Saturday, August 25, 2012

DBTV - Episode 77: Dierks Goes Back to College

Follow Dierks Bentley during his Country & Cold Cans: Back To College Tour at UGA, USC and Ole Miss in DBTV Episode 77--the biggest party of the summer!  Dierks signs a guitar from the crowd and one couple holds up a sign that they postponed their honeymoon to be there!





From The Green Room PR/dierks.com

DIERKS BENTLEY WRAPS COUNTRY & COLD CANS: BACK TO COLLEGE TOUR

Nashville, TN – Aug. 24, 2012 – Country music star Dierks Bentley wrapped his Country & Cold Cans: Back to College Tour Wed. night when he and a sea of fans stormed Ole Miss’ legendary tailgating grounds, The Grove. The college leg of the tour hit two additional SEC campuses this week, The University of Georgia and The University of South Carolina, to toast the release of Bentley’s new COUNTRY & COLD CANS EP that is now available on iTunes.

This week was a total blast…the shows were killer, and the crowds were big and loud. I think having a BYOB set up probably helped that," laughed Bentley. "We topped things off at Ole Miss by crashing a late night house party for a few rounds of flip cup and beer pong. It's been a little while since I was in college, but it wasn't hard for any of us to fall right back into it. It was the perfect way for me to end summer, and I can't wait to do it again next year!"

The tone of the jam-packed week was set Mon. afternoon when fans joined Bentley for a high-energy video shoot at the Georgia Theatre for his new single “Tip It On Back.” The party spirit spilled into the night at UGA’s Legion Field and continued with a sold out crowd at USC the following day.

Country music and cold cans went hand-in-hand Tuesday night as everything ‘got a little sideways’ with country singer Dierks Bentley stopping by Columbia’s Tin Roof to give USC students an end-of-the-summer party to remember.” – The Daily Gamecock





Dierks Makes Daniel Forget About His Disease




Our family has always been a fan of country music and since Daniel was a baby he would never go to sleep unless the country music was playing. Daniel’s first song he sang when he was two-years-old was ‘What Was I Thinkin'” by Dierks.  As Daniel became older he would listen constantly to Dierks’ CDs.  I remember the first time he saw the video  for "Every Mile a Memory”  he said, “I am gonna be on a big stage like that and play my guitar.” That Christmas we bought him one and ever since he has not put it down.  His dad even is learning to play and they play together all the time, not in tune but they try.

No other country musician has made more of an impression on Daniel as Dierks Bentley.  When Dierks did the live webcast when making his new Home CD, Daniel was there sitting with me watching from the time he came home from school until it was time for bed. I had to fight with him to do his homework because he did not want to stop watching.

In November 2011, we had decided to take Daniel to a concert in NYC and to see if we could get a meet and greet so Daniel could finally meet his “best friend” as Daniel would call Dierks. We had bought the tickets and received the meet and greet, but Daniel became sick and could not go.  

I noticed Daniel becoming very tired and assumed it was from school and playing baseball, but I was wrong. On December 19th we had a call from the school nurse that Daniel was jaundiced and very tired. He was admitted to the hospital and after many tests we were told Daniel has a rare disease called Evans Syndrome that affects less then 350 in the whole United States and 1100 in the whole wide world.  We were devastated. 

After two transfussions  he was released with his numbers in stable range and placed on steroid treatments.  He gained 42 pounds in a month and started having kidney stones due to the high does of steroid to keep his counts in stable range. He was admitted to the hospital twice with kidney stones and infections so they stopped the steroids to give his kidneys a break. His counts had dropped and he had to be put back on the steroids again. He missed 3 months of school and was being tutored at home. 

In April of 2012 Daniel was in remission (Thank you Jesus).

May of 2012 we found out Dierks was coming to the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. I bought tickets as soon as the presale opened that morning and put in for a meet and greet.  When the meet and greets were announced 3 days before we did not get one.  So I sent a few emails and luckily received an email and phone calls from Dierks's team arranging for a family meet and greet for Daniel, me and his dad. At this point I still didn’t tell Daniel because I needed the doctors clearance to bring him. Daniel's counts were fine and we received  the OK and told Daniel.  He was so happy and scared at the same time.

June 30th we woke up and packed the van and drove 35 minutes away to see Dierks. As soon as we pulled up Daniel screamed, “There is Goldie!”  We parked the van and walked around to the entrance but we could not see Dierks anywhere. As we were standing waiting on our family passes with some other girls from the congress (fan club), Cassady (bassist) walked by us and we didn’t even realize it was him until Daniel said it.  A few moments later here comes Dierks walking back from the beach and we all said, “Hey Dierks” and he said hey to everyone and kept walking to get ready for the show.

We all went inside the outdoor arena and Daniel started becoming sick and tired.  We were getting a little nervous that we may have to leave, but the security officers took Daniel in gave us our own private seats and gave Daniel free slushies all night long. They were so nice to us.  They came and got us and took us to the meet and greet. 

Daniel finally met Dierks after  all these years of being his “best friend.”  Daniel was nervous as we all were but Dierks talked to Daniel and was such a very nice person. Daniel just wished he was able to talk with Dierks as if he knew who he was. Daniel sends so many letters but we don’t know if Dierks gets them because Daniel said, “he didn’t know who I was.”

Daniel was overwhelmed at the concert.  He sang to every song and was rocking it. He was the happiest little boy in the whole world at that moment. His father and I were in tears seeing how happy he was and just think a few months ago he was the sickest little guy.

Two days later after the show Daniel began to show signs he was sick again. He was admitted to the hospital with double pneumonia and had to be taken off his Allstar team; he was so upset. We hosted a benefit for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to raise money to find a cure for Evans Syndrome and Daniel could not be there--he was back in the hospital listening to his Dierks CDs, which he keeps with him always. 

If there is one thing that makes Daniel not think of his Evans Syndrome it is Dierks!

It's been a long hard ride, got a ways to go...

