VIDEO: Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley, Hunter Hayes Perform on The 2013 ACM Awards

Dierks Bentley performed on the ACM Awards last night with Brad Paisley and Hunter Hayes.  Singing, "Outstanding In Our Field" that they recorded on Brad's new album, the trio tore up the stage with the fast-paced, party song.

We ain't nothin' special, we ain't no big deal
But if you wanna throw a party in the middle of nowhere, 
we're outstanding in our field.



We'd say Dierks is very special and he's a very big deal!  Although not nominated for any  ACM Awards last night, the CBS cameras found him front row in the audience smiling and giving standing ovations after performances by Miranda Lambert and several others. Outstanding!

Dierks will perform again with Tim McGraw tonight on ACM PRESENTS: TIM McGRAW'S SUPERSTAR SUMMER NIGHT" taping at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.  The special will air on CBS on Sunday, May 19 at 9 pm (ET).

Finding a "Home" in Top 20

Photo Courtesy Carrie Srebro (ACC Fanfest 12/3/2011)

In its 10th week on the charts, the title track and second single from Dierks Bentley's upcoming album "Home" jumped 4 spots on Billboard to come in at #16! On Mediabase, "Home" is up to #18. Although audience isn't the deciding factor for Mediabase, it's the only place you can track audience gains and "Home" had some huge days this past week: on two different days it was the #1 audience gainer, one day with a pickup of 585,000 and one day with a pickup of 757,000. Those are pretty stealthy numbers!

"Home" hit the charts the same week as the new singles from Kenny Chesney ("Reality") and Brad Paisley ("Camouflage"). Kenny easily pulled away from Brad and Dierks in the weeks following (as many expected, I'm sure), but in recent weeks, Brad and Dierks have been engaged in a healthy battle, which Dierks is winning quite handily on Billboard ("Camouflage" is at #19) and poised to win on Mediabase (Brad is at #17, with Dierks less than 100 points behind). Not only that, but with "Home" sitting at #16 on Billboard, it's just two spots behind Kenny's "Reality." It's great to see our Prez hanging with the titans of the charts! 

In the upcoming weeks, holiday music will start to become more prevalent, and many assume the charts "freeze" during this time. It's not exactly the case. The charts will still publish and Mediabase's daily information will still update, however the majority of the songs will see a significant loss in spins and audience, primarily in the week before Christmas. Some years, the charts remain fairly active, as was the case last year (for the top of the charts - it didn't help "Draw Me a Map" any. Hmph!). The chart that publishes on 1/2/2012 (the 1/14 chart) will likely see many songs with significant gains. On December 19th and December 26th, I won't have access to the Billboard information on those nights. Instead, I'll see the updates on Wednesday. All that being said, "Home" is in a great position heading into the holidays, and I still think it will fare well against the holiday music, or at least better than some of the other songs around it on the charts. Regardless, don't be alarmed if it loses a spot or two during the next few weeks; it will rebound and looks to be close to peaking right around album release the first week in February! 

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

Watch Dierks, The Opry To Stream Online!

Wanna watch Dierks on the Opry tomorrow night but you don't have tickets, and you don't have GACTV? No worries, tomorrow night's show will also be streamed live online. You can watch it at opry.com at 8 p.m. CST.

You can also follow Dierks and other artists tomorrow via “Home Tweet Home,” an all-day live Twitter feed from the Opry House. Dierks Bentley and Brad Paisley will be among the artists providing updates from backstage at the Opry's first show at the Opry House since the Nashville flooding in May. Get in on the conversation. They will be giving away commemorative posters! Tag your tweets with #opry and @opry and they'll draw winners!

Dierks paid a visit a day early and posted this photo and caption:

I wiped her down pretty good before I kissed her. good to be home!

DIERKS ON NATIONAL TV TELETHON FOR NASHVILLE FLOOD AID

Dierks will join the star-studded lineup for Music City Keep On Playin' - A Benefit For Flood Relief, which is the first nationally-televised telethon for Nashville flood aid. Other performers include Brad Paisley, Lady Antebellum, Rodney Atkins, Kellie Pickler, CeCe Winans, Jaci Velasquez and Will Hoge.

Music City Keep On Playin' will be broadcast live and commercial-free on GAC this Sunday, May 16 from 8-10pm EST.

Tickets to the live event at the historic Ryman Auditorium are available now! Reserved tickets are $25 and a limited number of gold circle tickets are $150 and include preferred seating and a commemorative Hatch Show event poster. There is a limit of four $25 tickets per person and two $150 tickets per person. Tickets may be purchased online at www.ryman.com and www.opry.com, by phone at 1-800-SEE-OPRY (733-6779) or in person at the Ryman box office.

GAC has partnered with WKRN TV in Nashville to simulcast the live telethon on Comcast channel 245 (over the air delivery at 2.2). They will also run the telethon as an encore presentation on May 16 at 10:30 p.m./Eastern on channel 2 (over the air delivery at 2.1). XM Satellite Radio will also simulcast the live telethon.

The concert will re-air on GAC at 10:00 p.m., 12:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. and the phone banks will remain open during the re-airs.

All money raised will go to those in need in Middle Tennessee. Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee will be the organization processing and distributing donations. This event is being presented by GAC, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau and Gaylord Entertainment.

