Fans Share Favorite Dierks Bentley Moments from 2015

As 2015 comes to a close, we asked Dierks Bentley fans to share with us their favorite moment or Dierks experience over the last twelve months.  We know it was hard to name just one, since every mile for Dierks is a memory!


Deborah Jane Power: Dierks Bentley worked hard to touch my finger at Miles and Music 2015! Pretty awesome that he took the time for a different way to "connect!"

Robert Dienelt:  Riser at the ACMs in April.




Cecia Guidry Benoit: My #1 Dierks Bentley experience this year was from September 18, 2015 in New Orleans at Champion Square when Dierks pulled me on stage with him during "Drunk On A Plane!" We danced, sang, fist pumped (rockin like a G6!) and I even got to take a bow with him and the band since it was the last song of the show! This was truly my best Dierks experience ever!

Becky McBride Wierzbicki:  My 62nd Birthday at LCB and MM10 on November 1, 2015 It is a birthday I will never forget...so much fun. Hanging out with Brian Layson and Cassady Feasby after LCB. Spent my time in Nashville with great DB Congress friends Ann Gray Tate and Jane Sumner. Saturday night card signing was incredible.

Ann Gray Tate:  My favorite concert of 2015 was in Birmingham, Alabama. I got to enjoy it with all of my family that I love. We have 3 generations of Dierks' fans. Julie, Lamar, LeAnna, Grayson, Renea, Chris, Kaitlyn and Blakley and of course me. What a fun night we had with Dierks and the band.

Marilyn Kline Stevens:  Mine was Tampa, FL, Sounds Of Summer Tour.  Dierks came down on the floor and as he ran up on stage he gave me a high five....he probably doesn't remember, BUT, I always will....♡ dierks!

Brittney Lynn:  When he came to Montana this summer and I was star struck I couldn't tell him how awesome he is!

Heather Ashley:  Attending my first LCB (Last Call Ball fan club party) and meeting Dierks for the first time.

Grace Lenehan:  When he posted my cover video. Still can't believe it!

As for me, 2015 brought so many great Dierks memories, like presenting him with the 10th anniversary gift and the Raleigh Pyro Patrol to kick off the Sounds of Summer Tour, but one little moment in time made a big impact on me.  In Tampa, at an outdoor amphitheater on July 2--it was at least 90 degrees.  Dierks saw me dying of heat in the pit.  When 20k hear Dierks Bentley ask you, by name, if you need a bottle of water...and then hands one to you...and then the set list.

Every Mile A Memory!

~Ronna Clark, DB Congress Chair (FL)

Check out the top 27 Dierks accomplishments in 2015 here!

27 Dierks Bentley Memories of 2015

Dierks Bentley and his fans have a lot to celebrate looking back on 2015!  We remember 27 (as in '27 days I've been out on the road'... from Heart Of A Lonely Girl, Dierks' "Home" album) special memories and accomplishments throughout the year by Country's Hottest Guy, according to People.  Let us know if we missed any!

1. On Super Bowl Sunday, Bentley’s performance from the official NFL Tailgate was televised as part of NBC’s pre-game show in his home town of Phoenix, AZ.
   
   
2. Bentley Announces 2015 Sounds Of Summer Tour With a Polar Plunge Boot Camp for his tour mates - Kip Moore, Maddie and Tae, and Canaan Smith.
   
   
3. Dierks Bentley Nominated for Lucky 7 Academy of Country Music Awards! Wins Video of the Year for Drunk On A Plane (27 million views on YouTube).  DOAP catapults our prez to a career-high, replacing "What Was I Thinkin'" as the last song in the set list each night.
   
   
   
   
4. ACM Awards Live performance of "Riser."
   
   
   
5. DBCongress.com turns 6! On February 1, 2009, our welcome post proclaimed our mission: to actively campaign to make and keep Dierks Bentley #1! That remains our daily Dierks duty today, now with 802 DBC representatives in all 50 states and 12 countries, 1,288 Facebook Likes and 5,300 Twitter followers!
   
   
6. Dierks launches the sexy ‪#‎SayYouDo‬ music video, featuring all his favorite things--flying, motorcycles, wine and the woods.
     
   
   
   
7. Feb 8: Dierks nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Album ("Riser")! Miranda Lambert takes the win for "Platinum."
   
