Meet Mariana Bowring, Dierks Bentley's 'Stand-In' Guitarist In Georgia

If you've been to a recent Dierks Bentley show, you know he usually gives one fan--who looks like they're rockin' and having a good time--an "on-stage experience of a lifetime" by pulling them out of the crowd to the stage, strapping his #7 red Fender Telecaster guitar on them and letting them jam with the band to the rest of "Lot of Leavin' Left To Do."

DB Congress member, Mariana Bowring from Georgia, was the lucky fan during the September 19, 2013 Lakewood Amphitheater show in Atlanta, Georgia.

Although Mariana's first live DB show was only a few years ago, she's been a fan "ever since I've loved country music," she admits to DB Congress.  She is a dedicated DBC-er, posting, tweeting, promoting and requesting Dierks daily!

Here's her Dierks back-story:

"The first time I saw Dierks Bentley perform was CMA Fest 2011, but I'd known about him for as long as I've loved country music. During his set he sang "Up On The Ridge" and "Draw Me A Map" (neither of those songs had I heard before) and I instantly fell in love and had to hear more of that music! So I bought the "Up On The Ridge" album, and because I loved that so much, I bought a banjo (I just had to make that same kind of music). 

Then the "Home" album came out and that became the second Dierks album I bought and I loved every song! So I decided I needed to see Dierks on tour and in concert! I joined the fan club and stalked the dates for something near me. But because I kept moving, we kept missing each other. 

The second time I saw him was CMA Fest 2012 and by then I was dying to see him at a real concert! He was finally coming to where I lived, but we ended moving again a month before that show. I was heart-broken. After moving, for some reason, they added an extra date and it was gonna be only two hours from me! That was the Macon, GA show where I got a Meet & Greet and got pulled on stage the first time! 

I do play banjo (although I am a beginner, not at all that good at it!) And because Dierks is the reason I got a banjo, I got it signed by him at LCB (Last Call Ball annual fan club party) in June! I play guitar, sing and write songs, too. (I'm attempting a country singer-songwriter career). 

The Atlanta show on September 19th was my 10th Dierks Bentley show and one that I had been looking forward to since the date was announced back in December.  I was in the pit, right up at the catwalk and only two people between me and the front of the stage.  The Cadillac Three and Randy Rogers Band were awesome openers and I especially wished RRB had done more songs!  

Then, Dierks Bentley!  It was my favorite show yet (they get better and better every time)!  My favorite songs he did were "I Hold On," "5-1-5-0," "How Am I Doin','" "Feel That Fire," "Home," and of course, "Lot of Leavin' Left To Do." 

I was wearing a 'The Departed' ball cap which Dierks was wearing also, so during the instrumental of LOLLTD, he turned his usually facing backwards cap around and came over to me and pulled me on stage! I was in total shock, since he had already pulled me on stage in Macon!  It was so fun to jam on the guitar and with the band! (Back in March, Dierks left the stage to let me finish the song, so I thought he'd done the same thing this time.  Turns out he was sitting behind me on stage jamming out!) 

Dierks and Mariana

Mariana and Dan Hochhalter

Dierks pulls Mariana up on stage at the 2:40 mark of this video:

Later, at the end of singing, "Feel That Fire," Dierks called me out singing "This girl wants to play my guitar at the Atlanta, Georgia show," and blew me a kiss! 

After "Home" and the final bow, Dierks came over with a guitar, asked if I had one yet (which I didn't), signed it, and gave it to me! I broke down crying--it was the BEST night of my life! 

It was such a great concert, I'd go to it over and over!  Can't wait for show #11 in October!

What Do You "Hold On" To?

Dierks Bentley's newest single, "I Hold On," is steadily making it's way up the charts, but we could use your help!  As you know, in the song Dierks talks about holding on to things in his life that mean the most--his 200K mile truck "Big White" that he and his dad drove to TN; his Willie Nelson and George Jones autographed Martin Guitar; his faith and love for his family; and our freedom in the USA.

