yesterday morning to an amped up Dierks getting
ready to play the Today Show and the number two overall album spot on
ITunes. Number 1 on the ITunes Country
Charts. Dierks has been quoted about
the creative process, finding the right sounds after Ridge. And he wouldn’t be true to himself if he left
out the persuasion of mandolins and fiddle in a bluegrass bent towards the
album. So this album finds him firmly
settled in knowing who he is and what sounds mirror his feelings. The sounds have matured with him, becoming
more complex, more encompassing, more feeling.
The fun is still there in Am I the Only One and Tip It On
Back. Rowdy drinking songs that have
been associated with the fun, bad boy side of Bentley from the beginning.
However, any female
will tell you that the gravel in Bentley’s voice makes them pay attention to the
ballads. For the ballads on this album
are stellar. When You Gonna Come Around
(Jamie Hartford) incorporates a style that makes you ache to see where it
leads. Karen Fairchild from Little Big
Town provides a smoky quality to the
vocals that match well with Bentley’s gravel and provide sexual
tension. Breathe You In (Ryan Tyndell)
requires you to listen more than once.
And ends with you licking your lips.
Heart of a Lonely Girl (Charlie
Worsham) incorporates those bluegrass elements never far from Bentley’s
heart.
But the two stellar songs that can’t be missed on this album
are Home (Wilson, Beavers, Bentley) and Thinking of You (Beavers,
Bentley). Home, complex enough to
encompass our nation and all the ideas and persuasions that divide us as well
as bind us to each other. Sitting at #7
on the Billboard and Mediabase charts when the album was debuted, Home speaks
to all of us. It supports our diversity
as well as our connections. It’s as
positive a song as it's possible to be, and filled with hope. Bentley supports this vocally masterfully as
I expect it’s a difficult song to sing.
But my favorite is Thinking of You. The song is subtle and you buy right in,
Bentley’s vocals are superior and perfect for the tune. It’s not until the end that you understand
where he’s going with it. No surprise
about where the album is going
though. It’s going to number one with
the fans.
The Same. No it wasn't the same set list full of the usual hits that you may have experienced at a recent Dierks Bentley concert. No. The Ryman Auditorium, in Nashville, Tennessee, with it's rich history of being the mother church complete with 60 years of legendary artists crossing it's scarred floor boards, was stronger than ever Thursday night, as Dierks presented his new "Home" CD, complete with tons of special guests, to a sold out crowd.
An unlike the normally reverent 'sit and listen' crowd, we the fans in the audience were free to stand up and sing along to every song. Not only were we treated to most of the songs from the new album, but old favorites and hits like "Every Mile A Memory," "Free and Easy," "Feel That Fire," "Sideways," "How Am I Doin'?" and a "Your Cheatin' Heart" intro to "Lot Of Leavin' Left To Do"--where Tim Sergent's steel guitar never sounded sweeter. "Trying To Stop Your Leaving" was played with a new acoustic guitar vs. the normal red, electric guitar.
DB Congress (fan club members) from 14 states (FL, NC, TN, WI, IN, MS, DE, AL, MO, KY, CA, GA, PA, & MI) gathered at Jack's BBQ on Broadway before the show to hug old friends, meet new ones, compete in a Dierks trivia contest, share DB goodies and most importantly take turns "alley watching" for Dierks and/or the band as they wandered in and out the back door of The Ryman.
In the 1880s, when prominent businessman and steamboat captain Thomas G. Ryman found salvation in the words of fiery evangelist Reverend Sam Jones, he vowed to build a great tabernacle that would project Rev. Jones’s voice clearly and powerfully for all to hear. The result - The Ryman Auditorium with arguably the best acoustic sound without need for a microphone.
In fact, opener Will Hoge at one point stepped stage right - far away from all the mics - motioned for his band to lower the volume of their instruments and proceeded to belt out not just one line, but the entire song - "When I Get My Wings" acoustically. Can you say Standing Ovation? His vocal was incredible. As if his voice wasn't enough to win me over as a new fan, the couple sitting next to me (Donna, DB Congress rep from Kentucky) told me about his background and how he had been in a terrible accident that crushed his lungs and broke nearly every bone, and he was in the hospital for weeks. And that he wasn't a newcomer--but on album "Number 7."
Will Hoge
Dierks surprised the audience with a stunning segment with The Travelin McCoury's performed only with acoustics and vocals on "Fiddlin' Around," and "Draw Me A Map" from the Grammy-nominated "Up On The Ridge" album. The crowd went wild when Del McCoury stepped on stage to sing U2's "Pride (In The Name of Love)" also from "Ridge," and and old favorite of many die-hard DB fans, "Good Man Like Me," from the "Modern Day Drifter" album before wrapping it up with "Roll On, Buddy." Nobody could have wiped the smile off of Dierks' face.
Dierks and the band performed 7 of the 12 songs from the "Home" album, due out Tuesday, February 7, including "Tip It On Back", his 8th number one single--"Am I The Only One?," "5-1-5-0 (somebody call the popo)," and "Heart Of A Lonely Girl," which he dedicated to his wife Cassidy explaining she and his daughters had been sick and they knew he had to perform The Ryman in a few days so sent him off to a hotel so he wouldn't get sick. Dierks joked that here he was, getting ready to release an album called, "Home," and checking into a hotel with a backpack, guitar and a bottle of wine. Yeah, right!
