DBTV Episodes Recap Bentley's 2012

From the Ryman in Nashville,Tennessee to Anchorage, Alaska and even down under in Australia, Dierks Bentley was all over the world in 2012!  How many of these memories did you experience in person? Leave a comment!

Part Two: Episode 87:




Part Two: Episode 89



You can vote for your favorite 2012 memory on our Facebook page!

DBTV - Episode 57: Australia

Dierks Bentley's videographer, Ryan, really outdid himself this time! He captured the beauty of Australia, the onstage energy of DB and the crowds, and the humorous slapper of da bass, Cassady Feasby's oceanside antics!

Dierks Better Than Tim: An Australian DBC Rep's Experience

Lee Kernaghan, Dierks Bentley & Dan Hochhalter, Brisbane, March 10

Dierks Bentley is currently on a whirlwind tour of down under in Australia, and DB Congress rep Judy and her friend Larissa were lucky enough to experience the Toowoomba and Brisbane shows on March 9 and 10, 2012.  Here's her story!

I picked up Larissa from Gold Coast airport Friday afternoon to begin our road trip to Toowoomba to see two of the best --- Lee Kernaghan & Dierks Bentley. I had received my M&G email a couple of days prior and was feeling very nervous about meeting Dierks. What a nice guy!  I was stuck for words not really sure what I said to him! SHOWTIME!  Lee was out first and was his usual best! The Empire theatre is a seated venue so there were only a few who were up dancing.  Larissa and I were on the balcony, dancing & singing.  Dierks was better than I had ever imagined!

Saturday morning we headed off to Brisbane for the next night's show at The Tivoli Theatre, which is a beautiful old theatre and STANDING! We were lucky enough to catch up with LK backstage before the show.  Dierks was there but I had had my time with him the night before. SHOWTIME! OMG! It went off, the whole place went wild--everybody was dancing, clapping, singing, girls on shoulders of guys -- it was the best crowd I have ever been in.  It was just awesome and Dierks performed brilliantly! What a guy.  He stole lots of hearts that night, especially my daughter Amy, who has only just discovered Dierks.  She can't get him of her mind, a bit like me!

I have seen many artists over the years and had always thought that nobody could match Tim McGraw live.  I was wrong! Dierks Bentley is the man, and I thank him for his wonderful music.  Please visit again!
-Judy xx

Thanks for sharing, Judy!

Dierks Bentley Takes Tour International

Dierks will be taking the Country & Cold Cans Tour into 2012 with international dates that will kick off in Vancouver, BC on February 15th. Following the initial Canadian stretch of the tour, Dierks will head to Australia for five headlining shows with local country star, Lee Kernaghan.

“You can find hard core country music fans all over the world, and I love being able to tour other countries and bond over that music we all love,” said Dierks. “The Fall leg of the Country & Cold Cans Tour has been crazy and really exceeded all my expectations. I'm looking forward to taking it to Canada and Australia in 2012…they do make Labatt and Fosters in a can, right?!"

In response to Dierks' sold out shows in New York City, the New York Times exclaimed, "Mr. Bentley was master of the party, the musical equivalent of buying a round for everyone in the bar."

International Country & Cold Cans 2012 Tour Dates:

2/15 Vancouver, BC

2/16 Kamloops, BC

2/17 Prince George, BC

2/18 Dawson Creek, BC

2/19 Edmonton, AB

2/21 Calgary, AB

2/22 Saskatoon, SK

2/23 Winnipeg, MB

3/9 Toowoomba, QLD

3/10 Brisbane, QLD

3/13 Melbourne, VIC

3/15 Canberra, ACT

3/17 Hunter Valley, NSW

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL TOUR DATES

Dierks Goes Down Under in March 2012

Dierks Bentley will join Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and others at the "CMC Rocks the Hunter," Australia's biggest International Country and Roots Festival, March 16-18, 2012, the Country Music Channel announced yesterday.

Tickets are already on sale!  This year, for the very first time, CMC Rocks the Hunter is offering a ticket purchase payment plan - 'Time to Pay'.  The weekend concert ticket is $249 and camp site pricing is also available.