Source: Dierks.com

BIG APPLE, GARDEN APPETITE FOR DIERKS

Here's an interesting blog about the Brad/Dierks/Jimmy show at Madison Square Garden last week, from a self-proclaimed "Englishman in New York."

http://heavier-than-air.blogspot.com/2009/10/cmj-report-day-2.html

"I headed uptown to the Garden. If country music isn't a staple in the big city, nobody told the thousands that flooded into the arena on this particular evening. With a strong, well-known dual billing of Dierks Bentley (right) and Brad Paisley, the crowd appetite for this one was palpable from the moment we took our seats. Opener Jimmy Wayne did his best to energise the audience ahead of the main acts and, to some extent, succeeded in doing so with his enthusiastic stage running and sign-waving ("How many of you have ever even remotely heard of me?", being a particularly self-deprecating and unpretentious effort).Nonetheless, he appeared slightly dwarfed by the stage and perhaps requires stronger songs to captivate at this level. 'A' for effort though. Dierks Bentley suffers from no such limitations, however, his set being warmly received and the singer himself looking every inch at home on the multi-pronged stage. With a number of songs having charted well in the past, the crowd is perfectly familiar with his catchy material and proves it by singing the words of said tunes right along with him."

BRAD'S GONNA MISS DIERKS AND VICE VERSA

Brad Paisley reflects on his friendship with Dierks Bentley via Twitter...

"Our last morning coffee together. I shall miss your laughter sir, your fine friendship, your drunken ramblings. Be well."


And Dierks returns the love...

"yes @paisleyofficial...your coffee, your cartoons, your music & your back rubs will all be greatly missed. thx dude"

Dierks Bentley Starts a Bromance at Madison Square Garden

Direct from theboot.com ...

Dierks Bentley Starts a Bromance at Madison Square Garden

Dierks Bentley definitely bonded with the audience at his Madison Square Garden gig this week -- maybe a little too well with one member of the audience, in fact! Opening for Brad Paisley on his American Saturday Night tour, Dierks bantered back and forth with the crowd. According to the Village Voice, Dierks called out a random concertgoer from the stage and struck up a conversation with him. Sticking his microphone in the man's face, Dierks suggested they go see a movie together. "Two dudes can hang out," Dierks professed to the crowd -- as he began to name a few of his favorite "guy" flicks."You ever see 'Old School," 'Anchorman,' 'The Hangover' ... 'I Love You Man?'" Dierks asked the now fully engaged fan, to which the guy quickly answered back, 'I love you, too!" The dry-witted Dierks deadpanned., "I was talking about the movie," after which, the budding bromance came to an abrupt end.Dierks will be sharing some love -- and compassion -- with his hometown of Phoenix on Nov. 21, That's when when he takes his Miles and Music For Kids celebrity motorcycle ride and concert on the road to raise money for the Phoenix Children's Hospital. The fundraising effort has been expanded to six cities across the country for 2009-2010, with proceeds going to Children's Miracle Network hospitals in those areas.

ARIZONA AWAITS THEIR NATIVE SON

Dierks Bentley heads home to Arizona to perform with Brad Paisley in Phoenix (his hometown) on October 1, 2009. Arizona Central says: "Phoenix native Dierks Bentley has used music videos extensively to climb to his status as million-selling country star." They go on to re-cap their five favorite DB videos: Lotta Leavin' Left To Do, What Was I Thinkin', How Am I Doin', Come A Little Closer, and Sideways. See what Dierks' mom had to say about the CALC video!





{Source: Meg}

DIERKS BENTLEY WALKING ON AIR

Dierks Bentley has been walking on air lately--both figuratively and literally. Not only was he given The Buck Owens Red, White and Blue guitar at the Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, CA, but he actually challenged levitation king David Blaine. He shared both with the Twitter world recently:

@DierksBentley: @davidblaine , you got nothin' on me... great night in the bay area. #fb about 19 hours ago




@DierksBentley: ok...new highlight in my career...thx buck owens and thx @paisleyofficial 1:29 AM Sep 25th

@DierksBentley: hanging at the crystal palace, honky tonkin...this night is the biggest honor! here is a pic of the gtr. 4:11 AM Sep 25th


@DierksBentley: still riding high from being given the buck owens red white & blue gtr last night. always wanted 1. a blast at the crystal palace after #fb 3:57 PM Sep 25th

DB FANS SEE TX STARS ON A RAINY NIGHT

Texas DB Congress rep, Connie, was excited to share her Dierks experience with us:

Well it was a rainy week in Texas, and I had concert tickets to see Mr. Dierks Bentley in Dallas on Saturday September 12. It was only a 2 hour drive, plus I had a M&G so I was going to be there rain or shine. I had an extra ticket to the show and Penny wanted to go, so I told her she could have the ticket.

The drive seemed long--it was raining non-stop the whole way. We finally made it to the venue, and for some reason the lady let me park in the parking lot back where the buses were and told us how to get to the will call. As we pulled in, we saw the green machine (Dierks' jeep), and I was no longer wondering WWIT (what was I thinkin') for driving up here in this weather!