What do you hold on to?  Join your fellow DB fans and tweet, email, call, post on Facebook and tell your your story of what the song means to you!  Be sure to tag the DJ and/or radio station and request that they play the song. Also, tag @DierksBentley on Twitter and hash tag #IHoldOn.

Here's an example from Renee ‏@CTcowgirl, DB Congress Rep in Connecticut:

"Here's a pic of what "I Hold On" to @DierksBentley @dbcongress @977wcty I sure am a lucky girl, 7 years in Oct 💞 pic.twitter.com/mMyp54OGJI"



Let's give it all we got to give, congress and campaign to move "I Hold On" to #1 on the charts!

Dierks Performs on America's Got Talent

He wasn't there to compete--no need.  Dierks Bentley showed his true talent when he performed on the NBC America's Got Talent finale last night with country singer contestant, Jimmy Rose.  The duo sang Dierks's newest single, "I Hold On" (a shortened-for-TV version).

Jimmy started out the song, "It's just an old beat up truck..." and although Dierks was away from the microphone, he visibly mouthed the words along with the up and comer, not satisfied to stand silent to his own-penned lyrics!

Jimmy is from Kentucky and served in Iraq and worked briefly as a miner.  Nice job pointing to the American flag when singing, "like the stripes to the flag, like a boy to his dad..."  We're thinking "Down In The Mine" might have been an appropriate encore!

Jimmy left in third place, but we're thinkin' he will show up in Nashville soon!

Watch the performance here:

Dierks Holds On to Hosting Duties, Honors Keith Whitley

Holding on to a second consecutive year of hosting duties for the ACM Honors, Dierks Bentley was "blending informality and irreverence made possible by the lack of network television cameras with a genuine appreciation of the night's award winners," according to USA Today. 

September 9, 2013 - Source: Rick Diamond/Getty Images North America

Tuesday night's seventh annual event at The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville was sold out and featured a mix of live music, historical video retrospectives and current video tributes and interviews with industry veterans honoring Special Awards recipients. 

DB Congress Reps were in the audience and shared their impressions of the evening:

Kelsey Hodges - TN
Dierks was so great Tuesday night, he definitely needs to host more shows! He said he was going to join Blake and Luke with the ACMs next year as "Blierks!" haha. He opened the show with "I Hold On," then a performance with Ricky Skaggs to honor Keith Whitley which was out of this world. It was an amazing night, and, it was also cool to share the night with other Congress members!

Mariana Bowring - GA
Dierks was such an awesome host! He opened singing "I Hold On" which really set the mood for the rest of the night in a great way! He kept the show moving right along delivering all his lines strongly and always throwing in some humor whether it was poking fun at Lady A or how much beer he'd been drinking! Later in the night he sang an awesome duet with Ricky Skaggs and then sang a song in tribute Keith Whitley which was beautiful! After the show was able to catch him as he was headed to his truck and got him to sign my hat! Awesome night!

Cecia Guidry Benoit - LA
I had a wonderful night! Dierks really started the show off with a bang by playing "I hold On" and also sang a duet with Ricky Skaggs, "Don't Cheat In My Hometown" AND the BIGGEST highlight was when Dierks sang "I'm Over You" as a tribute to the great Keith Whitley!
Cecia drove right back home so she could see Dierks in Mississippi Wednesday night!

Among the honorees were Blake Shelton and Lady A, and both had tweets for Dierks afterward:

Dierks was equally excited and tweeted a pre-show prep photo:

And Ricky Scaggs had kinds words for Dierks too!

Honorees included a few studio musicians who have played on several of Dierks' album cuts:  Aubrey Haynie (Fiddle Player of the Year) and Guitarist of the Year J.T. Corenflos.

For a complete list of performers, presenters and honorees, click here.

Surprise! Dierks Bentley Wins Over New Fans at The Wildhorse Saloon

Tennessee DB Congress rep, Alicia Alarid, is our guest blogger today! She agreed to share her unique, "surprise" experience with us!