Other artists include Australia's own Lee Kernaghan, with whom Dierks duets on his Scars video. 



Colt Ford, Craig Campbell, Eli Young Band and Jim Lauderdale will also perform.  What a fantastic line-up!

DB Congress reps Stacey and Rachael are especially excited Dierks is coming back to their homeland! "Someone pinch me!  How am I supposed to sleep now?" tweeted Stacey the minute she heard the news.  Stacey and Rachael both met Dierks when he played Australia in 2009.

CMC posted, "Aussie audiences went crazy for DIERKS BENTLEY (USA) when he joined Brooks & Dunn on their sold-out 2009 Australian arena tour. Since he rocketed onto the country landscape in 2003, the chiselled hitmaker has earned a reputation as one of the most electrifying live acts in music today, with a string of chart topping hits and album sales climbing over 5 million in the US. Dierks will be releasing his seventh album, “Diamonds,” later this year."

Follow and chat with fellow fans on CMC Rocks the Hunter on Facebook here.

Australia is in my top ten destinations to do before I die.  Dierks AND Australia? Payment Plan? What do you think, congrass?

DIERKS TACKLES THE PRESS...AND SWINE FLU

Dierks' entire CMA Music Festival press conference interview has finally been found! Watch as he answers questions about the fan club party, touring Europe, Miles and Music and much more.

~Stephanie
DB Congress Historian
Missouri

DBC MEMBERS OF THE WEEK - Jamie(jmleslie) & Glenda(Aussie_Glenda73)

Jamie (jmleslie)

Jamie is from Ashland, Kentucky and has been a DB fan about 3-4 years. Her favorite DB song is "Lot of Leavin' Left To Do" while Modern Day Drifter is her favorite album. Dierks' unique singing ability and his wonderful, caring personality is what led Jamie to become a fan. She promotes Dierks at concerts and by telling folks how he cares about his fans and that he always goes out of his way to treat them kindly more than any other country artist.

"I love Dierks and his music, and he is one artist who I can say that I am proud to be a fan of because he is more than just a great singer, but he is a great person!"

Glenda (Aussie_Glenda73)

Glenda is from Brisbane, Queenland Australia. She has been a fan since the very beginning. The very first video she ever saw on the Country Music Channel in Australia was Dierks’ video for “What was I Thinkin'” and from that moment she was hooked.She became a fan of Dierks instantly because of his music and style. Listening to his music always manages to make her smile, but these days it is about so much more than just his music.

"Dierks is such a wonderful down to earth guy, who really cares about people. He is so kind and generous to his fans and is really appreciative of their support. His fans return his kindness by supporting him 100%. He is the complete package – a great songwriter, a great singer and an all round nice guy. I would love to meet Dierks in person one day and with any luck my wish is a step closer to becoming a reality thanks to the DB Congress Fanclub."

Glenda promotes Dierks on online social networks, requests his video on Australia's Country Music Channel, and requests songs on radio everyday. She also talks endlessly to her friends about how awesome he is and encourages them to check out dierks.com and listen to his music.



Thanks ladies for your support and for promoting our President! Welcome to the greatest Congress there is...the DB Congress!

-Amanda (Mississippi Rep, DBC Secretary)

HAPPY SIDEWAYS DAY

"I Saw the Sideways video this morning on Aussie CMC TV!" exclaims Rach from Australia. "It's so good to finally dance in my loungeroom (I think that's like a living room in the US) to this great song."

The previous DB Congress Member of the Week is doing her congressional duty and promoting Dierks Bentley--especially on Fridays when the country music video countdowns of the week begin. "On most emails I sent on Friday to my work colleagues, I started with 'Happy Sideways Day.' I then asked people to go listen to the song, as it was Dierks tribute to Fridays! I think we could really reclaim Fridays as Sideways day," Rach declares.

After all, the lyrics demand it--worked all week it's time to play, gonna get a little bit sideways.