We could hear Brad singing W2TF during sound check, as we were walking to will call. The guy said he didn't have the tickets or passes to check the other side so we walked to the other side but it wasn't even open so we asked a lady and she told us to check the other side. I explained I had just left that side and he told me to come over here and that I just wanted to get pointed in the right direction so I could get out of the rain, because the wind kept messing up my umbrella! Why does it seem like every show nobody knows what's going on?

I headed back to the first will call and the guy told us to come back in a hour. We told him thanks and headed for lunch. After lunch we headed back to the venue and picked up the tickets, and waited for the doors to open. The parking lot was filling up and the guys were starting to get in line for the grass seats. Lucky for us our seats were covered. There was a bar that opened before the venue so we went in and soon after they told us we could head into the venue.

Penny headed to the radio stations to fill out for a Meet & Greet, while I sat by and talked to the stations about concerts and they loved my "Who the hell is Dierks Bentley" T-shirt.

It was time for me to head to the fan club M&G so I left Penny and she stayed there by the radio station tent. As soon as I walked away I got a call from Penny. She said, "I just got a hug from Dierks, he was talking to the radio stations!" I was happy for her that she got to see him, because she didn't win a M&G, but she was happy that she got to see and say hi to him.

Big 96.3 radio posted this video of Brad, Dierks and Jimmy interviews. Dierks is at the 4 minute mark.

I went and lined up with the other people for the M&G. We were all there early so Brittany said ok lets get out of the rain. We all went into the room and she went over how it was going to go. Everyone was to put everything on the table except the one thing you wanted him to sign, and your camera. I handed out the Congress stickers from Alicia.

As we waited we all talked about Twitter, and I mentioned Brad had posted one that said Dierks was bald. She said she hadn't seen it. She said we should have seen the one Dierks wouldn't let her post. I said "Awww...just post it next time!" Someone made a comment about the towel sharing and we all laughed. Then one girl looks around and says "Question--why is nobody wearing a white tank top?" and everyone said "uhhh...its raining." Someone also mentioned getting beer at the M&G. Brittany said, "You'll have to talk to your president about that, but I'm sure it would up your fan club fees."

I was a little nervous about my M&G this time thinking Dierks is probably like, 'I'm tired of seeing this girl.' But Dierks walked in and everyone lined up and started taking pics. One person had a Magazine for him to sign. He said, "I can tell this is old 'cause my name is in all caps and Taylor Swift's is lower case."

It was my turn for my picture. I smiled and gave him a hug. My plan was to tell him, "Whenever you get tired of seeing me let me know," and to thank him for his time during the M&G because I know he doesn't have to spend that time talking with us, because of a past M&G experience that I had with another artist. But instead I said, "Thanks for the beer and popcorn in Ft. Hood, that was the first beer I ever drank!" He laughed. He also asked if we had any signs to hold up and I told him we didn't because our seats were too far back. He asked where our seats were, I told him and said next show I would definitely have some signs.



We lined up for a group photo, and he did Q&A and I told him I was ready for him to headline & pit section!!! A lady asked how long they played for, he said "50 minutes." She asked 15 mins? He said, "Yes, I sing like this," and starting singing really fast and then told her 50 minutess again. The M&G was over and everyone got their last hug. When I got mine, he said "Always good to see you," which made me feel a little better about filling out for a m&g again (fan club allows 2 per year now), and I told him next time I would have signs.

I headed out to my seat, my poor concert ticket was falling apart from the rain. I told the guy it's falling apart so he took out the flashlight to read where my seat was. I went to my seat as Penny & I waited for the show to start. First Jimmy Wayne came on and I knew a couple of his songs, plus he sang "Sara Smile." I think he said that was his next single. I only knew that song from the oldies station.

Next it was time for Dierks. He came out to SIDEWAYSSS -- lots of energy and running around as always. Songs included in no particular order What Was I Thinking, Free and Easy, My Last Name, Lot of Leavin Left To do, Settle for a Slowdown, How Am I Doin, Every Mile A Memory, Feel That Fire, Come A Little Closer (I know I am missing some probably). Even though we were on row R we stood up singing and screaming the whole show.

After Dierks' set was over, my voice was gone a little as I told the people next to us they could move down--we weren't staying for Brad. They looked at us like, What? I said, Yes, Dierks is amazing--we saw who we came to see! They asked, Are you sure? I said, Positive! They thanked us and moved down! In the end it was a great show, and amazing M&G as always, but you guys already know that!

Can't wait to do it again! Every Mile a Memory!

Connie
DB Congress
Texas rep

CRAWFORD COUNTY CROWD - WHAT WERE THEY THINKIN'?

Although he missed a M&G with Dierks Bentley, writer Dave Richards was duly impressed with our DB Congress prez, even if the rest of the crowd was not so enthusiastic:


"I caught Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley and some of Jimmy Wayne at Crawford County Fair. I spent about 45 minutes in a long, snaking line of traffic before even getting a whiff of cotton candy. The delay, alas, prevented me from attending a meet-and-greet with Dierks Bentley. He had graciously offered a chance to meet him before he played but my daughter and I didn’t pull into the venue until Wayne was well under way.

No matter. Bentley was on fire, even if the crowd response seemed a little underwhelming. He opened with recent hit “Sideways,” while “Feel That Fire,” in particular, scorched. “Come a Little Closer” also shined.