"This past Sunday my husband and I went to the annual Dollar General Literacy Foundation event at The Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville.  We have gone to this event numerous times over the years and there is always a “secret” entertainer that they keep very hush-hush.  We have seen some great acts like Sarah Evans, Darius Rucker and Blake Shelton to name a few. 

Every year I try and snoop to see who the entertainment will be to decide if it is worth the time.  This year a little birdie told me they heard it was “Dierks something or other.”  I almost died!  I was unwilling to believe it 100% as I had been given bad information in the past, but of course I checked Dierks.com to see if it was even possible, and he wasn’t otherwise engaged. 

When I arrived downtown my first order of business was to do a drive by and look for Old Goldie (tour bus) or Big White (Dierks' truck).  Nothing.  My heart sank.  I thought for sure I had been fooled.  When the doors opened we went inside and I cased the stage.  Everything was covered, except for orange amps stage left – I started feeling a little more at ease.
  

We went upstairs and did the required chit chat, etc., as this was after all a work event.  Then I saw some movement on stage – someone brought out a very rough looking acoustic Martin guitar, and that was it – I was down in front of the stage in seconds.
  

Once the DG people did their business and finally announced the artist, everyone filled in around us.  (I obviously was the only one that had some forewarning).  It was fantastic!  We were right up front, mic stand in our faces.  Dierks and the guys were amazing as always--he really knew how to grab the attention of those who had no idea who he was. 

Honestly we were so close that we were behind the speakers and could not hear any of the vocals at all (not a problem when you know every word) but it was so worth it.  Dierks was extremely interactive with the crowd, lots of fist bumps, high fives, and he even took a sip of my beer!  It was an amazing evening. 

At the end of the show I asked him if I could have the set list and he pulled it up and went back and signed it and brought it back.  Somehow I even managed to come home with three different picks, but in all the excitement I don’t even remember getting them!

It was a great show, but unlike the many others that I have been to, most people there did not have any idea who Dierks was.  This was an event with people coming in from all over the United States, most of them in their 40’s and 50’s (and beyond) that don’t follow country music.  Dierks was able to pull all of them in, and from what I could tell by the reaction after the show they absolutely LOVED him.  It was a great opportunity to gain new fans and of course Dierks nailed it!"

Feature DB Congress Rep of the Week: Greg Birkmann, Missouri

Our newest DB Congress rep, Greg Birkmann, has been a Dierks Bentley fan since "What Was I Thinkin'," and recently emailed us to see what the congress thing is all about, wondering if it would be for him.  Apparently it is, because he joined the congress, representing Missouri, and agreed to tell his Dierks story below!

"I've always been a fan of Dierks' music, since "What Was I Thinkin'".  I like how he keeps the traditional sound of country, and throws in a bluegrass sound combined with his own rowdy style.

 

I have to admit, although I've always really liked his music, I didn't really get to know him as a person until last summer when his dad passed away.  I began reading about his passing online, and before I knew it, I was watching every DBTV episode, past interviews, and was really impressed by how much he interacts and involves his fans in his work.  Being a huge fan of country music, and an amateur guitar player & vocalist, I grew great admiration for Dierks.

 

I wanted his autograph, and soon learned about the Congress group and presale offers along with meet & greets, so I joined the fan club.  To my surprise, I was accepted the first time I submitted a request for a meet & greet, and got to meet him last June in Columbia, MO. 

 

I was in a group of 9 people for the M&G, and when he walked in the room, he looked right at me and said, "A few familiar faces."  I didn't really know what that meant at the time, but when I talked to him one on one, he said, "We've met before, haven't we?"  I said no, and then he looked at me and said, "We have the same haircut."  I thanked him for making it cool!

 

I left the M&G thinking he was about the most sincere artist towards his fans I've ever known.  We recently all found out how sincere he is to his home state, along with mankind, with the "Country Cares" event.  I'm now a die hard Dierks fan, and as weird as it sounds, I think of him as a buddy or bro!

 

I'm happy to help promote Dierks by doing what I can.  I look forward to helping team Dierks!"

 

 

Thanks, Greg! Welcome to the DBC family! Be sure to check out the Campaigns!