Just a few years ago, I used to dub Thursdays as "Dierksday Thursday" because that was when the video countdowns revealed their top 20 country music videos of the week. Now, CMT and GAC and CMC in Australia countdown the top videos of the week on Fridays, based on fan votes. That's where we need your help!

Vote for Dierks' Sideways video in the U.S. on CMT Top 20, CMT Pure 12-Pack and GAC Top 20. This week the video landed at #11 on CMT20, and finally debuted at #14 on GAC! Thank you DB Congress! Please urge all your family and friends to vote for Dierks this week and let's get him into the single digits, and make a showing on CMT Pure 12-Pack!

So, Rach, please post and let us know what number Sideways is on CMC TV this week!

~Ronna
DB Congress Chair

DIERKS BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW IN AUSTRALIA

Check out this HitCountry.tv backstage video of Dierks in Australia (thanks to DBC rep Summerhaze for a great find!), he talks about koala cuddling, beach surfing, pub crawling and Australian fans...

DBC MEMBER OF THE WEEK - Rach(toohey)

Rach joins us from Dubbo, NSW, Australia, which is about 5 hours west of Sydney. She has been a long time DB fan since December 2004. She said she moved home to the country from Sydney, hooked up pay TV that included the Country Music Channel and watched her first DB video - "What Was I Thinkin'?" When MDD was released Rach went to the local music store to buy it. She was pleasantly surprised that they had Dierks in stock because she lives in a small country town.

Rach said, "I drive a LOT with my job, and it's GREAT driving music."

What led Rach to become a DB fan?

"His relateable songs make me laugh, cry, yell, love, but basically they make me smile," Rach answered.

She has told as many work collegues as she can to log on to www.dierks.com to watch the video clip of Dierks driving in Sydney. She said it worked until they crashed the system yesterday! Try explaining that to the IT department! Rach said that she has written to Rob Potts Entertainment, Australian promoter, yesterday to ask him what she needed to do to help get Dierks back to Australia. She said she would gladly take guidance and instruction since she is new to promoting.

Rach said it was a week of 1st's for her - 1st DB concert, meeting Dierks for the 1st time, and Dierks' 1st time in Australia! She got to meet some new mates that have welcomed her into the Dierks family both in Australia and internationally!

She quoted Dierks - "Good things happen when you're around." Rach said that good things happened to her last week while Dierks was around! Everyone has told her how happy she looked, but says she puts it down to the positive vibe of Dierks! Rach said that being DBC member of the week would allow her to thank Dierks again for coming all the way to Australia, for making the effort, and being away from his family(that's tough). Rach says that it was appreciated that Dierks, Chris, and the band made it all the way to Australia!

"My shout for a free beer next time you are here!", Rach says to Dierks!

Rach's Top 5 DB Songs:
Settle For A Slowdown
Feel That Fire
Good Things Happen
Pray
I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes

Rach's Fav DB Albums:

"Modern Day Drifter followed very closely by Feel That Fire."

Thanks Rach! Loved hearing from you! Welcome to the DB Congress!!

-Amanda Morris (DBC Secretary, Mississippi Rep)

NEW DB CONGRESS DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL RECRUITMENT NAMED

You may recall reading, the "But Where's Stacey" blog a few days ago. Stacey's been doing a great job of recruiting more "International" members into the DBC! So much so, that I have decided to promote her from First Australian Rep to Director of International Recruitment for the DB Congress! Here's what she's accomplished in her first seven days in office:

"Hey Congress! I did 2 good deeds today: I somehow managed to recruit two of my Myspace friends into the Congress! Both are Aussies [and one is even from Tasmania - like me!]. There's beambabe [mish] and TassieDBFan [Nigel]. I'm soooooo happy that my blog/note on Myspace & Facebook managed to pull people in! Plus it helped that Dierks personally replied!"

Stacey is referring to the fact that Dierks - the Dude, our president himself - personally replied to her concert review on Dierks.com:

haha...thanks stacey for the great post!!! i was so happy to finally meet you in person! the show in melbourne was "wicked"....i walked off stage feeling like we had really connected with the audience and that everyone was having a blast. must say it was also great to see vicky in perth...really great knowing i have hard core fans like you guys down under here....

alright..going back to read that post again...! (and yes, i had braces!!!!)

d

How many artists do you know who will reply to a fan's post? I don't know of any except Dierks Bentley!

