Free & Easy...Across the US I Go

I truly dislike flying, but if there is one person that would get me to fly across the country for a show it would be Dierks Bentley. In fact, I have done it once before back in April of 2012 for two of his shows in California. So when I won tickets to Vegas for the ACMs, I put the fear aside again and booked a solo DRT flight. I mean, Dierks was playing the ACM Party For A Cause, so how could I not take advantage of the tickets? The whole Vegas experience was pretty amazing. If you love country music then you would be in heaven for three days. The real highlight, of course, was the show Saturday night at the ACM Party For A Cause at the Orleans Hotel where Dierks was the headliner.

On this trip, I met up with fellow DBC reps that I met through twitter: Shannon Bunting and Meredith Mauer. We never met in person prior to Vegas, but from the minute we met, it felt like an old friendship. I owe many thanks to these terrific ladies who were able to secure me a gold band to be in the VIP area with them. We also got to catch up with DBC reps David Watts and his wife Jamie. The DB Congress was representing in full force.

Saturday we got in line at noon to wait for Dierks and the guys. They were not going on until about 8pm, but if you are in the Congress you know getting there early is normal behavior. During that time we got to see Love and Theft, EYB and Hunter Hayes perform. The crowd thinned out a bit after Hunter, but it was still crowded. After being in the sun all day, our enthusiasm was not waning. Our energy, though, was definitely brought back up when the guys finally emerged at dusk playing "Am I The Only One".  The songs we love continued with "5-1-5-0", "Sideways" and "Up On the Ridge". Even in a parking lot in Vegas, Dierks managed to interact with his fans like he always does by handing out high fives, fist pumps and even lying on the stage to reach out to fans.

Before the show, the announcer had said that Dierks would have a few surprises for us. Well, that he did. Dierks said he "had this song in his head all day". While he was strumming a few notes on the guitar, out walked Sheryl Crow! They sang "Picture", the duet she had originally performed with Kid Rock, together. Then she sang "If It Makes You Happy". You could tell from their interactions, the two are clearly friends. They looked like they were having a terrific time together, and their good time was contagious.

After a few more songs out came surprise #2: Tim McGraw. Tim did not sing, but rather came out to talk about Operation Homefront. This is a group that gives mortgage free homes to soldiers. A male soldier who just returned from Afghanistan was given a new home that night. In addition, they presented him and his family with a check for $10,000 from the ACM charity Lifting Lives to help get them started in their new home. Looking around during this ceremony, there did not seem to be a dry eye in the audience. All the while, Dierks was beaming. You could tell he was not only thankful for the military and their service, but also thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful moment.

The night ended appropriately with HOME. Although it was back to my home in NY the next day, I know this is one of those trips I'll never forget and also eagerly await the next one!

~Tara, DBC Rep NY

 

Halftime Songs to be Performed by Dierks

We're guessing "Am I The Only One" and "5-1-5-0" are the two songs Dierks Bentley will perform at the Capital One Bowl Halftime Show on January 1, 2013!  We found videos on YouTube where the All American cast members were practicing their choreography for cheer/dance, twirl and flag routines for both songs!

Here's a sneak peek:

Cast member choreography training for the 2013 Capital One Venture Card All American Halftime Show in Orlando, Florida on Jan. 1, 2013. The Capital One Bowl football game is broadcast live on ABC-TV.



Looks like quite a production!  Who will be there in person?

Videos: Dierks Bentley on CMT Unplugged

Photo Credit: Brian Tipton

For those who missed Dierks Bentley's CMT Unplugged sessions, here are the five songs (Home, a poignant cover of Adele's Set Fire To The Rain, 5150, Am I The Only One, and Up On the Ridge) along with a 5 minute interview where DB talks about his early influences and his first gig.

You may remember DB Congress rep Emily's inside scoop from being on set the day they taped these sessions.

Notice in the "Home" video below, Martin Guitar Ambassador Bentley is playing the newly introduced "HD Dierks Bentley" Custom Signature Artist Edition Guitar!

