The 2019 ACM Awards had definite "light" moments for Dierks Bentley, including a performance that's being talked about across the country.
The night kicked off in the most perfect of ways, with the ACM social media pages announcing an early win for Dierks and Brothers Osborne. They walked into the event having already won the Music Event of the Year for their "Burning Man" collaboration.
While this doesn't come with an official acceptance speech, Dierks and the guys were quite grateful for the win, and sent out a tweet to say thank you!
(This win is extra sweet after Dierks' earlier interview where he noted his kids always remind him he never wins anything. Not tonight!)
Speaking of the red carpet, Dierks and his wife, Cassidy, looked absolutely stunning (thank you to CMT for this wonderful photo of the Bentleys (right) with Catherine Shepherd and Brandi Carlile (left))!
While Brandi is a Grammy award winning singer, songwriter and producer, many might not have known there were ties between her and Dierks. For those of us who have had The Mountain on repeat for the better part of the last year, her voice is a familiar one gracing our speakers. And DB Congress members were elated to have the chance to see their duet "Travelin' Light" live at the awards show, which Billboard said, in the most positive of ways, that it was "almost as if they were having fun at a karaoke session with friends--just with all-star vocals!"
Brandi's newest collaboration, Highwomen (a play on the 80s and 90s supergroup Highwaymen which includes Maren Morris, Amanda Shires, Natalie Hemby and Lori McKenna), even gave a Twitter invite to Dierks as an honorary member!
They sound so good together ❤️ @DierksBentley you wanna be a Highwoman?
Based on the banter between Dierks and Brandi before the show, it was clear the two love to perform together and they embrace a live show audience. In another interview, they discussed the evening itself was light. As Dierks noted, "There isn't a lot of heaviness to this show. It's just a fun place to be. It's Vegas. It's springtime. It feels pretty good."
As Brandi said of "Travelin' Light" and of Dierks, "I wanted to sing it because I felt [the song] and I felt Dierks' voice so much. I'm a big fan of his humanity, the kind of dad he is, the guy he is, the kind of husband he is. He's just somebody I want to spend a lot more time with."
Perhaps Brandi will "lay it down" again on a future Dierks album? We're ready!
Bonus: This "light" photo was captured at the event, and our DB Congress friends across the pond had a little fun, seeking captions. How would you caption this photo?
On July 13, DB Congress member Rebecca Scott posed a great question to the Facebook page:
As someone with numerous tattoos adorning my body, I find this to be a perfect question, as I, too, have considered which Dierks lyric or image I should get. I was so excited to see I'm not the only one who feels this way!
DBCers shared their photos and inspiration in response to our question of, "Got Dierks [ink]?" Here is some of the art you shared!
Sandra Bowers Grubb shared, "In Sept. 2012, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and the song "Every Mile A Memory" became my Walk Team name because "Every Mile I Walk is a Memory." The orange ribbon on the butterfly represents MS. Fast forward to 2014 and "Riser" was release, then that one became my anthem. This tattoo reminds me every day that I am a Riser and that I am a fighter, a survivor."
Nicole Snell said, "Here’s my Riser bird/long trip alone db! I wanted a Riser bird as a tattoo because of how much the song Riser means to me, but I wanted to make it unique, and something else I love about Dierks, and so I decided on the db symbol from the Long Trip Alone album. I love that song and album a lot, and always loved that db symbol so I thought it was perfect! I decided I HAD to get a tattoo of him in some way, after all these years of following him around 😉 It’s a perfect tattoo to show me everyday that I’m a Riser, and I get asked all the time what that symbol is and people get to learn about Dierks that way haha"
Elise Benjamin Taylor shared, "My “Riser” tattoo. There are several reasons behind this tattoo, because I’m a Riser. But mostly because my Dad was a Riser and taught me to be one too. His final days were fighting stage IV lung cancer and he fought like a “Riser”. He had a tumor on his spine and we all knew that when it grew he would lose his ability to walk. So up to that point every single day my Dad got up and would work on his farm. Every. Single. Day. Through radiation and chemo he never stopped. He just kept fighting. During this time, my mother in law was also diagnosed with stage IV cancer, and I lost several friends to cancer, other illnesses, accidents and suicide. There were days I was so depressed I didn’t want to get out of bed, but I did, every single day. The song and the album “Riser” helped me through these hard times. “I Hold On” and “Here On Earth” also have so much special meaning. “Riser” will always be my favorite album."