Daniel will be 10 years old next week. He is in remission and doing well. He still goes for weekly counts to make sure they stay in normal range. 

~Dawn Applegate (Daniel's mom)
DB Congress Rep, NJ






Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Announcing The Dierks Bentley Instagram Contest



To celebrate the release of his new EP, Country & Cold Cans, Dierks wants to share some love... in the form of cold hard cash. All you have to do is post a photo on Instagram that complements the Country & Cold Cans theme and tag Dierks using the hashtag #ColdCans. You'll immediately be entered to win one of five $250 Visa gift cards! We'll also display your picture on this page. Bonus points for incorporating any of the four songs on the EP.

A weekly winner will be chosen every Friday beginning 8/24/12 for five weeks. All pictures deemed inappropriate by Dierks.com will not be displayed and the entrants will be disqualified.

New EP from Dierks Bentley Available on iTunes Today!




The new Country & Cold Cans from Dierks Bentley is now available on iTune!  Go get it! It only shows 2 songs, but all 5 download when you purchase it.


Summer on Fire
Tip It On Back (Radio Edit)
Back Porch
Grab A Beer
Country & Cold Cans (re-recorded)

Right now it's #23 on iTunes--let's make it #1!

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Dierks Sells Out Red Rocks! DB Congress Reps Came From Near and Far!

"This is what 8000 cell phones looks like #RedRocks"
Tweeted by Jay Ballinger

Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a geological phenomenon – the only naturally-occurring, acoustically perfect amphitheatre in the world, with an elevation of 6,450 feet in Morrison, Colorado.  It literally and figuratively takes your breath away.  From Sting and The Beatles, to opera stars and U2, every artist aspires to play on this magical, spiritual and emotional stage.

Dierks Bentley has performed at Red Rocks twice before and I was there both times!  This year, on August 16, 2012, he sold out ALL 9,450 seats and I'm sad to say I wasn't in one of them!  But many of our DB Congress family were!  Dierks was excited to say the least and went on a Twitter picture spree:

"i have been thinking about seeing this view again for a long time"




"9,450 of you joined us for the completely sold out show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO. Here's a great shot!" 


Saturday, August 18, 2012

Dierks Bentley's "5-1-5-0" Video Featured in ATV Rider Magazine

Fans are still crazy for Dierks Bentley's video from his recent number one hit, "5-1-5-0," voting it to #16 on GAC and #6 on CMT's Top 20 video countdown this week. Last week it was #1 on CMT. Keep voting every day HERE!

Even ATV Rider is loco for the video.  The September/October 2012 issue of the magazine features a 6-page article, of a "Behind The Scenes" look at Dierks's on the set of "5-1-5-0."

They were asked to help out out with some ATV related
logistics on a music video. Director Wes Edwards called them with the details.

"Alright, so here's what we want to do, we want to get a couple of guys on completely blacked-out racing-style ATVs to drift at really high speeds in front of a rapidly pursuing while simultaneously drifting police car. We also need to stage a big mud bog scene with mudding quads and trucks, which we might already have handled. We also need some sort of machine to film from; it has to be able to safely and smoothly transport three cameramen over rough terrain at about 60 mph."

When ATV Rider found out who the video was for, they had to Google "Dierks" since country is not their favorite music genre, but then quickly realized this was a big deal!

"At a few minutes past three o'clock, Dierks and his band made their way to their makeshift stage and absolutely rocked the place. Country may not be the top musical choice of our staff, yet we were blown away by the band's energy and willingness to interact with their fans." 
After what felt like three hundred different takes and performances of the song "5-1 5-0 " the film crew had gotten the camera angles that they needed. Much to the crowd's delight, Dierks and several of his bandmates decided to take his own personal truck for a run through the mud pit.
"It was really great to see that a guy with that sort of celebrity status is actually that down to earth."

By the end of the article, ATV Rider was sold on Dierks and encouraged their readers to check out the video. "Show that dude some love for shining a positive light on ATVs and buy his new album Home."






For related blogs on Dierks' "5-1-5-0" video, click HERE.

Special thanks to DB Congress member, Harriett (NC), for sharing her husband Jimmie's subscription to ATV Rider magazine with us! Great find!

Watch Video Message From Dierks on ACM Honors

You know how much Dierks loves to tell stories.  Now's your chance to see him in person as he hosts the 6th Annual Academy of Country Music Honors, September 24th at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN.

Performers scheduled to appear include Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Ashley Monroe, Kellie Pickler and Dailey & Vincent, with more to come!  Those being honored include Special Award recipients Bobby Braddock, Kenny Chesney, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Gayle Holcomb, Alan Jackson, Billy Sherrill, Ricky Skaggs, Dwight Yoakam and more.



Get your tickets now at http://www.ticketmaster.com/Acm-Honors-tickets/artist/1767608

Dierks Bentley & Logan Mize in Wichita

Dierks Bentley, Wichita, KS, 8-17-12, Photo by Clint Bond

Our DB Congress rep, Clint in Kansas, had the good fortune to see Dierks and Logan Mize in Wichita last night!  He recapped the show in his "Concert Clint" blog and shares lots of videos and pictures! Be sure to watch the "How Am I Doin'" video, where Dierks sings, "when all my friends heard what a you know what you were, they took me out to a Logan Mize show!"

If you don't know Logan Mize, run, don't walk to get tickets to see him live.  Both his albums are on iTunes and you will want both, trust me! He'll be opening for Dierks again in Biloxi, MS on November 16!


Exclusive Streams of Songs from Dierks Bentley's Upcoming EP


Dierks Bentley's 4-pack Country & Cold Cans EP can't get here soon enough (available 8/21 on iTunes), so our DB Congress president announced each of the new songs as a sneak preview from three separate sites last week!

You can hear Back Porch from Entertainment Weekly; Grab A Beer from Yahoo Music and Summer on Fire from ESPN's Playbook. Dierks had this to say about "Grab A Beer."