   
8. Feb 27 - Hot Country Knights debuted - a little side project for Dierks and the guys playing as a 90's country cover band, starring DB's alter ego 'Big Rhythm Doug.'  One song in particular earned recognition from Shania Twain!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. May 4 - Say You Do becomes third consecutive multi-week #1 single (following I Hold On and Drunk On A Plane)--historic in that it is the first single Dierks had ever released that he did not write.  Country Weekly featured ‪#‎SayYouDo‬ as a story behind the song article --writers Shane McAnally, and Old Dominion members Matt Ramsey and Trevor Rosen.
   
   
10. Dierks Bentley Kicks Off "HOT" Sounds Of Summer Tour in Raleigh; DB Congress "Pyro Patrol" Fans The Flames.
     
11. June 29: "Riser"‬ was released as a single and went for radio adds!
    
    
12. Whoa! @DierksBentley is THE cover of People magazine and Country's Hottest Guy‬! Sort of.  He was the cover of a 32-page special country insert in the June 15 issue.
    
    
13. Dierks named a 2015 Nashville Power Player and lands on the cover of Billboard magazine!
    
    
    
    
14. Dierks kicks off Macy's 4th of July Spectacular:  "That flag represents the things that a lot of folks don't have...freedom first and foremost. There are so many folks around the world that see that flag and they just want a little piece, a little taste of that freedom that we have here, so to me it's the greatest country in the world."
    
    
15. Riser music video released in August.  The treatment, directed by Wes Edwards, features a homeless mom and her kids who rise above adversity with they help of Nashville-based, Safe Haven.
    
    
16. We posted exclusive DB Congress Interviews: Behind the Scenes with "The Mom" and "The Daughter" in Dierks Bentley's "Riser" Music Video.
    
    
    
    
    
17. Dierks Bentley Nominated for CMA Male Vocalist of the Year 2015.  Chris Stapleton had a clean sweep, taking Male Vocalist, New Artist and Album of the Year.
    
    
18. Dierks Bentley Celebrated a Decade as a Grand Ole Opry Member.
    
    
    
    
19. Date night for @DierksBentley and wife Cass lands him on stage with Taylor Swift.
    
    
    
    
    
    
20. Dierks Bentley Featured as "the singer" in Charles Kelley's "The Driver."  The song--sang as a trio with Charles, Dierks and Eric Paslay, was nominated for a Grammy--Best Country Duo/Group Performance. 
    
    
    
21. Dierks Bentley's 10th Annual Miles and Music For Kids: A Weekend of Caring Breaks All Records!  Raises $636,479 for Vanderbilt Children's Hospital--double last year's amount!
    
    
22. Last Call Ball 10 - presented with special commemorative "derby" from his congress!
    
    
    
    
23. Dierks was featured as a key note speaker and tells his aviation story at the #NBAA15 National Business Aviation Association Opening General Session https://amp.twimg.com/v/2ccc4254-8efc-4339-9716-1f62bf95ddb3 …"I fly to work and I work to fly."
    
    
24. Thank you @countryweekly for picking @DierksBentley to be the WordSearch! And "Congress" is a word!
    
    
    
    
25. Dierks Bentley and more honor Veterans ‪#‎StarsandStrings‬ benefit show in Chicago.
    
    
    
    
    
26. Celebrates his 40th birthday in "the woods" with Luke Bryan, and gets an "old" gift from his congress.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
27. Dierks announces his first live television hosting gig - The 2016 ACM Awards with Luke Bryan!
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Stay tuned for 2015 highlights from fan experiences in an upcoming blog.

Dierks Bentley's Team Dude Score 2015 SRO Awards Nods and a Win

Experiencing a Dierks Bentley performance live and in person is a feeling hard to put into words.  It's more than just our favorite artist and his vocal prowess and connection with the crowd--although that is the main attraction.

It's also about the anticipation--before he even hits the stage.  It's the moment the lights go dark, the music cues and your heart drops.  The huge video screen starts flashing images, then with a bang, the Dierks Bentley curtain drops and 12 guys run across the stage, gathering it all up in 10 seconds flat, while fireworks make you jump with excitement.  Then the guys in the band appear on stage and we cheer for each--Steve Misamore on drums, Brian Layson, lead guitar, Cassady Feasby on bass, Tim Sergent, steel/banjo and Dan Hochhalter, fiddle.  And suddenly, there he is--at the top of the riser--the dude himself.