Bentley spent as much time high-fiving fans and racing from catwalk to catwalk as he did singing. Seemed to me he might have returned for an encore but the crowd didn’t exactly encourage him."

DIERKS BRIBES CROWD WITH FREE BEER

Found this article on News-Herald.com:


Country music artist Dierks Bentley is a beer-and-cornhole kind of guy. Sure, his latest effort, “Feel That Fire,” already boasts two No. 1 singles (the title track and “Sideways”), but the Arizona native and Nashville resident is just an easygoing picker and singer who finds pleasure in life’s simple things.

It’s for that reason that amongst all of the Music City egos and Nash Vegas glitz he’s somewhat of an anomaly. He’s created a growing and loyal fan base that loves his often-rocking style, which has elicited attention from outside the country music world.

This summer, the multi-platinum artist Bentley, known for radio hits "What Was I Thinkin'," "Come a Little Closer," "Settle for a Slowdown" and more, is hitting the road as opener for the red-hot Brad Paisley on a summer tour that includes a show tonight at Blossom Music Center. The News-Herald talked with Bentley about the tour, his unique style and why he, well, um, bribes fans with beer to get them into their seats early to see his show.

Let's start by discussing your rocking country music style, which has seemingly accomplished the impossible by attracting fans across different genres.

Dierks Bentley: We have a lot of friends in the Texas and Oklahoma country scene and the bluegrass country scene. And for the past couple of years I've had a chance to play both Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza (music festivals). So I've been able to ease in and out of different places, which to me is wonderful not to be pigeonholed in one spot. The core of it all is the love of country music. It's a cool thing to me to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry but also to get to play Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza. That's a fun tightrope to be able to walk.

Regarding your current tour, how did the pairing with Paisley come about?

Dierks Bentley: This year Brad called me up and asked if I'd be interested in doing a tour. I've always kind of wanted to go out on the road with him anyway. So looking at the way the economy is going, I just thought it would be a great way to be a part of a great ticket so country fans really get a lot of bang for the buck. Brad's a great songwriter, funny and a great musician. And his show has a lot of production. So it's an amazing show to watch and hear. My band is a small band, only five of us total and we run around stage a lot. It's probably a little bit more rock sensibility when it comes to the energy of our show, but I think it matches pretty well. I figure my job is to go out there every night and be the bartender that jumps up on the bar and makes a toast and gets the place rowdy and rocking for when he comes out ready to go.

So essentially you're playing the role of Tom Cruise in "Cocktail?"

Dierks Bentley: Hey man, "Alabama slammer, the velvet hammer." That's one of my favorite movies of all-time, by the way. "I make drinks so sweet and snappy" ... anyways. It's a great movie. So yeah, that's kind of my job to get out there, break something, get a fight started and get this party started. Plus, we do as much as we can before the show, whether that's trying to get a workout in to sweat out the beer from the night before or taking the Jeep out and hanging out with people tailgating a little bit to pick up on their vibe and energy so we can bring that backstage with us.

Wait, you have your own Jeep on tour?

Dierks Bentley: Yeah we have a trailer behind the bus. I have a 1977 Jeep CJ-7 that I carry with us. That's our way of getting out there and hanging with the fans who are tailgating. It's kind of freaking them out and surprising them for a little bit, but it's fun. Everyone thinks you want to be backstage but it's most fun out there where people are tailgating and playing cornhole. It's fun to get out there and hang out for a little bit and give out some free beer and head back in."

Wait, did you say free beer?

Dierks Bentley: I have a deal with Bud Light. I have more beer than I know what to do with. So I either have to leave it behind at the venue or just give it away to some deserving fans. So it's like, "Hey man, here's some beer come out and see us."

So you're basically bribing fans to get into the venue early enough to catch your set?

Dierks Bentley: (Laughs) I guess in a way it is kind of a bribe. Yeah, you caught me.

DIERKS CRANKS UP THE FUN

Alan Sculley wrote an article on The Morning Call website, but he must have written it a while back, because he still thinks Sideways is just a top five hit, and states Dierks has had 6 number one's--clearly Sideways was #7 --and I think we all know 'Close Your Eyes' will indelibly etch the eighth number one mark eventually! Here is some of the story:

For a guy who is generally seen as one big hit album away from becoming an arena-headlining country artist, Dierks Bentley didn't exactly play it safe with his recently released CD, "Feel That Fire."Yes, he did take steps to make "Feel That Fire" a bit lighter and more rocking than his previous CD, "Long Trip Alone," which was more introspective and fell well short of the sales he enjoyed with his second CD, the 2005 release "Modern Day Drifter."But Bentley also took some chances with the CD by changing up the recording process that had worked well for him in the past and challenging himself in how he went about writing songs.

Whether the new CD will put Bentley on a level with artists such as Toby Keith, Keith Urban or Brad Paisley (for whom Bentley opens at the Allentown Fair Sept. 5, along with Jimmy Wayne) remains to be seen. But "Feel That Fire" is already showing promise of being a difference-making record for Bentley.