 "It's kind of a no-brainer...It's probably my favorite [off the EP]. I love the groove, and I love that it's really simple what it's about. There's plenty of beer-drinking songs in country music, but I like how it has a little bit of soulfulness to it. It ended up being kind of dirty and fun, and I think my fans will really enjoy it."

ESPN Playbook also asked Dierks a few questions.  Here's one:

Why did you pick the three SEC schools as the places to perform this coming week?

The SEC lives and dies football. I've played those schools over and over again and I know what the kids are like. My brother also went to the University of Georgia. So I picked three schools that will party really hard and I know they will dig the record. It's going to make it fun for them and make it fun for us. You might as well park my tour bus at the Cumberland Heights Recovery Center in Nashville, I'm telling you right now. It's going be 72 hours of non-stop craziness and fun."

For tickets to the Back to College tour shows, click HERE.


Post a comment below and let us know what you think!  Which of the three songs do you like best?




Thursday, August 16, 2012

Listen to Dierks Bentley's "Back Porch"


Just five days until the new Dierks Bentley Country & Cold Cans EP is available on iTunes (8/21)!  Listen to a an exclusive stream of “Back Porch” from Entertainment Weekly here.

They also asked Dierks to describe five of his craziest summer memories. Which one is your favorite?


  1. Singin' in the rain at July's Jefferson, Wisc., show
  2. June's B-93 Birthday Bash in Martin, Mich.
  3. June's Braveheart reenactment in Eufaula Cove, Okla.
  4. April's Record Store Day show in Seattle with special guest Mike McCready of Pearl Jam
  5. The craziest travel day of his year, possibly his life, in July

Monday, August 13, 2012

Miles & Music For Kids - Oct. 14, 2012: Fan Club Pre-sale Wed. 8/15/12



Two of Dierks Bentley's favorite things to do are play music and riding motorcycles. He combines both loves  into one special event for his seventh annual “Miles & Music for Kids” celebrity motorcycle ride and concert in Nashville, TN on Sunday, October 14, 2012.

The charity event has occurred on 12 occasions in seven US cities to raise over $2 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals across the country.

Tickets going on sale this Fri., Aug.17 at 10:00A CT through TicketMaster. But DB Congress (fan club members) will be able to buy tickets during the pre-sale that begins Wed., Aug. 15 at 10:00 a.m. CT through dierks.com.  Be sure to be logged in with your fan club login before the pre-sale begins.

There will NOT be a Meet and Greet offered for this event.

The event begins at Harley-Davidson of Columbia (1616 Harley Davidson Blvd., Columbia, TN) for a scenic hour-long motorcycle ride ending at downtown Nashville’s Riverfront Park. Following the ride, Bentley will host a family-friendly jam-style concert with special guests Sheryl Crow, Chris Young, Brantley Gilbert, The Cadillac Black and Craig Campbell all joining him on the ACM Lifting Lives main stage. More artist announcements will be made in the upcoming weeks.

"I really want to blow Miles & Music out this year and make it bigger than ever," said Dierks. "We've had the chance to help a lot of communities across the country, but the heart and soul of this event is in downtown Nashville with Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and the artists and friends who come out and help us raise money. It's my favorite thing we do all year."

Fans can purchase tickets for the ride, concert and commemorative T-shirt for $50, or those looking to attend the concert only can purchase tickets for $20. Special VIP packages are also available. All proceeds from the event will benefit Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. 


From TicketMaster:
$300 Ticket includes: A Ride in the Pack with the Artists and VIP Concert ticket with access to VIP Concert Tent with food & beverages & T-Shirt.

$150 Ticket includes: VIP Concert ticket with access to the VIP Concert Tent with food & beverages.

$80 Duo (Combo) Ticket: Good for 2 regular Concert tickets and Duo Riders and 2 T-Shirts ( 1 Bike with 2 Riders).

$50 Ticket: Good for Regular Concert ticket and Ride and T-Shirt ( 1 Rider only ).

$20 Ticket: Good for Regular Concert ticket only.

This is not only Dierks' favorite thing, its a "must do" for DBC reps! Check out some of the cool DB Congress experiences from previous Miles & Music Events:

Columbus, OH - May 2011
Nashville, TN - October 2010
Seattle, WA - September 2010
Dallas, TX - April 2010

DB Congress members always have an annual get together the Saturday night before Sunday MM4K, Nashville.  We meet at Joe's Crab Shack and have dinner, catch up with old friends, meet new ones, and most importantly, we all bring get well cards for the kids and pass them around the table for everyone to sign!

Stay tuned for details for our Oct. 13th  DB Congress Session!



Sunday, August 12, 2012

Dierks Wins Gold & #1 Video "5-1-5-0"

Our behind the scenes blog for the making of Dierks Bentley's "5-1-5-0" video is by far our highest hitting page view count ever!  And with all your voting, the official video has finally made it to the top of CMT's Top 20 countdown this week--coming in at #1 for the week for 8/10/12!



Dierks tweeted:
"thx for a number 1 video!!! that rocks. #5150 somebody call... er, tweet ! thanks for great video bro."

Not only did the video hit #1, the song made it to the top of the Billboard charts July 23, 2012, and coming in with the gold as of August 6, the "5-1-5-0" single reached 500,000 digital download sales according to The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)! "Feel That Fire" also achieved gold this week, and "Am I The Only One" was certified gold January 9th!

Congratulations, Mr. President! Well deserved!










Tip It On Back – Story Behind the Song

Exclusive DB Congress Interview with the songwriters of Dierks Bentley's fourth single from his "Home" CD, 'Tip It On Back.' (Ross Copperman, Tully Kennedy and Jon Nite)

Dierks Bentley is taking a big leap into uncharted territory with 'Tip It On Back.'  The laid-back, let-it-all-go song marks Bentley's first ever single released without his name on the composition credits. That's good news for the trio of writers--a bassist on tour with a major country artist, a full time writer/producer, and a former cover band member who used to cover DB songs! When they all gather in a room to write they say it's magical and they all gel musically.