It takes a well-oiled machine to bring all those elements together in one big spectacular moment that doesn't stop for 90 minutes. It takes Team Dude, Inc.

Two of the team members were recognized this year by the CMA SRO Awards. The Standing Room Only awards are a division of the CMA for those involved in touring.


Fiddle player, Dan Hochhalter (@FiddlinDan on Twitter), was nominated for Touring Musician of the Year. Although we think he should have won, the award went to Jenee Fleenor, who, according to Dan is a "fantastic fiddle player out with Blake Shelton."


James "Pugs" McDermott was nominated and won for Front of House (FOH) Engineer of the Year!

“Our touring industry members are on the frontline, every day taking our music directly to the fans in small clubs, stadiums, and everything in between,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “Their hard work and many contributions to the success of the format deserve attention and a standing ovation.”

Congratulations, Pugs!




Pictured (L-R): Jay DeMarcus, James McDermott, Dierks Bentley. Photo: Donn Jones



Thank you Crystal Hochhalter for posting these Team Dude, Inc, photos!





Team Dude, Inc at the ‪#‎SROAwards‬. Dan was up for Touring Musician of the Year! Congrats to Pugs on his win






Dan and Crystal Hochhalter

DB Congress Surprises Dierks Bentley with Birthday Boots for his 40th!

So how do a bunch of fans help celebrate Dierks Bentley turning 40? By buying him a gently-used pair of old boots and lots of duct tape, that’s how! 

As you may know, Dierks literally wears his shoes until they're falling apart, with holes in them, applying fresh duct tape before every show as necessary.  He also loves old vintage items, from clothing to cars. So what better present to get him than a pair of  old Vietnam combat boots, complete with several rolls of duct tape for future patching. (Tom and Jay, you don’t have to hide the extra duct tape—Dierks has his own supply now).

The idea to get Dierks new/(old) boots came about after Miles and Music for Kids 2015 and Last Call Ball, November 1.  We knew that Dierks was finally retiring his “Riser Tour” boots from his Instagram post: 

"the WWII boots ive been wearing since the #riser tour. previous owner named Lipman. duct taped heal. 4 shows to go." 

Then at Last Call Ball, DB Congress presented him with a gift commemorating his 10th year of MM4K and when we asked him to guess what it was, he said, "A new pair of boots?" (Nope, a specially engraved motorcycle derby).

This gave several DB Congress members a thought…replace the boots. 

North Carolina DB Congress member, Adrian Taylor, formed a Facebook group and the plan was put into action. Fans from all across the USA and Canada came together and contributed toward the cost of buying boots and duct tape for Dierks.  Everyone who donated wrote messages that Adrian added to his birthday card. 

Meanwhile, during the search for the perfect pair of boots, a local Nashville team was conspiring to arrange a time to surprise Dierks to present the special package. 

The plan was to give the gift to Dierks on his birthday (November 20).  However, since this was a big milestone birthday for our President--the big 4-0--Dierks took the weekend off to celebrate. Can't blame him there. 

So, ten days later, on November 30th, with the help of  Stephanie from The Green Room PR, we were able to surprise Dierks with his "slightly worn but vintage combat boots." 

In the video, Dierks is seen with his long time companion, Jake, opening the package. Adrian did the wrapping and wanted to make sure it was a challenge for him to get to the actual boots, "so I used the strongest industrial tape I could find. Sorry Dierks, but we had to make it hard for you!" 

"Jake, this is from DB Congress.  This is...so cool...package #1...thank you guys...Whoa! This is...a new pair of boots!  These are good boots!  WOW! I'm actually...I am actually totally shocked because I've been online looking for some new boots...laughs....wow! These are...I mean...I am shocked! These are some really nice boots!...WOW!  Let's give 'em a shot! Gosh...I mean I think they fit...I think they fit pretty good.  The old ones need to go away. I mean it's like a really, perfect fit.  Such a nice gift, y'all.  Thank you guys so much! These are great boots! I'm shocked! Thank you so much!"

You don't have to look any more Dierks!  These old boots still got a lot of ground they ain't covered yet! 

Thank you to all who helped make this a special 40th birthday for Dierks!  He really seemed to be surprised and according to Stephanie after the video ended be kept complementing the boots saying how nice they were--and they fit perfectly! 

Who's excited to see the boots on stage next year?