The title song went to No. One on "Billboard" magazine's "Hot Country Singles" chart earlier this year, and the second single, "Sideways," went to the Top Five. Bentley is excited about the initial response to the new CD and about what the next single, the ballad "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes," could do to further build momentum. That song has climbed into the Top 40 on the "Hot Country Singles" chart."

I really couldn't be more pleased with the way things have turned out with this album," Bentley says." We released the record and the first song went number one. 'Sideways' is a top five hit right now. The crowds are reacting to that. I think the third single, 'I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes,' I think it's going to be a really big song for us."

Now Bentley has taken the fun on tour. Though he spent the past two years mostly as a headliner, the Paisley tour lets him reach out to a new audience."It's a chance to get more fans," Bentley says. "We're playing to 10, 15,000 people a night and hopefully we can bring some more people over to our kind of country music. So it's a great opportunity."

Again, though, Bentley had another reason for doing the Paisley tour that had nothing to do with his career."I've always wanted to tour with Brad," he says. "I like the guy a lot. I just don't get the chance to hang out with him that much."

Of course, accepting an opening slot meant settling for a shorter show -- about 45 minutes in length. For an artist like Bentley, who has had 10 Top Five country hits (six of which went to number one), that makes creating a set list challenging.

But Bentley feels his sets, which will vary a bit over the course of the tour, get the job done."We try to pack a really loaded punch. There's not one second that's wasted in that show," he says. "Whatever we decide upon, it's locked in and it's tight and there's no extra (time). We're going from one song to the next. No one's dilly-dallying around. Let's get as many songs out there as we can. Let's organize the set list in a way that it takes people on a little bit of a ride, but it leaves them high and excited and sets them up for Brad to come out there and knock them down."

(Source: Meg)

JIMMY, DIERKS, BRAD--FRIENDS TOURING TOGETHER

Our friends at Gotcountry? posted a blog quoting Jimmy Wayne on touring with his pals Dierks and Brad:

“Every day we roll into the venues it makes me realize how fortunate I am to get to do what I do, and to be running up and down the highways with two guys who I’ve considered friends for years makes it all the more fun,”

“You know, when you see great artists—great entertainers—like Brad and Dierks are, you don’t always find people on that level of success so approachable, but that is not the case with either of those guys. Now I have known them since before I broke through years back, but you know, they treat everyone the same, no matter who you are."

Read the whole blog here, including a video of the trio singing, 'Alcohol.'

WATCH YOUR BACK, DIERKS! BRAD'S PLANNING PRANKS!

"Although Brad Paisley happily took a break from touring to perform in front President Obama, the country singer is currently busy with his American Saturday Night Tour. In stark contrast to his tour last summer, which featured Taylor Swift and Kellie Picker as opening acts, Paisley scored Dierks Bentley and Jimmy Wayne as openers on his current jaunt.

Said Paisley to CMT, "There's lots of testosterone on the tour, which I've found is a lot like camp. We're sneaking into Jimmy Wayne's bus at night, sticking his hand in warm water and seeing if he'll pee." Bentley hasn't been the target of a prank yet, but he'd better watch his back, as Paisley told CMT, "I've got to do something to Dierks. Here's the thing-I have people saying, 'Don't you have a life?' It's hilarious."

Read the whole story here.

DIERKS PERFECT FOR DARIEN LAKE

The Buffalo Country Music Examiner had some great things to say about Dierks at the Darein Lake show...

"Paisley also knows how to produce a lineup as Jimmy Wayne and Dierks Bentley proved the perfect opening acts. Bentley stole the show with his high-energy and good looks. He joked with the audience on numerous occasions by changing lyrics in his songs to reference the idea that we only wanted Brad, and interacted with the audience constantly. His job of warming us up for the next act to follow was executed perfectly."

The Buffalo News thought "Dierks Bentley fared nearly as well as Paisley with the Darien crowd, as he tore a chunk out of his 45-minute opening slot with a meat-eater’s vigor. Bentley is more rocker than country boy, and his songs tend to favor introductions based on “big rock” power chords, which evolve into twangy barn-burners."

M.A.R.J. GOES TEARING THROUGH THE MIDWEST CORNFIELDS OF IL AND IN

*MARJ (Mona, Alicia, Ronna, Jenny go to Tinley and Indy)

=======================================================

Here we go...buckle up...

I flew in from Florida Friday, August 7 on the 7:40 Southwest. Chicago's Midway airport was bustling. Alicia picked me up then we met Jenny and Mona at Jenny's house and headed out to start our DRT weekend with every DB CD rockin' the stereo! I was dubbed "the navigator," or the shot-gun-girl, with AAA TripTiks in hand, we were off to tear through the cornfields of Illinois and Indiana.

I had met Alicia before, and had met Jenny and Mona via email, but you would have thought we had known each other for years already--we all connected instantly. That's not hard to do when your primary commmon-thread interest is Dierks Bentley!

Alicia gave us several disclaimers up front, one being she sings along loudly to all the DB songs--by the end of the weekend she had lost her voice! I had to admit to relating everthing we see to a Dierks lyric (as you will see throughout this blog)--so the girls made up a name for that - Dierks Turet Syndrome--DTS.