Kathy Butler shared, "It's the LTA db symbol w/ lyrics that have a lot of meaning to me."
Meredith Mauer shared, "I got this tattoo while in Nashville, on an impromptu trip to see Deirks at the Station Inn with Kathy Butler. When Riser came out, it resonated with the with me on several levels. At the time, I was struggling (and still am) with some health issues and the recent loss of my best friend, who was KIA in Afghanistan. This was MY SONG! I incorporated the American flag into the Riser bird, and placed it on my wrist so it would fly proud when my arm was raised above my head. Funny side story to this: after the show at the Station Inn, we got to talk to Dierks and he signed some Hashprints for some fellow DBC members who weren't able to make it to the show. When he saw my tattoo, he did a double take and asked if it was real. He said he asked to send a pic of it to him, which Kathy did for me. I MAY have had a few beers that night, so I proceeded to tell him the story of the flag placement on my tattoo. Then, I went on this long spiel about the history of the way the military carries the flag. Poor guy! 😂😂. My tattoo was also featured in the DBTV video from that night. It was a great night with a lot of laughs."
Cecia Guidry Benoit shared, "I incorporated a few things into my tattoo. There’s the RISER bird because this song means so much to me. The palm trees symbolize “Somewhere On A Beach.” (Dierks is obviously my favorite and the beach is my happy place.) The stars and lightning represents my favorite band, The Cadillac Three, which also represents the Tennessee state flag. All of these things are all inside of a music symbol. I guess you can say it’s kind of a collage of all of my happies! ☺️"
Leanna Gasiewicz shared, "I got this after I called my wedding off, 'my faith your love our freedom is what keeps me going strong' and nothing can hold me back!"
Kelsey Hodges shared, "Had this for about 7 years now, ready to [get] something "mountain" themed soon."
Kimberly Fischer shared this photo. No caption needed!
Elena Lotten shared, "My husband had Dierks sign his arm at a meet and greet and got it tattooed the next day!!!"
Stefanie McNelis Alyssa shared, "😘😘 Upper left corner picture you can see we have “every mile a memory.” Very meaningful ❤️ that was a weekend of 3 shows in 3 or 4 days. Bloomington IL - Franklin WI -Chicago IL. It was Franklin, Wisconsin, where it was POURING down rain during “Home”... it was amazing to say the least! Every time I hear that song I am reminded of that experience."
Stacy Sievers shared, "I have this one on my left leg, I'd like to someday get a song lyric around it!"
Cassie Robinson shared, "I had him write out grateful for me last month ❤️"
If you have Dierks ink, we'd love to see it! Please share in the comments!
For the last 17 Dierks Bentley shows that Cecia Benoit, rep from Louisiana, has attended, she has made a t-shirt to stand out in the crowd. So when she heard a couple dozen DB Congress members planned to attend Dierks' show in Durant, Okla., on Nov. 18, she decided to introduce herself. She never imagined where this offer would take her.
"I was collecting my thoughts to make myself a shirt and I thought I'd like to make myself approachable to other DB Congress members whom I haven't met in person before," she said. "So I decided to put my name and state on it ... adding DB Congress and the Riser bird was a given. I shared my idea with a couple of other ladies who were going, and before I knew it, I was making shirts for ones from every corner of the United States--from Oregon to Maine, from California to Florida."
The shirts were a hit! Cecia ended up making shirts for 12 DB Congress reps from 10 states--all of whom went to Durant for the show. The Dierks Dozen met up at the venue (hours before the velvet rope dropped) and shared their love and passion for "our favorite dude" while standing in line, discussing the "musical gift he has shared with us all."
What started as a 1,200-mile road trip with her friends--Sylvia, rep from Louisiana, and Tracy, rep from Mississippi (who were naturally having Dierks withdrawals)--ended up as a gathering of new friends from across the country. (She even made special sweatshirts for her roadtrip buddies!)
"It made my heart overflow with happiness to have been the brains behind the shirts that all of these beautiful people were rocking."
To top it off, Mary Lou, rep from North Carolina, asked Cecia to make one of the shirts to give to Dierks--just in time for his birthday.
"To see my creation presented to Dierks during the show was icing on the cake. Wow. Just mind blowing!"
Great work, Cecia! Way to represent, ladies!
And Happy Birthday, Dude!
Side note: Did you catch Dierks saying they just finished a new record in that video? Happy birthday TO US!