With her efforts, she has helped the DBC be within 25 reps of reaching of our 500 goal! We are at 475 right now, 33 of which are International.

Now, Stacey doesn't know she's been promoted, so "mums" the word! Shhhhhhhh! I am sure her new duties will keep her busy trying to find new DB Congress reps in countries outside the U.S. and sending them to dbcongress.com!

Congratulations, Stace!

~Ronna
DBC Chair

CMA HONORS DIERKS BENTLEY & BROOKS & DUNN WITH INTERNATIONAL ARTIST ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

CMA HONORS DIERKS BENTLEY AND BROOKS & DUNN WITH INTERNATIONAL ARTIST ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS DURING HUGELY SUCCESSFUL AUSTRALIAN TOUR

NASHVILLE - Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn, and Dierks Bentley, all acclaimed internationally as musicians and performers each received the distinct privilege of being presented with the CMA International Artist Achievement Award for their contributions to Country Music overseas. They were presented the awards backstage at the Acer Arena May 6 in Sydney, during the final stop of their hugely successful Australian tour.

The International Artist Achievement Awards were presented by CMA Board member Rob Potts, CEO of Rob Potts Entertainment Edge, and Ray Hadley from Radio 2GB and currently Australia's No. 1 rated radio presenter.

"Halfway around the world, it is easy to say, but it takes an amazing amount of coordination and commitment from so many people to pull it off, and ultimately, and most importantly, the support from the fans," Brooks said. "As usual, we get to just walk out on stage and do our thing, but it's hard not to stand there in Sydney, or wherever, and go, 'Wow, how did this happen?!' Thanks so much to everyone who shared this experience with us!"

"It's fantastic to be recognized by the CMA after all my international touring in Japan, Europe and now Australia - this is very cool," said a surprised Bentley.

"I can't think of any more deserving U.S. artists to win this award," Potts said. "Their tour here has had a huge impact on the profile of Country Music in this territory and it's fantastic that we were able to present the awards to them in Australia. It's also terrific to have a former CMA International Broadcaster of the Year and Australia's No. 1 rating radio presenter, Ray Hadley, here to help us surprise the guys with their awards."

"It's fantastic that artists like Brooks & Dunn and Dierks make the effort to travel half way around the world to play to their Australian fans," said Hadley. "They bring huge excitement to this market."

"Ronnie, Kix and Dierks have all impacted and expanded the international market place for Country Music," said Tammy Genovese, CMA Chief Executive Officer. "As representatives for Country Music on a global scale, they are all very deserving of this prestigious award."

Formerly the International Touring Artist Award, the CMA International Artist Achievement Award recognizes outstanding achievement by a U.S.-based artist who contributes to the awareness and development of Country Music outside of the United States. Previous winners include Dixie Chicks, Shania Twain, Keith Urban, Trisha Yearwood, and Dwight Yoakam.

Nearly two decades after their music career began the biggest recording duo in Country Music history arrived in Australia for the first time in February 2008. Back again in 2009 with opening act Dierks Bentley, the high-octane Brooks & Dunn Australian tour played packed venues in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney.

"To have Brooks & Dunn back here twice inside two years is a great boost to Country Music in the country and it is very fitting that they and Dierks are recognized by the CMA Board for helping grow our genre of music around the world," Potts said.

Bentley began his international career in 2006 when he participated in CMA's "New From Nashville" tour performing in Dublin, Glasgow, and London. He has performed at the Country Rendez-vous Festival in Craponne, France; the Seljord Country Festival in Norway; The Borderline in London; and performed at the Country Gold Festival in Japan.

BUT WHERE'S STACEY?

I first met Stacey through the Dierks.com message board in 2007. I posted for fan clubber/DB Congress reps to send me an email with their photo and story for the DBC Scrapbook I was making. I was so impressed with her story--our only rep from Australia at the time--that I made an entire scrapbook page just for her!