We found Tinley Park around 1 pm and pulled up to the front gate where a toothless-wonder parking attendant told us the gates would not open until 5:30. We decided to go eat at TGIFriday's where we had our first Dierks reference of the weekend. We sat down and the waitress saw all our Dierks shirts and asked if we were going to the show and we said yes. She said "Awww, Dierks Bentley makes my heart melt!" And we all 4 in unison said "Us, too!"

But the next time that old sun and I meet up I'll be a thousand miles East...

Around 2:30 we went back to the gate just to see if anyone was lining up and the same attendant was there and making everyone turn around. We tried to park in the adjacent parking lot to wait and he waved his arms furiously at us and said that was private property and we could not park there. What? So we decided to head about 18 miles east to our hotel and check in. Road Dude was waiting for us and Aunt Tracie had sent him with gifts for us and Dierks!

Grandpa took it off to Europe to fight the Germans in the war...

On our way back a car came up beside us and Jenny and I started screaming. Alicia was driving and thought we saw Dierks' bus or something but it was some grandpa driving all over the road and into our lane--we had to swerve a little but we're ok.

That might make for a good story man but that don't make it easy lovin' me...

Jenny got checked for ticks. The guys from US 99 radio approached us while we were in line and asked if they could interview us. They asked Jenny if they could check her for ticks--a blatant reference to Brad Paisley's song of the same name. The filmed it so check their website! We told them that they needed to aske Dierks-related questions of us---how they missed all four of us wearing Dierks shirts I have no idea.

And there's a few more like me, who ain't afraid of fightin' for the cause...

Mona, while on the quiet side, took off like a woman on a mission every time she saw someone in the crowd with a DB Congress shirt on! She wanted to make sure she met them and let them know she was the one who sent them their shirt! She saw Mary who lives in the Chicago area and caught up with her and brought her back to meet us in line. She had a M&G, which was cool because Alicia and I had one as well and all three of us had on our DB Congress shirts.

I've been stuck for days in a lonely town when my luck ran south...
But our luck did not run south. What are the odds that all four of us DRT buddies would get a M&G between the two shows? By the time we got inside we had just enough time to find our seats and Alicia and I went to our M&G.

Brittany is Dierks' new tour assistant and she was really friendly, but really strict--which helped him stay on schedule. We had to place all our belongings on a table and could only have our one item to have signed in our hand. And she even checked one girl's magazine to make sure nothing was inside. We three with DBC shirts were together in line and when Dierks saw us he had Brittany get his personal camera and got a pic with all three of us. I emailed Brittany, but no response yet--in the meantime, thank you Dawn for taking this pic!

Then we each had our individual time with him. He asked me how the site was doing and I said great, but still waiting for him to post a comment! I handed him a card and he started to read it--but I told him it was too long and wait until later. I asked him about posting a message on dbcongress.com and told him I wrote the website address in the card. He said he would do that tomorrow. And he is a man of his word! Here is what he posted the next day:

8 Aug 2009, 15:32 p.m.
dierks: ronna...im here!!! love the site. amazing work. im totally blown away....

8 Aug 2009, 15:34 p.m.
dierks: we are in indy today...great weather. had a blast in chicago last night too

During Alicia's time with Dierks, well, I'll let her tell you:

"When Dierks came in he immediately saw us sporting our Congress shirts and we got a huge smile. As we got closer to the front of the line, he asked Brittany to get his personal camera so she could take a picture of him with Ronna, myself, Mary (another IL Rep) and Road Dude! I thought that was so cool of him! It just makes me realize even more how much we (the DB Congress) really do mean to him.

Then it was my turn! So he says Hi and gives me a hug and they take our picture. I gave him this cool luggage tag Tracie made him with a pic of Road Dude 8 mile style...WUP on one side and a pic of Evie "hitchhiking" with him on the other, he loved it. I had brought some of the new decals with me and told him Tracie was nice enough to give them to him in Detroit for me! He's said "Yeah, I have those on the bus, I love them." I told him how Nid (in England) and I designed them together and that I ordered them and am now mailing them across the country to everyone who wants one. He said "Thanks so much, I've been seeing them everywhere." That made me feel good. So I knew I could only get one thing signed so I asked him to sign a decal for Nid. Nid misses out on way too much living "across the pond" so I really wanted him to have this. Dierks signed and put..."Nid, Thanks Mate." I thought that was so cute. I had handed him a small stack of them under the one he was signing for Nid, thinking I could give him the rest but he right away started signing one to me!

Here's where it gets strange and exciting people...he knew my name!?!? He started writing it before I said anything, he had ALI already written and I go, Oh Alicia..CIA..He says "I know you." I swear I could have danced a jig right there but seriously no one wants to see that, least of all Dierks. LOL. I said to Ronna "You told him didn't you" and she said "No, I told you he would know you." Well I don't know if he knows me because of the decals or he saw the back of my Congress shirt or what but I can tell you it made my year!!! Even if he never remembers it again, I'll have the memories. Ahhhhh!!!

Then on top of all that he even signed the rest of my stack and told me to hand them out, since he had his on the bus. Sorry Brittany, I got WAY more than 1 thing signed, but it was his idea! I mean seriously, he just blows me away! He is the BEST!!! People ask me all the time why I would spend my own money on decals to promote him, I say to them "If you have to ask that question you just don't know Dierks at all!" He is so appreciative of everything we do! So then we had a short Q&A session and then it was big hugs all around and off we go to the show! There's just nothing better than spending a Dierks filled weekend with the most amazing man, music and friends! I am truly blessed."