Jessica Borrelli
DB Congress Rep, WA @AllTheWayToMe
The summer of 2017 held countless barbecues and block parties for DB Congress reps around the country. But there is one block party that brought a few DBC reps together and had the entire nation looking in--and it featured our president, Dierks Bentley.
A post shared by Good Morning America (@goodmorningamerica) on
On Tuesday, Oct. 17, Good Morning America with King's Hawaiian hosted a Summer Block Party in Austin, Tx. The location was selected as the host site as a result of a contest that was announced in May. Thousands of photo and video entries were submitted, all vying for the chance to host a summer concert with Dierks Bentley, right in their neighborhood. While a DBC member wasn't selected, a handful of reps had the opportunity to attend. It was a morning they will never forget (and the lost sleep was completely worth it).
GMA host Ginger Zee, when gearing up for the show, even had the chance to talk with DBC reps in the audience.
Here is a behind-the-scenes look from Texas DBC Lobbyist Meredith Mauer:
"[Attending the block party] was unplanned and unexpected on my part, so when I found out at 10:30 p.m. the night prior that this was happening, I made the decision that I was just going to be pulling an all-nighter!
"I downed a couple cups of coffee, threw on my jeans, boots, Riser hat, and DB Congress sweatshirt before heading out the door for my 2-hour drive. When I reached the neighborhood where the block party was taking place, the whole place looked pretty much asleep. I parked my car, then headed to the stage area on foot, walking by a sleeping [Dierks Bentley] Goldie Bus. It was literally set up in the middle of the street, with homes on both sides. Production equipment and tents were set up in front yards, and there were maybe a dozen people present when I got there. ... Over the next couple hours, I watched a few more people trickle in and listened to the production meeting in front of the stage, so I was able to get a general idea on how this was going to play out.
"The area in front of the stage was set up for VIPs on the left, first responders in the center, and ADA accessible on the right. The area directly behind was for the first 200 people in line with wristbands. The area behind them was pretty much general admission with wristbands. Those who live on the street were given lawn passes, which allowed them to watch the concert from the lawn on the left side of the stage. I'm not exactly sure how many showed up, but I did hear someone mention 1,000 people were expected.
"Once 5 a.m. rolled around, it didn't take long for the crowds to start flooding in. King's Hawaiian sponsored the block party, and provided a fun area for concert goers to grab a water, a sandwich made with their yummy rolls, a t-shirt, sunglasses, and some game fun, such as a giant game of Jenga. Standing on the lawn with those who live on the street, I spent some time talking to a few. I didn't realize that at one point I was standing next to Scott and Ashley Cooper, the winners of the block party. I learned that the block got to enjoy watching Dierks and the guys do a soundcheck the day prior, and Dierks spent some time with the Coopers.
"Once GMA started on the East Coast, things started happening. Without a doubt, it was a production put together for live TV. There was a crew of about 10 people there from GMA New York. There was a live teleprompter attached to the camera near me, and I watched it scroll as Robin Roberts was speaking in NY. ... Before coming to the stage, Dierks was escorted into the crowd to do a quick live shot in the middle of the crowd, saying "GOOD MORNING, AMERICA!"
From there, they took him to the King's Hawaiian party tent, and did another live shot of him playing Jenga with a child from the crowd. Meanwhile, our guys from the band came up on stage for a short soundcheck. From the look on Cassady's face, it looks like they may have just crawled out of bed on a cold, dark morning!
"They warmed up with "I Hold On," with Carlos strumming along using Dierks' guitar. Those of us in the lawn were able to participate in a number of live shots, from the weather with Ginger Zee to Dierks passing between us on the way to the stage. Of course, what was live on television took a few minutes prior to set up. I only participated in the live shot of Dierks heading to the stage. I was standing closest to the stage with my DB Congress sweatshirt on!
"Dierks played five songs. He performed "5-1-5-0" while it was still dark out, then talked to the crowd a little bit about his time in the neighborhood. About 18 minutes later, he got on stage and joked about being so cold (it wasn't, really) and the irony of his next song "Somewhere on a Beach" for a GMA live performance. At least the sun was coming up at this point!
"He then joined the first responders in front of the stage for some pictures, selfies and a live shot. They were some excited fans! It tickles me to see others appreciate the great guy Dierks is! Soon after, Ginger did a live interview with Dierks from the stage where he praised the first responders, mentioned the tragedy in Las Vegas, talked about the movie "Only The Brave."