Stacey actively campaigned for Dierks on a daily basis for the next two years, not knowing if she would ever get to meet him in person like the fans in the states had. One fan actually used her own M&G time with Dierks to call Stacey and hand the phone to Dierks! That's proves what a "DB Family" we really are!

Finally, Dierks plans a trip to Australia and mentions in his Town Hall Meeting that he is looking forward to meeting Stacey!

Here's her story!

"Is it possible to have withdrawals after less than 24 hours?

I had to fly from Tasmania to Melbourne [only an hour and 15 minutes]. I absolutely love Melbourne...the shopping, the sites, the concerts I go to every time I'm there!!

I completely shocked myself by not feeling one bit nervous!! I was expecting throwing up before I even left home. Not even one dry-retch!

Got to the venue when the Box Office was due to open & asked for my M&G pass. The lady said they didn't have them & I had to wait 'til doors opened so I could ask the indoor box office So I waited....still not nervous!! When the doors opened at 5:30, I walked up to the box office & again asked for my M&G pass. Again, they didn't have it either. They said all I had to do was wait by Lift #3 and someone would come to collect me at 6:30. So I lined up to get some merchandise. The line was loooooooong, so I gave up in the end.

I went & waited by Lift #3 and saw 2 girls sitting down with M&G passes on their trousers! I asked where they got them from. They said outside I got talking to 2 very nice ladies who were told the same thing I was. When the lifts opened and a very nice Irishman came out [I think he was Irish...it was his accent. LOL] and asked to see everyone's passes. I freaked out. I said, "I was told by the woman at the Info Desk that we just had to wait here & someone would come get us." "No, you have to have a M&G pass."

I was almost in tears. I felt like saying "But Dierks is expecting me!"
The same lady from the Info Desk came along & apologised and said that the passes were at the outdoor Box Office. By this time it was already 6:30 and Dierks M&G had already started! So I had to go back outside and collect my M&G pass that they earlier said they didn't have. I was NOT happy!

By the time I was in the lift, going down to the room to meet Dierks, any nerves that I did have were gone.

As soon as I walked into the room, Chris (Dierks new tour manager) said "Here are the last couple of fanclub members." The first thing I heard Dierks say was "But where's Stacey?" It was enough to make me almost bawl right there and then, but I was still walking around the corner - hadn't even spotted him yet. When I did finally walk around the corner, I exclaimed, "Here I am!" Dierks gave me a MASSIVE hug & then said, "Ok, now let's do that again! "Sooooo....I had to walk back around the corner and do the whole thing again! It was soooooooo fun! I think it may be appearing on this website in the near future (hopefully, not before I go home!)

I handed him my Aussie giftbag (which had Vegemite, Tim Tams, a Tassie Devil toy, a koala holding an Aussie flag, a t-shirt, some Kangaroo Jerky, and some Burger Rings). He took a good look at everything inside. Then pulled out the Vegemite.

"What is this stuff??" Everyone explained to him that it's a sandwich/toast spread. "Try some!" So he took the lid off & had a good whiff. I soooo wish I had taken a photo of his face! "Ugh!" Then he stuck his finger in it & had a little taste! "Ugh!" again! Dierks doesn't seem to like Vegemite! He still had it on his finger, so he bent down at wiped it on his new boots. "Hey, it makes good boot polish!"

We had our photo taken together (with the Aussie gift bag making an appearance). Then I asked him for another one, with us hugging. "We'll make this one the Prom photo seeing as I never got to go to my Prom" Dierks said. He does give good hugs!
He had photos taken with the other fanclub members (I was surprised that there were others from Melbourne!) Then Dierks made another video of his Aussie giftbag Started pulling stuff out. "But my favourite is this stuff!" out came the Vegemite!
He gave it to me "Here you try it!" "I love the stuff!" So to prove it, I stuck my finger in the jar and ate some! "Mmmmmmmmmm!"