During the M&G group Q&A someone commented on President Obama quoting him and he said "yeah, that was wierd." I said, no, that was awesome! He commented how the Presiden't people must have had to teach him how to pronounce "DIERKS." As always, the M&G was over way too soon!

We got back to our seat and about a minute later they were introducing Jimmy Wayne. I have always been so impressed with his voice. I was extra impressed when he started signing autographs from the stage DURING his performance--singing and signing simultaneously! Now that takes talent! He never missed a lyric! Kerosene Kid, Do You Believe Me Now, and Stay Gone were a few of the 5 or 6 songs he did, but Sara Smile just blew me away.

Dierks exploded on stage after a quick video introducing him with Sideways. The set included (in no particular order) Feel That Fire, How Am I Doin'(...with every single "Chicago" girl in sight), What Was I Thinkin', Come A Little Closer, Lot of Leavin' Left To Do, Trying To Stop Your Leaving, and an acoustic My Last Name. He was just getting started and his time was up! Fifty minutes is just NOT long enough for Dierks! DB and TLB came back out for one more - Free and Easy. WUP! You could tell he didn't want to leave the stage.

This pic was on the US99 radio station website:

Brad Paisley played for two hours. My favorites were Then, She's Everything, When I Get Where I'm Going, Letter To Me, and Waitin' on a Woman. Brad's show is, well, "showy" to say the least. There is sooooo much going on besides the singing and the music. Don't get me wrong, there were a lot of cool affects, but I would have been perfectly happy if he had NOT played "Play (I think that's the instrumental song with the super hero animation in the background)" or Catch All The Fish or The Pants ... and given that 15 minutes to Dierks!

After the show we were waiting in our cars for the traffic to clear a little, and the radio stations were blastin' Dierks' How Am I Doin'. A guy in the car next to us was singing every word at the top of his lungs, so we started to sing with him at the top of our lungs. It was kind of a dueling Dierks moment.

We ate at Around the Clock which was a block from our Best Western in Shereville, slept for 4-5 hours then off to Indy!

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Three hours later...Our Best Western in Noblesville was on Craig Street. Ironic, since Jenny's last name is Craig. We checked in, freshened up and headed for the venue.

Seven really is the luckiest number!
Unlike Tinley Park, the girl at the Noblesville gate was very friendly. Gates opened at 4:30 so we had a few hours to eat and relax. We found a really nice outdoor mall/township--very quaint. We decided on Red Robin and David and Heather joined us after a bit. The waitress asked us if we were all family and we said yes--the Dierks Bentley fan club family! The 6 of us are from 6 different states - Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois. Indiana Purdue Cutie, Kristin joined us after lunch to follow us through the gate so we could all be next to each other for tailgating -- 7th state! Dierks' lucky number is 7--his hockey jersey is #7, and Sideways just became his seventh #1 single, in the 7th month of the year.

From Left to Right: David-KY, Ronna-FL, Alicia-WI, Mona-IA, Jenny-IL, Kristin-IN and Heather (TN)


When we walked out of the restaurant about 4:30, Alicia was catching us up on Twitter and found this post from Dierks:

jc penny rocks...clean socks, clean underwear...and a new pearl snap shirt for the stage tonight...no need for a shower i guess.3:28 PM Aug 8th from web.

So we're walking to our cars and look to the right, and there is JC Penney--right there! He was right there while we were inside! Agh! So close and yet so far. We had to wonder if he saw Alicia's car (Jeep) where we had written his name all over it! Throughout the weekend we got a few honks and one car pulled up beside us and started hollering at us--it took us a minute to realize they liked Dierks, too!

Also, several times in two days people would see our Dierks shirts and ask, "Is Dierks a good guy?" Even the merch guy at Tinley. Strange to hear them ask the question that way but they got an earful from us!

So we tailgate about an hour and then head up to the gates. Once in, Jenny and Mona head off to their M&G. We were in row T under the cover, but I looked back and the place all the way up the lawn to the back fence was packed! If I had to guess I would say there were close to 10,000 people there.

When the girls came back from the M&G, Dierks had signed Mona's DB Congress shirt:

They said Dierks told them he was planning to headline next fall and to take January and February off the road. They also told me Dierks said to tell me he posted on DBC.com! Made my whole year! Of course I did not get to actually see it until we got back to the hotel but I was elated to say the least. They also met Sharon who also had a DBC shirt on!

A few of the highlights from the show:

*We could see he came to rock with his blue jeans and red pearl snaps from JC Penney. Dierks could so be a spokesperson for them, telling everybody to go the men's dept. and get that same shirt--size small--for just $19.95! (haha)

*During Trying To Stop Your Leaving, Dierks sang the lyric: "You don't love me, you don't love me anymore" and in between all 4 of us yelled YES WE DO! Everybody stared at us but we didn't care. Dierks kind of chuckled but got the next line out--he is such a professional!

*After My Last Name (Dierks had told everyone to sit down), Alicia and I stood up and started cheering--nobody else stood up--and Dierks was looking at us and shrugging his shoulders at the rest of the audience like "aren't you gonna stand up again?"