"For the next live shot, they brought the Coopers, their neighbors and the first responders on stage. He performed one more song for the crowd, "Riser," then was whisked away to catch his shuttle to NY for his appearance on Fox News with Dana Perino.
"As the crowd dispersed, I waited to walk back by the buses to my car. I was glad to find my car wasn't towed, and drove off to find my next cup of coffee for the drive home. It was definitely worth the all-nighter!"
With recent (potential award) buzz about Dierks' hit song, "Hold the Light" for the movie "Only the Brave" and his advocacy for first responders in light of the Las Vegas tragedy, more and more people are learning about the man we already know and love. This was one more way for the DBC and the country to see him in action. What an unforgettable morning!
Jessica Borrelli
DB Congress Rep, WA
@AllTheWayToMe
With a (hat) trick up his sleeve, Dierks Bentley can check another item off his bucket list. Last night, he had the opportunity to sing the National Anthem before a Nashville Predators game ... in the Stanley Cup Finals, no less.
As Dierks said in an interview just a month ago, "It's one of those songs that's tough to do, but I'd be honored to get the call."
Just hours before the game, Dierks posted a video of his rally chair "in his house," leading the general public to believe he would be absent from the Game 4 festivities.
A post shared by Dierks Bentley (@dierksbentley) on
DB Congress members knew better. There's no way he would sit out a game of that importance (especially when home in Nashville)! There had to be something more behind the scenes.
Sure enough, as DB Congress Chair Ronna Clark said, "I knew as soon as they said 13x Grammy nominee!"
Despite being on vocal rest, with his iconic "whiskey-soaked grit in his voice," Dierks reverently sang our nation's anthem. For such a high-energy performer, this rendition was appropriately solemn and honoring (especially when singing "that our flag was still there"). Without fanfare or showboating, it was the Star Spangled Banner as it was written.
He even donned a Kevin Fiala jersey (unique from many artists who have worn their own name on their backs) in support of the Predators' forward who broke his leg in April.
As a Predators season ticket holder (and #1 fan), though he's been silent on social media since last night, one can only imagine the joy he felt in taking on this role.
Hockey has become a Bentley family affair, if photos and videos are any indication. Throughout the season, and especially during the Predators' playoff run, his wife Cassidy, and their kids have been cheering along. The band has been in on the action, as well, as have many friends, including Luke Bryan (with whom he facetiously takes credit for the playoff success!).
A post shared by Dierks Bentley (@dierksbentley) on
Country music star and hockey player, with red, white and blue in his veins, last night's surprise performance will, no doubt, be one Dierks will "hold on" to for years to come.
*The Predators won, putting the series at 2-2 against the Penguins.
Jessica Borrelli
DB Congress Rep, WA @AllTheWayToMe
It’s very difficult to write a positive blog about Dierks Bentley and The 48th Annual CMA Awards results. Many of us thought that this would be Dierks’s year as Riser, most certainly his best work to date (not counting Up on the Ridge), was pretty much universally praised. So far, it has produced two number one singles, one hilarious video, and a successful tour that has catapulted him to another level as an artist.
The morning of the show, we celebrated when he won the CMA Award for Video of the Year for “Drunk on a Plane,” which was announced prior to the televised awards show--the first of five nominations, the most of any male artist this year. However, as we went into watching the CMA Awards with high hopes, we came out three hours later utterly disappointed.
Dierks and his wife Cassidy
“I Hold On,” which was as personal a song as one can get, also became an anthem for many—a perfect combination to ensure a Song of the Year win. Alas, Kacey Musgraves, Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally took home the award for “Follow Your Arrow.”
We watched as Single of the Year and Album of the Year went to his friend and tour mate, Miranda Lambert.
And as we longed for the tide to turn in the Male Vocalist category, Blake Shelton walked away with the award for another year.
The one bright spot of the evening, was Dierks and the guys’ performance of “Drunk on a Plane.” Although sound quality was not at its best (for many of the performers) you could see Dierks and company put their all into the song which undoubtedly was the song of the summer.
Dierks himself said, "I've got my 'Yay, somebody else won, congratulations' face down pat. But we're winning right now."
They most certainly are.
With the success that 2014 has brought, one can only believe that 2015 will only see his star shine brighter and the industry take note to soon bestow on him the accolades of which he is most deserving. Until then, he will most certainly remain a winner in our eyes.