We got things signed & Dierks signed my Greatest Hits Cd & wrote the longest message on it that I laughed at said, "Are you sure there's enough room?" He put: "Stacey, Love Ya! Thanks! Great to meet you! Dierks Bentley"

He then signed two of my fave photos. When he got this photo he said, "Oh wow! This is an old one!" "That's one of my favourites!" "Do you like the short hair??" I shook my head & said, "I'd prefer the curls!"
Chris took a photo of Dierks while he was signing away, but I blinked, so it looks like I'm in lala land (maybe I was!).
We said our goodbyes....I left mine 'til last of course (last one into the room, last one out). He gave me another MASSIVE hug & told me to enjoy the show.

"I'll be thinking of you while I'm on stage!"

As soon as I walked out of the room & down the hallway, I seriously felt like I was gonna cry again! I didn\'t want it to be over! I wanna do it all over again!!!

The show was INCREDIBLE! I didn't even know where my seats were, but when the usher showed me the way I was thinking "What the....? No way!" I was 4 rows from the stage!! Dierks came out & opened with "Lots Of Leavin' Left To Do", which is my fave song of his to hear live! He was EVERYWHERE. I didn't take as many photos as I'd hoped, because I was just a little lost in the moment. But I did get some good ones. I'd made him a Little White Tank Top that said "Australia Loves Dierks Bentley" and was going to pass it to him during WWIT. But the security guard by the stage wouldn't let me! Oh well....I'll just keep it for next time!

He finished with Free & Easy which is another of my fave live songs! Perfect ending to a great night!

Brooks & Dunn rocked as always I took a lot more pix of them because....well...they weren't Dierks (if that makes sense). With Dierks, I just wanted to watch him.
After the show, I looked over & saw a familiar face, so decided to walk over and introduce myself. "Hey Jay, I'm Stacey!" I think he was just a bit shocked that someone from Australia knew who he was!!!

The only disappointing thing was I completely forgot to tell Dierks EVERYTHING that I had planned on telling him! It's just that he was standing there & everything just disappeared!! I was planning on asking him if he's ever had braces, because he has the most AMAZING set of chompers I've ever seen!

Dierks - thank you sooooooooooooooooooooo much for the best night everrrrrrr! May 4th 2009 will be etched in my memory forever!"

OK, so I haven't MET Stacey in person, but I feel like I know her! Someday, Stacey--Australia is on my top ten places to go before I die!

~Ronna

FANS SURPRISE DIERKS ON AUSSIE TOUR

Aussie DB Congress rep, Vicky thought she was going to have to fly all the way to the other side of Australia just to see Dierks Bentley since nobody ever comes to Perth. Most performers only do the east coast of Australia. "Western Perth is the most isolated city in the entire world," claims Vicky. "We do not have a country radio station, Dierks is not played on the commercial radio stations, no Dierks on TV, no Dierks in the music stores or any shop. The only contact we have with Dierks is via CMC if you have paid TV (no CMT or GAC) and the internet."

So she was beside herself when Dierks' tour brought him to Perth on May 1, and even more excited when she learned she had been chosen for a Meet & Greet by applying through the fan club. Here's her story:

"I was told via email to collect my envelope early so that I didn’t miss meeting Dierks. The Box Office opened at 5pm, the doors at 6pm with Dierks scheduled for 7.40pm so we didn’t know when we would be seeing him. I collected my envelope, sat down, and took a bite of dinner and Chris (hubby) asked had I opened the letter yet to see where we would be going. I opened it and as soon as I saw the gorgeous red M&G pass and instructions I felt all funny. I couldn’t breathe. I didn’t know if I wanted to be sick, go to the toilet or just pass out right there. It hit me....I was going to meet Dierks.
That was it for dinner, I couldn’t eat anything else I felt so sick. Chris was cracking up laughing at me and offered to get me oxygen from the ambulance people but I said no. Mikayla (daughter) was also laughing , here I am her mum a grown adult being told by a 9 year old that it’s ok I am just too excited!