The Boot had this to say of DB's Adele cover:

"Let's face it, everyone's covering Adele these days ... but perhaps no one more uniquely than Dierks Bentley. The country singer puts his own spin on the British phenom's "Set Fire to the Rain" in an upcoming episode of CMT's "Unplugged. Accompanied by guitars, fiddle, dobro and snare drum, Dierks proves that the lyrics to the chart-topping pop hit fit right in to the country and bluegrass genres, as well.'

The episode will air as a half-hour special Monday, June 25 at 9 pm/CT on CMT and CMT PURE. Fans of CMT’s Facebook page can see the episode in a dedicated tab.

Enjoy!

#1 Plaques and 2 Quarts of Patron

On September 27, 2011, Dierks Bentley, Jim Beavers, Jon Randall Stewart and the members of Team Lonesome gathered at Losers Bar & Grill in Nashville to celebrate Dierks' 8th #1 hit. Before the party, Dierks tweeted the following:

@DierksBentley: headed to my #1 party for AM I THE ONLY ONE. thinking about all our hard core fans out there that made this happen. love you guys.

@DierksBentley: been waaaaay too long since I busted the '67 camero out!! perfect day to do it. headed to the party. thx again for calling Country Radio

The party, held by Capitol, BMI and ASCAP honored Dierks for performing; Dierks, Jim, and Jon Randall for writing; and Team Lonesome for the roles they played in the AITOO video. When Dierks was honored by ASCAP, Evie (who is getting so big!) joined him onstage to accept the award. 

 

(Photos courtesy Nashville Country Club)

The writers, promotion team, and Team Lonesome were all awarded with 2-quart bottles of Patron. 

“This is the first No. 1 that I’ve been really excited about the party and the actual location of the party,” Bentley notes. “[In the song], we wrote ‘I was flying solo / Down at Silverado’s / The joint looking like a morgue.’ Anyone who’s lived in Nashville as long as I have knows what Silverado’s is — it’s the one bar that used to be opened on Sundays. I was really excited to have the No. 1 party at Silverado’s … just have it be a crazy No. 1 party, but Silverado’s is closed. I wanted to have it there, but this is a great spot and is easy for everyone to get to. I don’t get to come here as often as I’d like because I’m on the road, so it was good second choice.”

Congratulations once again, Mr. President! We can't wait to do it all again in a few months - for your 9th #1 single "Home" AND your next #1 album! 

~ Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter-NC) 

DBTV - Episode 32: Dierks Thanks Fans For His Latest #1 (AITOO)

In this week's DBTV, Dierks thanks all the fans for making "Am I The Only One" the Number One song in the country.  Watch as he contemplates where to have the #1 party, since Silverado's - named in the song - has just been shut down.

Am I the Only (Number) One?

This week, Dierks Bentley is the "only one" sitting at Number One! Congratulations, Dude, on your 8th #1 hit, and a huge thank you to all the DB Congress for helping to get him there! 

Here is what Billboard had to say in their chart roundup:

Dierks Bentley closes a gap of more than two years at No. 1, as “Am I the Only One” draws 39.2 million audience impressions and becomes his first leader since “Sideways” ruled for two weeks in July 2009. The new chart-topper is Bentley’s eighth, a list that boasts three consecutive No. 1s between December 2005 and November 2006. He first led with debut single “What Was I Thinkin’” in September 2003. Reaching the summit in its 22nd chart week “Am I the Only One” is the artist’s second-longest No. 1 climb—he needed 24 weeks with “What Was I Thinkin’.” His best time to No. 1 was 17 weeks with “Every Mile a Memory” in late 2006.

And from Mediabase/Country Aircheck:

Congrats to Dierks Bentley, Steve Hodges, Shane Allen and the entire Capitol/Nashville promotion team on scoring this week’s No. 1 with “Am I The Only One.” The chart-topper is the first single from a new album expected early next year.

 Here are the final numbers for those of you who are curious:

• Billboard 39.2 million audience impressions/5539 spins up 198 over LW
• Mediabase 40.6 million audience impressions/5934 spins up 231 over LW/854 points gain 

Now, we're pushing for a 2nd week, but it's going to be more difficult. The song is still picking up gains over last week (which is better than Lady A was doing this time last week when they were #1) but it's starting to lose points to Remind Me on Mediabase and the audience appears to have peaked. So, we'll see! But keep calling and requesting it - just don't drive the DJs TOO crazy - we'll need them in a few weeks when "Home" is released. (As of today, there is not an official radio date for the next single.) 