After the "Up on the Ridge" redux, Dan "The Hawk" Hochalter took the stage for the haunting opening of Dierks' Pink Floyd cover (and Congress favorite) "Wish You Were Here." Absolutely love that opening fiddle - and Dan rocks it!
After that, he admitted that wasn't much of a dedication to Cass, so he launched into his second #1 hit, "Come A Little Closer," much to the delight of the females in the audience, despite the fact that Dierks had cut off most of his curls.
The special guests kept coming. Karen Fairchild, the soulful singer from Little Big Town, joined Dierks on stage to showcase the duet on the new album, "When You Gonna Come Around." Watch:
But the star of the entire night was little 3-year-old Evie Bentley, making her debut with daddy on The Ryman stage. After the first verse of "Thinking Of You," sang by Dierks alone with his guitar and his thoughts--eyes closed, he opened his eyes and motioned for the bare-foot beauty to join him on a stool, where her own-microphone awaited. Watch this emotional moment:
Although Dierks told us that was to be the last song of the evening, the show went on, because after all, the title song, "Home" had not been sung yet, nor the one that started it all - "What Was I Thinkin?" Many of the DB Congress waved American Flags during "Home."
For the finale, Dierks brought all the performers of the evening back on stage to say good-bye, not only to the audience, but to the historic Ryman stage floor boards - which he knelt and kissed. How appropriate the last song before the restoration begins was "I Saw The Light," an acoustic/audience sing-along. Here's the DBTV episode to recap the evening:
Everyone left the stage except Dierks, who stayed for at least 10 minutes, walking along the front of the stage, signing autographs, smiling, and saying thank you to the fans!
The evening was special--altogether emotional, inspiring, historic and unforgettable. Later I heard many Dierks fans say that even though they had seen him perform countless times over the last several years, they felt the night was in their top 2-3 as far as DB experiences go.
For me, it ranks as the top Dierks experience of the decade.
Dierks
is going to be performing on the Live
on Letterman series in New York City on February 8th, and DB Congress gets first dibs at winning them! The Bowery Ballroom
show sold out very quickly, so here's another opportunity. Go to dierks.com and sign in with your fan club login. Then click this link to fill out the form for your chance to win.
Transportation
will NOT be included so please be sure you can get to New York City before
entering.
For
those of you who can't make it to New York, you'll be able to watch the show
online at CBS.com.
HIT COUNTRY MUSICIAN DIERKS BENTLEY TO PERFORM
“LIVE ON LETTERMAN” WEBCAST, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 8
Performance To Follow The Release Of His Newest Album, “Home”
CBS Interactive Music Group’s award-winning concert webcast series, LIVE ON LETTERMAN, will feature country superstar Dierks Bentley in a live webcast concert from the world-famous Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City,Wednesday, Feb. 8(8:00 PM, ET/5:00 PM, PT).
Bentley will play music from his catalog of hits, including songs from his forthcoming Capitol Nashville releaseHome, which hits storesTuesday, Feb. 7, the day prior to his webcast performance. The LIVE ON LETTERMAN franchise has been host to some of the most established bands and musicians across the globe, staged in an intimate and dynamic setting for worldwide followers to enjoy. Fans can watch Bentley’s webcast live or on-demand at http://www.cbs.com/late_night/liveonletterman/. In addition, the show is available live and on-demand through CBS properties, broadcast on select CBS RADIO stations, viewable live on CBS’s JumboTron in Times Square, as well as via a live audio stream on Radio.com’s mobile applications. The webcasts are also offered through VEVO’s website, mobile and connected devices and syndication partners.
After selling over five million records, obtaining 10 GRAMMY® nominations, acquiring eight #1 hits in country radio, being named CMA’s “Best New Artist” and playing for the President of the United States, Dierks Bentley has proven to be quite a successful name in country music. Having skillfully developed his musicianship, Bentley has played at a wide variety of venues, including Lollapalooza, Telluride Blue Grass Festival and the CMA Music Festival. The multi-platinum singer/songwriter will release his sixth Capitol Nashville studio album, Home, on Tuesday, Feb. 7 and continue his headlining Country & Cold Cans Tour. “Home,” the second single off his new album, received a nomination Thursday, Jan. 26 for Song of the Year in the “47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards,” which will be broadcast on CBS Sunday, April 1.
Bentley’s LIVE ON LETTERMAN webcast will follow the taping of his performance on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, which will be broadcast later that evening (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
We, the members, of the Dierks Bentley Congress, in order to form a more perfect fan club, established this band of brothers and sisters on April 21, 2007 in the now defunct "Dierksville" on dierks.com.
But today, we celebrate our third anniversary of our own site -- dbcongress.com!
Dierks mentioned in a November 2006 interview in DeKalb, IL that his fan club
was like his "congress." Here is an excerpt:
"I try to keep that
connection with the fan club as close as it can be. To me they're like the congress of the fans. They're
the elected officials that actually pay money to be in your fan club and I
really listen to them and I want them to feel like they're really part of this
growth and all this stuff that's happening..."
We have grown from 9 to 708 reps strong representing
all 50 U.S. states, Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia. With DB as our
President, it is an honor to serve as a member of the DB Congress and to be a
Dierks supporter for life -- with no term limits!
"...been a long hard ride, got a ways to go, but this is still the place that we all call home..."
Happy birthday to us!
Are you in the DB fan club? If the answer is yes and you want to help promote Dierks is some small way every day, email ronna@dbcongress.com to be added to the rep page!