We then lined up at the door and met some people who were there for Brooks & Dunn they had been married for 33 years and this was their valentine’s gift to each other. It was great talking to them because they were not Dierks fans, they liked him but not like me. They kept me talking about other country stars and the internet and various bit and pieces so my mind was off meeting Dierks and I didn’t get carted off in an ambulance before the doors even opened.

Doors finally opened 10 minutes late and we then went in and found our seats which were in the 5th row. I couldn’t believe how close we were but we did pay just under $900 for the tickets so it was worth it.

It was time for the M&G so we waited for Chris (Dierk’s Manager) to come out and collect us and take us back stage. We were waiting in the hall area and Dierks was in the room across from us but upstairs. We could see the door as it was right in front of us, he comes to the door and the first thing he says before even stepping out was “ Even a congress shirt!” He looked so surprised and then walked down the stairs to us. I was the only one with it on and it got his attention big time and he spent ages talking to me.

Dierks looked amazing. He had on jeans with a cream jumper/top on. I then gave him his gift which was some Vegemite, Aussie Peanut Butter and a few Australian souvenir bits, a card and letter and Tim Tams for Cass and he loved that. I gave him strict instructions to make sure he gave the Tim Tams to Cass and he said that he would.
I got to stand next to him in all the pics and I put my arm around him and he responded by putting his around me. I wasn’t going to stand there and not do it...lol It felt GREAT!
Mikayla stole his heart and Dierks asked to have several pics with her and wanted her to stand with him for the Official pic. I didn’t mind because I snugged in close to Dierks. They high-fived one another several times and had their own conversation which I am still trying to find out what he said to her but she is too happy to give the details.
Dierks signed an aussie flag for Mikayla and wrote Love Ya on it. She slept with it last night. He signed my Opry Cook book that Holli sent me last year and my cd cover for Modern Day Drifter. When he was signing it he did ask “Why this cd?” and I told him it was because it was the only one that I didn’t have signed. He then asked me who my contact was in the US and I told him Holli from SC. He smiled and said “Yes Holli is great.”

The M&G was amazing and I felt so comfortable with Dierks, like I had known him for years. He was “normal” if that makes sense. Dierks did say that he was very tired and could not believe how the jet lag had gotten to him. He went to bed 7:30 pm the night before. He also said that he feels like he is living in the future because when he calls home, it’s still yesterday there. I don’t think people realize how far away we are down here until you actually experience it and I think Dierks was really feeling like we were at the bottom of the earth and it has hit him that we are miles away. The time difference and flights look ok on paper but to actually do them it really enhances how far we are from Nashville.

The concert. Dierks said that he didn’t know what to expect here in Australia and he was completely blown away when he stopped singing and the crowd continued, he couldn’t believe that we knew the words to his songs! He was shocked and I think it made him feel really happy. He sang LOTS including How Am I Doin’, What Was I Thinkin’, Feel That Fire, Sideways, Trying To Stop Your Leaving, Settle For A Slowdown, Lot Of Leaving Left To Do, Come A Little Closer, Life On The Run, Every Mile A Memory and Free & Easy.
Dierks also asked for a little white tank top and a girl ran up to the stage front and he held her hand. He also held lots of girls hands but checked their left hand and as soon as he saw a ring he said oh no and moved on to the next one, it was so funny.

For a man who was tired from all the travel he put on an awesome show and was running up and down all over the stage and really singing his heart out and putting so much effort into all his songs. I was so impressed with his performance and so was Chris, he is now 110% converted. At the start of the evening he was the camera man, bag carrier and driver but at the end, he was a true Dierks fan and cannot wait to see him again. He finally understands my obsession with Dierks. I had an amazing time and it was truly a gift to meet Dierks and be at his concert. For those of you attending his other concerts, you are in for an awesome time and Dierks is BRILLIANT."