Thank you all again for your hard work! We rocked it out - pat yourselves on the back! 

~ Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

Big D, Bubba & Dierks: Guy Talk & New CD

Does Dierks zumba?  Big D and Bubba--who have both been in radio since they were 14 years old-- talk to Dierks Bentley about eating, drinking, losing weight, keeping weight off and zumba? Click here for part one of their radio interview this morning.

Bubba says he can relate to DBs next #1 song, "Am I The Only One?"  Dierks admits he had a Hank Williams, Jr. moment when thinking about writing it (All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down). No name for the album yet. "It's not coming out until February, so I gotta make sure I've got just the right title for it."  Did you know Dierks was a pilot? Click here to hear him talk all of this and that and if he feels safe on stage.

In the final audio clip, the guys talk about booties--and not the baby kind--in reference to the line in the song:  "When this country cutie with a rock and roll booty came struttin in through the door."

The guys go on to say, "You would think Dierks Bentley--would drive a Bentley!" NOT!  See below for Big D and Bubba's "Remember when we went for a ride in Dierks truck?" (Big White) from April 2010:




Send CD title suggestions to Dierks via Twitter, Facebook or leave a comment here under this blog!

Thanks Big D and Bubba for tweeting DB Congress with the link to the interview! You guys ROCK!

Ready "2" Top the Charts

Well, fellow Dierks fans, this is the week we've been waiting for. The week we push "Am I the Only One" to NUMBER ONE!

On the current charts, "Am I the Only One" is #2 on both Mediabase and Billboard. On Billboard, it currently holds about a 1.5 million audience lead over "Remind Me" from Brad Paisley/Carrie Underwood. Though "Remind Me" is gaining at a slightly faster rate than "AITOO," Dierks should have enough of a jump to carry him to #1 by the time the chart runs on Sunday. 

On Mediabase, it's a similar story. Dierks held a 615-point advantage over "Remind Me" when the chart ran on Sunday, and his advantage has been increasing ever-so-slightly each day so far this week. Hopefully, he'll be able to hold off Brad and Carrie through Sunday to snag his 8th #1 hit! 

My Twitter feed has been FULL of tweets from dedicated DBC reps tweeting their local radio stations to play the song - keep it up! I got a shoutout from my fave DJ last night because I tweeted how much I loved my "AITOO" car dance as he played it. With Dierks doing a round of radio interviews this week, it's a great chance to contact your local stations any way you can to tell them to PLAY MORE DIERKS! 

Unfortunately, I'll be taking inventory at work on Monday when the charts publish (the timing could NOT be more worse), but I should know about Mediabase on Sunday evening - I'll keep you all posted! 

C'mon, c'mon get your NUMBER ONE on! 

EDIT: This is what I woke up to! Just have to keep it there through Sunday!

Yay! Congrats to our Prez, and thanks to all of you who requested and drove your DJs crazy!

~ Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

And Another "One"

In its 17th week on the charts, Dierks Bentley's latest hit "Am I the Only One" kept its climb toward the top of the charts alive, coming in at #7 on both the Billboard and Mediabase charts. It was also one of the Top 10 songs with the most increased plays at Billboard, up a healthy 212 spins this week over last. 

Over at Callout America, the song moved into the runner-up spot (up 2 spots from #4 last week), behind Chris Young's "Tomorrow" (which, coincidentally, is poised to move to #1 this week on the charts, as well). With a 71% positive rating, and only a .4% in "strongly dislike," it's evident that country listeners are still ready to get their good time on with Dierks! 

"Am I the Only One" is seeing similar growth this week from what I've seen, and should continue its forward climb next week as well! Top 5 within two weeks ... and then we shoot for the top! 

Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter - NC) 

"One" More Spot for AITOO

After getting stuck at #9 for the past 2 weeks, Dierks Bentley's latest hit "Am I the Only One" climbed one more spot on Billboard this week to #8, however held steady, again, at #9 on Mediabase. Blake Shelton's "Honey Bee" held the top spot over 4 non-consecutive weeks, which unfortunately caused a bit of a logjam within the Top 10. Now that he's set a new single to be released, there should be movement once again at the top of the charts, which should help Our Prez get this 8th #1 hit.

What is sure to continue to propel the song forward is the great reception it's still receiving from country fans - "Am I the Only One" moved to #4 on the Callout America chart this week, with only .6% of respondents saying they "strongly dislike" the song. Additonally, "Am I the Only One" saw its rating climb on the Radio Feedback chart, as well (where it is #13). 

Hopefully, we'll hear about a release date for the upcoming album - so when DJs introduce the song, they can say, "From his upcoming CD due _____, here's Am I the Only One!" Keep calling, emailing, texting, and tweeting your DJs and let them know we are all still getting our good times on! 

~ Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

Am I The Only One Who Wants To Learn How to Line Dance?

Dierks Bentley's top ten hit single, "Am I The Only One?" is now used for a new line dance!

Jane Sumner, DB Congress member representing Dierks in New York,  is in the video, dancing at the left end of the line. You can see her come into frame once in a while in the long white "Last Call Ball" Dierks T-Shirt! 

Jane told me, "The line dance in the video takes place at the City Sports Grille, Clifton Park, NY. Kevin Richards is one of our local DJs on WGNA & our line dance instructor extraordinaire. He almost always plays "Free & Easy," "Sideways" and/or now "Am I The Only One?" when I'm there.  I don't even have to request them anymore - he just KNOWS! Just about everyone knows I'm the #1 Dierks fan in the group. It was one of my line dance friends, Kathleen Slattery, who choreographed the AITOO dance as a surprise for me. She's in the front row on the right in the video.  Kevin always puts our local choreographers/instructors in the front row in the videos since other instructors see them.

To read Kevin Richards' story (WGNA's 107.7 i n Schenectady, NY) and review choregographer Kathleen Slattery's 64 steps to this line dance click here.

Wanna learn? Watch the video below:

'One' More Top 10 Hit!

In its 13th week on the charts, Dierks Bentley's latest hit "Am I the Only One" has cracked the top 10! It came in this week at #10 on Mediabase, and #11 on Billboard (but have no fear, as Brad Paisley and Keith Urban will go recurrent, so it will easily be #9 next week). And, as of tomorrow, it will be #9 on Mediabase as well, as it moves past the falling Keith Urban single. 

As if that's not enough cause for excitement, I was very pleased to see that it also has cracked the Top FIVE on the Callout America chart (which is a over-the-phone listener survey). Billboard's Country Update had this to say about the new addition to the Top 5:

 Dierks Bentley is new to the top five in Callout America as “Am I the Only One” comes in at No. 5, up from No. 6 last week and No. 12 two weeks ago. Core 35-44s grade it at No. 3 and consider it No. 4 when asked to name their favorite song. Core females are No. 6 overall and No. 3 favorite; core males are No. 5 and No. 4 favorite.

Clearly the "core males" and "core females" aren't all DBC Reps, but it's still a very strong showing, which I'm sure Capitol Nashville will use to tout the song in a few weeks as it closes in on the top spot. I envision ads that say "power up for the 8th #1 hit!" 

Make sure radio knows you're not tired of this great song! And keep in mind the great exposure it's getting tonight on the NHL Awards... in just a few weeks, we should be able to celebrate our Presidents' latest #1 hit!

~ Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

Voting For Dierks is Free and Easy!

Ready to do your DB Congress duty? Looks like many of you are voting daily for our president, Dierks Bentley!  Take a look at CMT Cody's High 5, where "Am I The Only One?" is currently in the #2 spot!  Thank you, congrass!

This week, the "One" video made it on all the video charts and is poised to pop up in the top 10 on the Billboard charts next week, so keep calling radio!

CMT Top 20 - #12
CMT Pure 12-Pack - #5
GACTV - #16

Visit the Current Campaigns page for all the voting links and email me if you know of any other voting links!

Let's show Dierks how much he and his music means to us! Let's get him to #1! Voting is FREE and EASY!