One thing is extremely evident from their comments below:  They are all three big fans of Dierks Bentley, just like us! DB Congress members submitted questions and Jon, Ross and Tully were quick to answer through email and phone calls! Thanks, guys!

Ross Copperman

Tully Kennedy

Jon Nite

Recently there have been a ton of beer songs and drinking songs. What do you think sets Tip It On Back (TIOB) apart? (Carrie Srebro, NC)


JON: To me, this song is about the nights that we let ourselves live and have fun and forget the things we can't change. It doesn't gloss over reality. It is one snapshot of how we felt on one day looking around us at the world. I think everybody's snapshot would be slightly different, but at times everybody needs to blow off steam in whatever way they blow off steam.

TULLY: Well, honestly I don’t think TIOB is a drinking song. I think it’s more of a…kind of a grander picture than that. It’s all about whatever it takes to get your mind off what’s not right. I think TIOB is a way of saying for just one night, you know, just forget your problems and have a good time but we definitely did not set out to write a drinking song. It’s more about just letting things go.

ROSS: I think this a sexy drinking song. It covers a lot more ground than a typical beer/drinking song.


When writing any song, do you have a specific artist in mind or do you just write the song? For example, could a female artist have recorded TIOB in your opinion? (Clint Bond, KS).  Did you have someone in mind to record TIOB when you started writing TIOB? (Kathy Butler, IN)


JON
: Today, Ross, Tully, and I we wrote an incredible song with an artist in mind. We are fans of Lady Antebellum, so we wrote a song for Lady A. That's rare. Usually we just follow the song and purposefully don't aim at any one person. When we started [writing TIOB], I think we were just shooting for an amazing song. When we got done, all I knew was that I wanted to listen to the demo on repeat.

TULLY: You know what? I don’t know. The three of who wrote it were men so I think we wrote it from a man’s perspective. I guess anything’s possible. Miranda writes such good stuff who know what she could do. Did we have someone in mind? No. When we wrote this song not in a million years did we think Dierks would cut it. We were trying to write a great song and I think from past experience when you set out to write a song with an artist in mind it never really seems to happen. I think especially with an artist like Dierks. Dierks is such a great writer, you can’t really set out to write a song for Dierks. I think you need to write the best song you can that you like and hope that Dierks likes it, too.

ROSS: Generally I like to just write the song and let it find an artist.


If Dierks did not pick this song up, who would you have liked to see get it? (David Mattingly, KY)


JON: I think he's one of the only artists that could have pulled it off. We had one day from when the demo was out until we knew Dierks wanted it. At the time Jason Aldean, Lee Brice, and Tim Mcgraw all were in the middle of their projects, but fate put it where it was supposed to be.

TULLY: You know what, it’s so hard to see anyone else doing this song now after hearing him sing it now. If Dierks hadn’t taken it, and I’m so thankful he did, maybe Jason (Aldean) would’ve done it, but Dierks got a hold of it and I can’t imagine another voice on it. It feels like one that he wrote and when you’re an artist the trick to doing outside songs is to sell it like you wrote it.  And if you didn’t know any better you’d swear Dierks wrote it, and that’s the real fun part about it.

ROSS: This song was made for Dierks.


Did anyone else have it on hold?


TULLY
: Everything works out for a reason. We wrote that song on a Wednesday and I think Wednesday night after we wrote it I think it went on hold for Tim McGraw. And we were like well cool, but we never get too excited about that kind of stuff and then Tim had it for a couple weeks I guess, and then it came off hold. And then the guy who plugs my songs for me at my company took it over to Capitol Records and played it for Autumn House, I could be wrong, but I believe is how that happened, and Autumn played it for Dierks. We owe a lot to Autumn. She’s just been really good to me as a writer and just as a friend in general.  Just the way it worked out it was so meant to be because this song wasn’t around for very long and it really ended up in the right hands. And like I said, to have someone like Dierks do this, who I’ve known since 2003…I never would’ve thought in a million years I’d have a cut on one of his records, and never dreamed in ten million years he’d put it out as a single. To say I’m excited is an understatement! It was one of the last songs they cut for the album. It’s just been really, really fun. We were just happy to have a cut on his record.

JON: I think he's right. They had it on hold for Tim for a blink of an eye first. I'd forgotten that!



When did you find out the song was going to be recorded by Dierks for the album and what were your feelings at the time? (Harriett Watkins, NC)


JON: We found out last November he cut it, and my face literally hurt from this massive smile I couldn't peel off for most all of that week.

TULLY: I believe it was…we wrote that song last October, and I think…I was on the road with Jason (Aldean) when I got a call from my publisher, Julie Newman, and she said that Dierks loved it and wanted to cut it and that was last October/November. So I was very, very, very excited!

ROSS: Found out early this year and was incredibly honored to be a part of "Home."


Did any specific personal experience bring about the idea for this song or did it start off as something more general? (Angela Mueller, TN)


JON: I occasionally crack open a recreational beverage on the back deck of my house after the crazy days. My wife was getting ready for surgery and our world was in all kinds of chaos, so the song idea was just swimming around in front of me. I tossed it out to see if the guys liked it after hearing the music Ross and Tully were coming up with in the studio.

TULLY: As we started writing, we weren’t thinking about anything in particular, it was kind of where the country was. I remember watching the news a lot and a lot of it was foreclosures, things for sale, and small businesses going out of business, and the opening line is “I see Main Street closing, miles of for sale signs,” which is exactly what we see.

ROSS: This song was inspired by the economic and political state of our country.

"I see Main Street closing,
miles of for sale signs."



Every time I hear this song, I feel a sadness instead of go out and party vibe. What’s the back story behind the lyrics and the melody? (Tara Toro, PA)


JON: When I hear it, I feel kind of free. There are parts of life right now in my world that are not easy. Every once in a while it's nice to just have one night to not worry.