DB '09 TOWN HALL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

Thanks to Fiona, here are a few highlights from last night's online Town Hall Meeting :

* The Sideways video will be up on iTunes on April 14th.
* Last Call Ball will be on June 10th
* Dierks is reading Twilight (this shocked me)
* Dierks says he is enjoying being a dad and Evie is about to turn 6 months old
* Dierks hasn't played any pranks of Brad Paisley but he says he is looking for a weak link in Brad's organization to help him out
* Cassidy loves the songs "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes" and "Beautiful World"
* Dierks decided to change the name of the fan club to "DB Congress" and gave shout-outs to Ronna, David (and his flag!), Mona, and Tara for her bracelets.
* Dierks is excited to go to Australia and wants to meet Stacey while he is there!
* Dierks is not a fan of Twitter

If you have something to add, post it!

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Fiona
db Street Team Coordinator

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!

From the East Coast to West Coast and everywhere in between to the depths of Canada and down under in Australia too! Let's give a big warm welcome to all of our newest members!


EAR_I_am – Australia

calvin2070 – British Columbia, Canada
SweetCaroline, Cangirl, Kiwi – Ontario, Canada
Laura13 – Manitoba, Canada
Stoonlovesdierks - Saskatchewan, Canada
lovindierksb – Alberta, Canada

Lilwhitetank54 - Alabama
Ca Rose, harvick29, queenshawna, flutterby – California
Drummersgirl – Colorado
CTCowgirl – Connecticut
Maria J. - Deleware
skspire – Illinois
Mainah04005 – Maine
Iluvdierks2008 – Mississippi
rachel_lea, dgbrown – Missouri
BuckyBoy73 – Nevada
Jake127 – North Carolina
rad2213, Rainbow – Ohio
ryanandkristen1 – Oklahoma
jules44 – Oregon
vickilee, Jen – Pennsylvania
Pattie – South Carolina
grantnichole79, blake12jess, coop0302 – Tennessee
dao0815 – Texas
Byrdfan - Vermont
karateamanda – Virginia
ThatDuckDude, SagesMom, BubbaGirl, Hoogman, MissEllie – Washington
jewelgirl32, sweetandwild - Wisconsin


I have really enjoyed reading your messages about how some of you became a Dierks fan or any of your concert experiences! Thanks for all of your support and Welcome to the DB Congress!


-Amanda Morris
Mississippi Rep.
DBC Sec.

SPEND 20 HOURS WITH DIERKS FOR ONLY $20,000

How does spending 20 hours on a plane with Dierks sound? Well, start rummaging all the couches you can for change because a first class ticket will cost you at least $20,000 according to Expedia.com. It's pretty clear why Dierks is sitting coach for his upcoming visit to the land down under.

GAC talked with Dierks recently about his upcoming trip to Australia.

As one of country music’s real road warriors, Dierks Bentley has seen plenty of the U.S. and Canada, and he’s even done a couple tours of Europe and played at a Nobel Peace Prize concert in Norway.

Nevertheless, he’s found new ground to cover with his upcoming tour of Australia as an opening act for Brooks & Dunn. Which is, of course, accompanied by a very long air trip.

"I cannot wait for the 20-hour flight in coach," he told the national radio show GAC Nights: Live From Nashville. "It’s gonna be soooo exciting."

Okay, so the travel won’t be so great. But the destination — that definitely gets a thumbs-up.

"I’ve always wanted to go to Australia," he continued. "Had a lot of opportunities to go down there and always wanted to and just waited for the opportunity. [Brooks & Dunn] have already gone down there and sold out buildings. Now we get a chance to go open up for them. So it’s the best way to crack into the country and make as many fans as possible and get in front of as many fans as possible. It’s a great opportunity and we’re real psyched they asked us to go. Other than the flight, I can’t wait."

Country stars seem to have taken note of the market of late. Joe Nichols and Deana Carter both performed there for the first time in the last three weeks, and Taylor Swift likewise made her first run Down Under, adding a four-song performance at the Sound Relief benefit concert on Saturday in Sydney. The show raised money for victims of the bushfires that destroyed more than 1,000 homes. Taylor was on the same bill with Coldplay, Jet and Barry Gibb, who had a cool country-related surprise: Olivia Newton-John made a guest appearance, Billboard reported, to cover "Islands In The Stream," which Barry wrote with his brothers for Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton.

Dierks’ visit to Australia begins May 1 in Perth.