~Ronna
DB Congress Chair

Radio Getting its Good Time On

Dierks Bentley's latest hit single "Am I the Only One" continues its march toward the top 10, landing at #14 on both Mediabase and Billboard after just 10 weeks on the charts (it's one of the "youngest" songs in the Top 15 - only Blake Shelton and Lady A are younger!). This week has seen strong gains on the two songs immediately in front of it on the charts: "Somewhere Else" by Toby Keith and "Country Girl" by Luke Bryan, and it's quite possible it will overtake at least one prior to the next chart run. Additionally, "Heart Like Mine" by Miranda Lambert should fall past AITOO, so #12 is not out of the question heading into Last Call Ball. :)

On the smaller market Billboard Country Indicator chart, it's already passed "Country Girl" and came in at #11 this week, so for all of you smaller market, more rural areas: thank your radio stations because they are getting their good time on for sure!  

And I don't know about you guys, but the DJs here in NC sure do have a good time playing on the title of the song ... for instance, this morning I was driving to work in Durham, NC and listening to 94.7 WQDR. Miranda Lambert is in town tomorrow night, and after playing "Heart Like Mine" they segued into AITOO with "Am I the only one ... who wants to win Miranda Lamber tickets? Here's the latest from Dierks Bentley!" My favorite DJ in Charlotte refers to the song as his new anthem. It's fun to hear positive feedback like that!

For the many of you heading to LCB this week, I hope you have a great time. I'll be there in spirit, but am planning to attend next year -- finally! Can't wait to hear all the stories! 

~ Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

Dierks and Stanley - A Dream Come True

It is no secret the love Dierks Bentley has for hockey.  So when his Top 20 single, Am I The Only One, showed up as THE song for an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff TV spot, it was a dream come true for our proud president!

Dierks tweeted this caption and the link to the video earlier today:

"am I the only one" and the #NHLplayoffs combined!!?! too good to be true. http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=1083&id=114486

 
I was there the night Dierks played the Opry April 15, 2006 and was so proud to bring the Stanley cup on stage!
 

Dierks Back in Top 20!

 photo courtesy Carrie Srebro

"Am I the Only One," Dierks Bentley's first single from his upcoming new album, cracked the Top 20 this week on BOTH charts: up 4 spots to #18 on Billboard, and up to #19 on Mediabase. The song is only in its 7th week, so it's performing very well. To give some perspective, Sara Evans spent her 2nd week atop both charts this week, and "Little Bit Stronger" is in its 34th week on the charts! Miranda Lambert's "Heart Like Mine" is poised to be #1 this week, and that song has been on the charts for 20 weeks. So, Top 20 after just 7 weeks?! I'll take it! (And I'm sure many more artists would, too!) 

Looking at the charts, there aren't a lot of songs that look to go recurrent this week, so I think it's likely to only pick up a spot or two on both charts, despite healthy gains in both spins and a very nice spike in audience. (Since its debut, the song has picked up roughly 400 new spins each week -- it's never dropped below 350 in each of its 7 weeks on the chart!) However, now that it is in the Top 20, it should start generating more airplay, and the last few stations that haven't been playing it should add it in the next few weeks. 

Now that it is firmly in the Top 20, it will be on ALL Rate the Music surveys going forward, and should also be on ALL of the Country Chart surveys at Nashville Country Club. Voting on the surveys is one of the easiest ways to let your voice be heard, so make sure you're continually letting them know you want to get your good time on! And, as always, call, tweet, text, and email your DJs and let them know you're not the only one who wants to hear the song! And don't forget to vote at CMT.com, too! Steve in a bathtub - who doesn't want to see that?! 

~ Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

AITOO Eyes Top 20

Am I the Only One has continued its march up the charts in the past two weeks, and now sits just outside the Top 20 on both charts: #21 on Mediabase, and #22 on Billboard. 

The song is poised to jump into the Top 20 on both charts this week (I'm guessing #19 on Mediabase and #20 on Billboard), and is hot on the heels of a few songs in front of it. An interesting note about making it into the Top 20: On last week's Billboard chart, the difference in audience between 18th and 19th was 5 million! That indicates that songs 1-18 have been in the top 18 for a while, garnering more airplay at radio, whereas #19 and #20 are fairly new additions, so are just starting to reap the rewards of being in the Top 20. 