TULLY: When you start writing a song I think it’s always best to write about something that is true, you know? I grew up in a really tiny town in up-state New York where no one really had a lot of money, you know? And Jon Nite and Ross Copperman are the same way. John is from a small town in Texas. And you kind of pull things…I remember being a young guy and just trying for one night just to forget about your debt, forget about your things aren’t right, and your broken down car or your whatever. Just have a good time, and in those hours, you can generally forget about that stuff and deal with them when you wake up the next day. Everybody has days like that when something’s just not right.  We surely didn’t mean to make anyone depressed. It was just letting it go and just saying ‘screw it’ for a couple hours, and just not worry about anything. And like I said, we didn’t set out to write anything in particular, it just sort of came out that way.

ROSS: This song isn't meant to be sad. It's meant to be more of a celebration of your hard work week on a Friday night.

“I feel the sweet release
of a Friday night.”



How long was the writing process for TIOB? (Alicia Rose, WI)


JON:  It was extremely fast--maybe 2 hours to write and a few more to record the demo.

ROSS: This song came together in a day.

TULLY: We wrote the song…and we started writing about 11 o’clock…and the song and the demo were done by 3:30. It’s nice when it happens easy, and that one really happened easy for us.


What were you doing when the concept and idea came along? What came first the melody or the lyrics? (David Evans, WA)


JON: We were all struggling trying to make a living doing music which is extremely difficult. Ross and Tully had new babies and sleepless nights and new baby bills to pay. I think we all wanted to write something where we could let go of some stress. The melody was first. The idea fit the music so I guess it was second, and the lyrics came in bronze.

ROSS: This was a special song in that melody and lyric pretty much came together.

TULLY: It started out with no words…it just started out with some chords…playing kind of music that we like, and the words…all of us…it just sort of poured out.  I remember on this particular song, me and Ross had an idea of a groove that we wanted to write to, like a tempo, and then I started with a few chords, and then Ross started humming a melody and then Jon Nite just starts singing this little thing and he just goes ‘tip it on back,” and I was like whoa—that’s awesome! And it just kind of came out and when we write together—the three of us—it’s just like some sort of really magical thing that just sort of happens, its kind of special. And not every song that we write gets cut, but it’s just a good time when we do. 


How do you decide the order of your names for songwriting credit on liner notes? For example, Dierks usually lists his name last. (Ronna Clark, FL)


JON: I was just happy they didn't forget anybody! (Haha). The label worked all the small print out for us.

ROSS: It's generally alphabetical.

TULLY: It’s alphabetical by last names. [Dierks probably lists his name last, even though it may not be alphabetical,] because he’s extremely humble. I’ve always loved Dierks and have always appreciated him for the way he is. Through this process he has been so cool to me. He texted me when he first cut the song and said 'hey man thanks for the song, I love the song'…and then he told me it might be a single. And then they put ‘5150’ out instead. He called me on the phone and said, "man I wish I had better news for ya, but we’re gonna go with ‘5150.’" And you know what, there’s not another artist on the planet that would do that. He didn’t have to call me. I got a text from him a couple weeks ago saying, "hey man I think Tip It On Back’s gonna happen." Dierks is just a special artist for his fans and if there’s any doubt about the kind of person he is I can vouch that he is a first class individual, above music and everything—he’s just a first class person—music aside.


When did you write TIOB, and how much time elapsed between the time you wrote the song and Dierks deciding to record it? (Sherrie Shamon, FL)


JON: We wrote it a few weeks before Dierks recorded it.

ROSS: We wrote the song earlier this year and Dierks cut it about a month later.


I love the song and the mood of it is amazing. It’s one of my favorites on 'Home.'  But I hear it as a song saying that drinking can be a temporary fix for some of life's problems. But for many, drinking is the root of many of life's problems. It’s hard for me to connect to a song that talks about something that ruined 25 years of my life. I say all of this so you may understand why I would ask this question: Would you ever consider writing a song about sobriety? About the positives of "remembering" not "forgetting" everything you do? (David Mattingly, KY)


“I don’t want to lose this feeling,
I don’t want to close my eyes,
I don’t want to remember
what I’m here to forget tonight.”


JON: I have written many songs on both sides of this question. I have friends and family who live on both sides of this question. I hope that the spirit of this song comes across in the way we mean it. There are a lot of things out there that we can't control. I wanted this song to be about a temporary escape from those things. To me when I was writing this song, I was thinking about dancing with my wife in a crowded room with an awesome band playing. It's not about forgetting who you are to me. It's about forgetting things that are out of your control.

ROSS: I've actually written several songs about sobriety. This song isn't meant to say that drinking is a quick fix. It's just intended to mean that a long relaxing evening with a cold beverage can help ease your troubles.

TULLY: As a songwriter…you know, Eric Church’s ‘Smoke A Little Smoke,’ I don’t think he’s saying go out and buy cigarettes. I think it’s all in the spirit of a song in what you want to say at that point. If you’re gonna talk about driving a car really fast, it doesn’t mean you go out and speed. It’s entertainment. We’re not saying go drink, we’re saying do whatever it takes to get your mind off something that’s not right. If that means having a beer, then have a beer. If that means drinking a gallon of Mt. Dew, then drink Mt. Dew. No one’s saying, hey, go get hammered. The spirit of the song is saying, throw away the rule book and do what makes you feel good, and if that’s what it is for a couple hours then run this town dry. We’d be all kind of in trouble if we couldn’t write about having a drink once in a while. We write songs to have people sing them—that’s the fun of it.

“for a couple of hours
we can run this town
‘til it runs dry.”


What were the political and economic motivations behind the idea for the song? (Amy Shepheard, DE)


JON: We were just absorbing reality and lacing it with music and a few rhymes. There is a Kroger shopping center a few blocks from my old house. A bunch of years ago, every storefront was full. Today there are lease signs on half the windows. I live in a small town outside of Nashville, so it was all about seeing and making mental notes of life. I'm originally from Texas, and the dry weather the last few years has left the farms and ranches near my hometown in bad shape, so that was one of the things that popped up when thinking about the first verse, too.

ROSS: The recession was a big motivation in writing this song. We just felt like this could be a fun song to lift spirits.