*I had made a sign, "DB CONGRESS in the House" - with all our 7 states. It was a small sign, and I only held it up for 5 seconds at a time and I think Dierks saw it before security made me put it away.


*During Come A Little Closer, Dierks saw a couple in the audience making out and he pointed to then and said, "Hey, that's what parking lots are for!"

After the show we tried to meander down by the busses but they were gated. So we stopped to talk by a fence with party lights but it was covered although we could hear voices and though we heard D's. Then security sent us on our way. The traffic getting out was all backed up for miles, so while waiting, Alicia opened the sun roof and I got a bad case of DTS again...Indiana stars in a purple night...

We ate at Perkins and as the 7 of us from 7 states stood in the parking lot talking, and not wanting to call it a night, all of a sudden the cops were nippin at our heals....well, not ours, but all around us. We guessed they were looking for some bad boy somewhere.

So there you have it...I am slowly chipping away at my goal of meeting one DB Congress rep from every state--21 down, 29 to go!

I have a few more pics I wanted to add to this blog but they are not cooperating. Check back in a few days and hopefully I will have added them.

GOOD OLD BOYS 'SATURDAY NIGHT' SMART

Hazel Smith is my favorite columnist--mostly because she loves Dierks Bentley as much as we all do! Here's her latest love for Dierks:

"I wish I was smart enough or schooled enough to say how proud I am of Brad. It seems his every move is a winner. For example, his 2009 opening acts are Dierks Bentley and Jimmy Wayne. Now that's a really smart move! Dierks is releasing hit singles right and left, and Jimmy's singing for more country music fans than he ever dreamed possible. Those boys are having a good old time out there, and the critics can't say enough good stuff about American Saturday Night -- the album and the concert."

FROM ONE PRESIDENT TO ANOTHER...

A few minutes before Dierks Bentley was to perform last night, he was backstage at The Grand Ole Opry House catching up on his text messages. One in particular caught his attention from his pal Brad. So, the president of the DB Congress decided he wanted to share a "tweet" with all his Twitter friends...

wow...the president of the usa just said "Dierks bentley calls country music the best shrink 15 bucks can buy." thx @bradpaisley for text#fb 8:27 PM Jul 21st from TwitterBerry

The Tennessean reported on President Obama's White House Music Series: A Country Music Celebration in the East Room, with live performances last night by Charley Pride, Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss--all members of The Grand Ole Opry.

“A lot of people think I’m a city boy, but I do appreciate listening to country music,” Obama said in his opening remarks. The President praised country’s dedication to storytelling, said the music “contributed to the life of this nation and chronicled the history of our people” and quoted Harlan Howard, Garth Brooks and Dierks Bentley.

“Dierks Bentley called (country), ‘The best shrink that fifteen bucks can buy,’” Obama said, drawing laughs from the D.C. crowd and reassured glances from the Nashvillians in the room, who were thinking, “Hey, he pronounced ‘Dierks’ correctly.”

Funny. That's the first thing I wondered--did Obama say Dierks' name correctly? Affirmative!




Opry membership requires a passion for country music's fans, a connection to the music’s history. And it requires commitment – even a willingness to make significant sacrifices to uphold that commitment.

Commitment is something Dierks has always had in abundance. Several of us DB Congress reps were listening online at wsmonline.com and chatting. From the screams we were hearing, we knew he was on stage and sure enough they announced, "It's time to get a little sideways with Dierks Bentley!" But he started out with Free and Easy and it was 'rollin' like Mike Snyder's old banjo'. His voice sounded like he had a slight cold but the gravel sounded great to me! Commitment--the show must go on. He followed up FAE with Feel That Fire and finally closed, surprisingly, with Beautiful World--mentioning the text from Brad and the Presidential quote as his intro to the song he says he would like to be known for. He introduced his "band of brothers" and Jon Randall was actually playing with the band as well.

Dierks said he used to sneak in back stage to the Opry years ago to pick up tips of how to be a better singer. It worked!

God bless you, Dierks! We love you too!

HEY NOW, HERE WE GO!

Well, we already know the fantastic news this week! Dierks got his 7th #1 hit with "Sideways," and I don't know about you, but I am so happy to see all our hard work pay off!

I did some research the last few nights about the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and how it's compiled, and learned that it's based on audience size, rather than airplay. That explains not only how "Sideways" is #1 this week, but also how "Out Last Night" was #1 last week -- even though "Whatever it Is" was the most-played song on Country Radio until today. ("Sideways" is, now! WOOHOO! 9,378 plays!)

So, now that I am armed with that knowledge, hopefully my updates will be a bit more authentic, informative, and correct for you all going forward.

Now the question becomes, can he make it 2 weeks in a row? It's difficult these days, but it can be done (Brad Paisley, I'm looking at you). Let's keep it up and if I find a street date for the next single before it's released to Dierks.com or elsewhere, I will let you know!

Going to Daytona this weekend for the race and the 4th, so no update from me. I hope everybody has a great holiday weekend! I will leave you with this, which I found in Country Aircheck last night ...

~ Carrie (DBC Rep/Chart Reporter from NC)