Additionally, the (hilarious) Am I the Only One video made its debut on CMT's Top 20 countdown at #13 this week, which helps add to the songs exposure! 

Now that the song is firmly within the Top 30, it will be on all surveys, so make sure you sign up at Rate The Music and Nashville Country Club and make sure radio knows you LOVE the song and you're NOT tired of hearing it. And, of course, text, tweet, call, and email your DJs and let them know you're not the only one who wants to get your good time on ... in the car! 

~ Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

AITOO Shows Strong Survey/Chart Positions

"Am I the Only One" continues its impressive climb up the charts this week, as it lands at #26 on Billboard this week (up 7 spots/over 2 million in audience!), and #30 on Mediabase (up 4 spots/2.5 million in audience). Be listening for the song on national countdown shows in the coming weeks! 

One survey program directors can use is Callout America, which is where a sample of listeners in 40 markets nationwide take part in a phone-call survey. I was pleasantly surprised to see that "Am I the Only One" debuted on Callout America this week at #14! The chart includes the general reader responses, such as the percentage who like/dislike the song, or are neutral. What I found particularly interesting was that not only was it the highest debut this week on the Callout America chart, it debuted well ahead of another song currently flying up the charts: Luke Bryan's new single, which is also Luke's fastest-rising single to date. This intrigued me because Luke debuted at #26 of 35 songs ... which indicates that although the song is garnering a ton of airplay and adds, it isn't necessarily the most publicly well-received song. (Zac Brown Band's "Colder Weather" is #1 on the chart.) 

For those of you who went to Nashville Country Club to sign up for their surveys, those survey results should post next week. So be sure to have your voice be heard! "Am I the Only One" can certainly already be considered a "hit" single, but let's do everything we can do to make sure we get our Prez to the top where he belongs! 

Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

Am I the Only One Continues Fast Rise

Dierks Bentley's latest single, Am I the Only One, continued its march up the charts this week, moving up 4 spots to #33 in its 3rd week on Billboard, and moved to #34 (also up 4 spots) on Mediabase in its 2nd week. Additionally, it was on 21 new Billboard-monitored stations, and 19 new Mediabase-monitored stations. Across the broad spectrum of all country stations (some of which are not monitored and therefore don't report), there are only about 50 stations that aren't playing it. After 3 weeks, I don't think that's half bad. (It's already out-performed Draw Me a Map.) 

Am I the Only One is likely to move into the Top 30 next week, so for those of you whose radio stations are a "top 30 only" format, your time should come soon! Top 30 will also mean syndicated spins on the weekly countdown shows, as well as being added to radio surveys such as Rate The Music. Another great survey you might be interested in signing up for is over at Nashville Country Club, and those survey results are actually used in a chart that is included with the Billboard release every week, so in a few weeks we'll be able to get a sense of the survey audience reaction toward the song, as well. 

And CMT's news that the new video (featuring Jake!) will debut during their Big New Music Weekend April 22-24 should be welcome, too, and will only help add to the exposure for the song. 


If your station is one of the few still not playing the song, don't stop calling, tweeting, texting, and emailing your DJs to let them know you're ready to get your good time on with Dierks! Surely they don't want to be the only one not playing it! 

~ Carrie S. (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter ~ NC)

Ridge is Greatest Gainer on the Bluegrass Album Chart

After 44 weeks on the Billboard, Dierks Bentley's Up On The Ridge album grasped the "Greatest Gainer" CD for week ending April 16, 2011.  The project that released June 8, 2010 spent months at #1 on the bluegrass chart, and comes in this week at #2, from #3 last week.  It also charted at #43 on the Country Album charts. Pretty impressive for a collection of songs that country radio didn't see fit to push to the top 20 in either single released (Up On The Ridge nor Draw Me A Map).

Fortunately, the next album is sure to be radio-friendly if the new single, "Am I The Only One?" is any indication.  Already at #37 in it's second week on the Billboard charts, AITOO is sure to shoot to the top of the singles just in time for the album to release in August.  Keep calling radio, congress!