TULLY: No political motivations as all, no economic motivations, it was much more simple than that. It’s saying if you’ve got a problem and look up and down these small towns, say you’re having trouble with money or whatever, it was just really letting go for a couple hours. Your problems aren’t gonna go away, but maybe for a couple hours you can be innocent and young again, before it was so complicated.


How do feel about Dierks treatment or interpretation of the song? (Mona Purdy, OK)


JON: Dierks made a fantastic album. He invited the writers to come listen to the entire thing after he finished it. I was absolutely enthralled with the cut he did on our song. He made the vocal his own, and the track had all sorts of interesting dobro and guitar parts. They kept the grit and emotion we felt when writing it. I’m unbelievably happy with Dierks and Brett's record on it.

ROSS: He absolutely NAILED it.

TULLY: I can’t imagine it being better. Dierks and his producer Brett Beavers…I’m blown away by it. They did a great job. They used a couple ideas we had from the demo and then they took their own ideas and kind of mixed them together—they couldn’t have done it any better. I just love it.



Did Dierks contact you all first about recording this song or did you contact him? (Lee Ann Miller, KY)


JON: I think he got hold of our publishers after he heard the song through his label.

ROSS: Our song plugger pitched the song to Dierks and he decided to cut it.


I'm curious about the process, as well: Does the publishing house present the artist with songs? Do songwriters present them? (Carrie Srebro, NC)


JON: I send them to artists I know if they ask for songs. My publisher is constantly sending songs that would work for artists.

ROSS: The publishing company presents the songs to the artists and hopefully they like it enough to record it.



How much more special is the release of TIOB as a single for you as the writers, since this is the first one Dierks has released that he didn't co-write? (Harriett Watkins, NC)


JON: It's an honor. I used to play in a cover band and we covered "Lot of Leaving Left to Do," "Come a Little Closer," "Every Mile a Memory," and five or six Dierks songs. Those songs are the pinnacle of great writing. It's crazy to even think of having him single our song knowing the caliber of songs he has and continues to write.

TULLY: It was such an honor first of all. I’ve known Dierks for a long time and to have him cut a song that I wrote is amazing. Dierks is such a great writer it’s gonna take a different kind of song for him to say, wow you know what? I like that song and I don’t have one like that so I think I wanna do it!

ROSS: It's incredibly flattering that this is the first song Dierks has released that he did not write.



What’s your advice for songwriters in Nashville trying to get a publishing deal with either a small or large publisher? (Randy Alan Shaffer, PA)


JON: You gotta love writing more than anything else that you can do, because it is realistically nearly impossible to make a living at it. But if you do, find a way to be in Nashville, LA, or New York. To make it you have to get to one. Be present to win. Then, learn how to play an instrument well, and learn to record great sounding demos in your home studio. Then, I'd go to someplace like Nashville Songwriter's Association and be a sponge and soak up every opportunity they have. They can open doors to publishers when the material is ready. Then, just write undeniable hit songs until they have to sign you. It's that easy….or hard depending on how you look at it.

ROSS: Work harder than the next guy.

TULLY: You gotta keep writing. It’s as simple as that. Most songs--almost all will never be heard. You just gotta keep doing it. It’s very frustrating that most songs you write will never get cut, but it can’t get cut if you don’t write it.


Tully, how did you find time to write with Ross and Jon given that you are on one of the biggest tours right now as Jason Aldean’s bassist? (Ronna Clark, FL)


TULLY: Yeah, its hectic you know, I’ve been with Jason for like 13 years and produce Thompson Square as well, so there’s not a lot down time.


Ross, being a recording artist yourself, how tempted were/are you to record TIOB for one of your own albums? (Ronna)


ROSS: I'm currently investing all my time into writing and producing.



Jon, you’re a graduate of Belmont University in Nashville. Is that where you met Ross and Tully? (Ronna)


JON: Ross and I met and wrote a song called "Glass" several years ago. Tully is part of the production team that found "Glass" and cut it for Thompson Square. I worked with the New Voice crew and we wrote some incredible songs, and I asked Tully to jump in with Ross and I because I had this gut feeling that they would gel musically. They did.


 Ross and Jon, you are both co-writers on Thompson Square’s current single, “Glass,” “One of the Boys” (Jana Kramer) and “Save Water, Drink Beer” (Chris Young’s "Neon"). What else have you any of you written together? (Ronna)


JON: Yep, Thompson Square has "Glass" on your local stations, so you can request it now! We also wrote a single with JT Hodges called "Goodbyes Made You Mine" that was all over satellite radio earlier this year. We have had stuff recorded by Mallory Hope, and a handful of other new artists. We have a little chest full of songs that I seriously cannot wait for the world to hear that have just been recorded or are being recorded.

ROSS: We've actually written a lot of songs together and hopefully more will be finding their way onto country records very soon.

TULLY: TIOB might have been the second song the three us wrote together. We wrote together one time and we got a really cool song—never got cut—but it was just a really cool song. And we got the chance to get together again and that’s when we wrote 'Tip It On Back.'  We’ve been writing ever since, once or twice a month, whatever we can do. My schedule’s pretty hairy right now. We’ve had a lot of holds, artists that love the songs, but Dierks is our first big cut. You know Dierks is a big cut for anyone, and especially for us. You can’t wish for anything better than that. Dierks is just a great artist which is what you want as a fan. Any time he puts a record out you know it’s gonna be good.


Dierks just scored his third consecutive #1 song from "Home." How are you going to celebrate when "Tip It On Back" hits #1? (Carrie)


JON: This would be one of the biggest blessings in my life or my family's life. I'm pretty sure, I would have a recreational back porch event with some tipping and shenanigans. This would be the first #1 for all three writers. Any help you guys can give, we would absolutely appreciate it.

ROSS: We would be honored if this song makes it to #1. It would be a very special thing for us, and I'm sure we'll tip a few back with Dierks if it happens.

TULLY: If we we’re lucky enough to get a #1, it’s going to be so surreal. I can’t even let myself think about it. If we do, we’ll just kind of tip it on back.

Just be sure to remember your DB Congress friends so we can tip it on back with you at that celebration!

Let's go DB Congress!  Hit the campaign trail and request, post, vote, thank DJs for playing 'Tip It On Back.'  Let's get these boys their first number one and Dierks his eleventh!

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Special A-List Pre-Sale for ACM Honors, Hosted by Dierks Bentley



We told you about Dierks being invited to be the host of the ACM Honors last week.  Now you can be on the A-list by having first crack at tickets. The special pre-sale starts Wednesday, August 15 for the September 24th awards show at the Ryman in Nashville. Just announced, Luke Bryan and Kellie Pickler will perform!

GET YOUR TICKETS TO THE 6th ANNUAL ACM HONORS!

Join us for an amazing night of live music and video tributes at the 6th Annual ACM HONORS in Nashville! A special A-List ticket pre-sale will begin Wednesday, August 15h at 10:00 a.m. (CT) for two days only.

ACM Honors will take place Monday, September 24th at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.  Hosted by ACM Award-winning singer/songwriter DIERKS BENTLEY, the evening is dedicated to recognizing the special honorees and off-camera category winners from the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. 

Honorees include Special Award recipients Bobby Braddock, Kenny Chesney, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Gayle Holcomb, Alan Jackson, Billy Sherrill, Ricky Skaggs and Dwight Yoakam. Roger Miller will also be honored posthumously. Luke Bryan, Kellie Pickler and Ashley Monroe are among artists confirmed to perform music tributes, with more performers to be announced.

The evening also recognizes winners of the MBI (musician, bandleader, instrumentalist) and Industry categories, which are not presented during the live telecast of the Academy of Country Music Awards. In addition Songwriter of the Year Dallas Davidson will also be recognized.

Along with musical performances, the special evening will include award presentations and video tributes.  Tickets are priced at $37 and go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, August 17th at 10:00 a.m. (CT) at www.ticketmaster.com (search RYMAN for more detailed information). 

Please use the A-List only pre-sale code HONORS to purchase tickets.

For more information regarding ACM Honors and to see a completed list of honorees, please visit www.acmcountry.com.

*Source: ACM e-newsletter 

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Start Requesting Dierks Bentley's New Single, Congress: Tip It On Back

Capitol Nashville
An early favorite of Dierks Bentley fan clubbers, Tip It On Back is his fourth single from the Home album and was available to radio August 6.  So it's time to hit the campaign trail again, congress!  If you come across any voting links for Dierks' TIOB, please let us know!

Email us, Tweet us, Post on our DB Congress Facebook page...we'll get it added to our "Campaigns" page so everyone can vote for our president! Let's each dedicate 5 minutes daily to requesting the song and get it to #1--because we're just not gonna stop at 10!

"...for a couple of hours we can run this town, 'til it runs dry!"

Taste of Country had this to say about the single: "'Tip It on Back’ is a great late summer groove to be used to peel back a layer of impenetrable heat from a dark summer night."


In this week's DBTV-Episode 75, Dierks introduces 'Tip It On Back':

"There seems to be a theme developing in my career this summer... 'tip it on back,' 'country & cold cans,' the opening song to the show 'Weeds,'" laughed Bentley. "When we were recording this album, I knew right away I wanted this song to be a single, and I really hoped we would get to it sooner than later. The fans have been asking for it all summer, so it was a no brainer choice for me."

But the most exciting news? Very soon, we'll be posting an exclusive interview with all three songwriters:  Ross Copperman, Tully Kennedy and Jon Nite!  Be sure to keep checking back to learn the back story of this special song--the first ever Dierks has released that he didn't write!


For Your 2012 CMA Consideration.... Dierks Bentley!

It was a Monday and Dierks was headed to the studio: "...it's just a matter of taking the time now to make sure everything is totally right." That extra time he took was the right thing to do!  It resulted in a #1 album debut for "Home."

The release of Home also led to a performance at The White House, a partnership with Ellen Degeneres to donate $50,000 to a military family, a partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project, a plug from U2 front man himself, Bono, and five--count 'em--five categories to be considered for CMA nominations!

I think I can speak for all DB Congress members that we believe there's hope for you yet, Mr. President!  You deserve all five nominations and all five wins!  Too bad we can't vote on this one, 'congress!

Click here to watch this moving recap video.
Members of the CMA started voting in the second round of CMA nominations today through August 21 and the final ballot voting is October 4-22.

The 46th Annual CMA Awards, hosted by Brad Paisely and Carrie Underwood, will air on ABC on November 1, 2012 at 8 p.m. eastern.


Sunday, August 5, 2012

One Dierks Bentley Show Spurs Texas Fan to Join his First Fan Club Ever!


Our two newest Texas DB Congress reps, Dallas and John Olthoff, just received their DBC T-Shirts and are excited to spread the word about Dierks Bentley!  John was happy to tell us about their most recent Dierks experience!

"Dallas joined the fan club in late April, found out she would be off June 16th, so on May 4th, I was online at 10 am to buy tickets (I have internet access at work, she doesn't) to the show at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in Woodlands, TX (outside Houston).

I told Dallas the tickets would be at will call, and we would probably be pretty close to front.  I sent her a copy of the map for seats and told her I had no idea where the seats really were.

Dallas had won a Meet & Greet with Dierks through the fan club, so day of show we drove down as the email said to be there an hour before gates opened to pick up her M & G pass. We got there around 11, but the people at the ticket booth told us no passes as yet. So we got our tickets, opened up the envelope and found Pit Row 1 Seats 29 & 30.

She was excited that for the first time ever she had front row seats.  We kept checking back and they had no idea when the M&G passes would show up. So we checked into the hotel and kept calling the box office until they said passes were finally there and we could get them.

We got some lunch and headed back to the pavilion. Dallas got her pass and put it on. The show was being put on by Houston country station 93Q "A Day in the Country," and we decided to go find our seats after Dallas got a Dierks T-shirt.

The guy at the pit gate told Dallas we had the worst seats in the place.  He led us to front row..."see the mic stand? You guys are right in front of it."  We listened to a couple of artists until time for M & Gers to go back.  Dallas went over what she wanted to say to Dierks (she gets nervous and forgets).  She went back and got in line.

During Ronnie Dunn's set she came back to her seat.  I asked what she had said.   "I told him I was sorry for his losing his dad, that this was my birthday present (June 1st) and was thrilled to be in front row and would he mind waving to me during show."


Dierks came out and sang one song, then during "I Want To Make You Close Your Eyes" he came to the front of the stage and held out his hand. He took Dallas' hand and sang a couple of lines to her.  Both of us were kind of stunned (I was taking a bunch of pictures but I was too close and didn't get both of them in the shot--just him kneeling with his arm out...still, wish I hadn't messed up a once in a lifetime shot).

During "Free And Easy Down The Road I Go", he was having people sing along and held the mic down so Dallas could sing the chorus.  He even held it to me. She says how he treated her, meeting him backstage, front row seats made it one of the best experiences in her life.


Later in the show he pretended to take off his sweaty t-shirt (of course thunderous female screams), he asked "so y'all want a t-shirt?" He got out a hockey stick and one of the crew was throwing out rubber banded t-shirts and he kept smacking them out into audience. We waved hands and he sent one towards us. Unfortunately, it got a little sideways and hit her chin and landed on her arm. Dierks immediately ran down front asked if she was alright and was very apologetic. I teased her that he was playing up to her.

I liked Dierks songs and videos before, but wasn't what you would call a fan. Two things during that show impressed me that nigh.  Normally a star will walk off stage and come back for what I call a fake encore (they're going to sing a couple more songs anyway). Dierks stopped and said he was going to go offstage, but if you don't mind we will just keep playing on.

Another thing is his energy and audience interaction.  You see artists point out into the crowd to connect with people. Dierks shook hands, sat on the edge of the stage and talked to people.

I only remember one other guy that treated the stage like the entire thing was his playground as Dierks did that night...Chris LeDoux.
Dierks was going from side to side, no part of the stage was off limits to him or his band. He and his band gave that audience everything they had, and they got it back in equal measure.  You left feeling you had seen a show...not just a concert.

A couple of days later, I was looking up Dierks on the internet. I saw where he had told an interviewer how he was a rock/pop/country guy.  He said when he moved out of an apartment he left everything 'not country' on the counter. That impressed me greatly.  

As a country fan of over 40 years, many of today's artists don't like looking back at country that came before. Dierks on the other hands acknowledges it and respects it.  He has said he does a bluegrass song on every album (something I picked up on when we listened to his CDs when we went to Nashville in May).


It's his respect for country music, the stars who came before, his appreciation of his fans and what it takes (cost) to go to a show.  He knows it costs his fans and so he gives 100% while he is on stage. That is why within a week of the show, I joined my first fan club ever--the Dierks Bentley Fan Club (DB Congress).

Dierks Bentley is what every country fan wishes for.  Not a celebrity who sings to make money or anything else. But a performer who goes out with the idea that  it takes a lot for fans to be there.  They deserve to be entertained and to get their money's worth.  I can tell you I have a great deal of respect for him  not only as an artist but as a person and a man."

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Dierks Bentley Included in the 2013 Country Music Hall of Fame Calendar


Finally!  I've been waiting 8 years for this! Dierks Bentley is now included in my favorite calendar, the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum annual calendar!  This is a momentous ocassion, congress!  It's the first year ever Dierks has made the cut! With only 12 months of calendar pages and dozens of artists, this recognition is a testament to Dierks' success over the last few years!

Want to know what happened in country music history on your birthday? The 2013 Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum calendar is packed with historical facts for every day of the year! This year’s spectacular lineup of popular stars includes Dierks, Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Reba McEntire, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Zac Brown Band, Brad Paisley and Toby Keith.

You can choose your cover as the “Museum” edition, adorned with a lovely photograph of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, or the Artists cover.

 These will sell out fast, so get yours now!

~Ronna
DB Congress Chair (FL)

Dierks Bentley 'Flattered' to be Hosting the 6th Annual ACM Honors


Our very own DB Congress President, Dierks Bentley, is flattered to be hosting for the very first time the 6th Annual ACM Honors, to be held September 24, 2012 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.

“I’m really looking forward to helping recognize this year’s ACM honorees,” said Bentley. “Country music has so many talented artists, songwriters and people working behind the scenes…I’m flattered that I’ve been asked to stand on stage beside them.”
The ACM Honors is an evening dedicated to recognizing the special honorees and off-camera category winners from the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards. 


Tickets priced at $37 will go on sale to the public at 8:00am PST on Friday, August 17, 2012 at the Ryman box office, Ryman.com, Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000. 


Those being honored include Special Award recipients Bobby Braddock, Kenny Chesney, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris,Gayle Holcomb, Alan Jackson, Billy Sherrill,Ricky Skaggs and Dwight Yoakam. Roger Miller will also be honored posthumously. 

Coincidentally, Dierks just performed with Dwight Yoakam last night at the Watershed Festival and tweeted:

"which boot is mine and which is ? free tix to & sat and sun . "



Let's hope he gets new boots for his hosting duties!

The evening also recognizes winners of the MBI (musician, bandleader, instrumentalist) and Industry categories, which are not presented during the live telecast of the Academy of Country Music Awards. In addition, the winner of Songwriter of the Year will also be recognized, an award which has been given out only once, in 1965, to Roger Miller.

“Dierks’ incredible passion combined with his respect for and overwhelming knowledge of the country music genre, both as a renowned artist and songwriter, make him an ideal host for ACM Honors,” said Michelle Goble, Senior Vice President, Membership & Industry Relations at the Academy of Country Music. “We look forward to his contribution to the show, as we pay tribute to those who helped forge country music into the outstanding genre it is today.”