Dierks Bentley and Hot Country Knights 'Crush It' During Las Vegas Valentines Weekend

In a two-night residency at The Chelsea Theater at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Dierks Bentley and his 90's Country band, Hot Country Knights crushed Valentines Day Weekend in back to back "HOT" performances, February 14 and 15, 2020.

While HCK was the opening act, they didn't just break even, they came out ahead! Caylee Hammack had to follow their 'wild and a little crazy, too' performance each night, and she held her own in a sparkly white ice skating outfit that Dierks noted on night two was perfect for the Burning Man On Ice tour, when he brought her out to sing 'Different For Girls' with him.  Before that, she killed it on harmonica in her own set that also included a Lizzo cover.

It's always a safe bet you'll find DB Congress in full force at any Dierks show.  Vegas was a draw for nearly two dozen reps, all supporting the Double dose of Dierks and Hot Country Knights with special Tshirts, thanks to LA rep, Cecia Benoit! See our socials for photos!

Here are some of the weekend's highlights:

Night 1 - Hot Country Knight's Viagra commercial  by Doug and Rayro: "We use a lot of Viagra in this band so we gotta do a jingle for Viagra."

I'm a riser
I'm a get the blood flowin' til it's a different sizer
I want to thank the white coat guys that work at Pfizer
Got 4 hours to turn this thing into a gieser
My game's on fire, like Orel Hershiser
I'm a Riser

Night 2- Hot Country Knight's ex-lax commercial by Doug and Rayro: "Tonight's sponsorship is brought to you by Ex-Lax.  We only endorse products that we use, and we use a shitload of this stuff.  We gotta pay the bills."

Am I the only one who wants a #2 tonight? Listen to the rest in this video clip:

Night 2 - Hot Country Knights - Asphalt - From the fly, Dierks gifts Mary Lou with a pair of blublockers: 

Night 1 - DBC was feeling the love from Dierks from the get go:

Night 1 - Dierks asked the crowd, "Anybody coming out for both nights?  I know YOU guys are (points to front row)...so hardcore:

Night 1 - After singing Riser, Dierks says, "That's how that song actually goes.  I was sitting side stage and I heard Doug turn my song - an  important song - into a song about erectile dysfunction. Not cool, not cool--this is an important song.  Last week he turned it into a song about Hooters:

I love Hooters, I love 2 for 1 wing Wednesdays with a whiskey shooter
If you're a vegan well you're a loser
And girls at the Vegas location are cuter
And whatever you're watching on your computer...

It's unbelievable, this guy [Doug] is destroying my songs!"

Night 2 -  Dierks's introduces Living - 

"I'm sorry about that I've been drinking a lot and I got the shakes (his hands violently shaking in a motion to the crowd to keep cheering.)  Damn, you guys!  I mean, last night was good but let's be honest, I means boys (talking to the band)...this!? Gotta love a number two.  Thank you so much for kickin' ass tonight.  I'm feeling so good tonight.  I love...how many people here from Vegas tonight? (Loud cheers).  I love Vegas so much.  One of my favorite things about it...the strip is good--it's ok. But if you drive like 40 minutes that way out to Red Rocks Canyon, that's really cool.  That's the shit out there.  And the way you have the best time of your life when you come here is you do a little bit of that out there, you go climb Turtle Head Trail...which I did today in a pair of Vans and no water.  You do that shit and then you come here, you get the best of both worlds.  That's how you do the best "Living." And that's what this song is about, making the most of every moment.  I've packed a lot into these 48 hours and it's one of my favorite places to play." 

Night 2 - Every Mile A Memory - Now with his massive catalog, odds are not great that Dierks will include EMAM in the set, but on night two we got lucky--and felt very loved!

"How many people first time tonight? I know this whole front row section was here last night. How many shows you all been to down here?"  He held the mic up to each hard core fan on the front row...lost count, 51, 68, 35, 98..."98 shows down here folks...you guys gotta get your shit together back there (pointing to the back of the theater)...48, 10, "10? Man, come on you can do better than that," come to the PNW and we will, "I know, I need to..." 57, 40, 23, 2 , 1 - "first one!" Our hard core fans, lotta friends down here..."

Night 2 - Sideways 'hand slaps' - Gotta make 'em wanna come back for more ...

Watch the entire Dierks Night 2 Vegas set at Chell099 Dierks Fan's YouTube page (16 videos).  

Dierks Bentley Hopes Seven Peaks Festival Experience Transforms You - Home Town Stories That Connect Us

 

Dierks Bentley is our inspiration.  So when five of us DB Congress reps were asked to be a part of the Dish/Live Nation Home Town TV segment for Dierks the day before the 2019 Seven Peaks Festival, we jumped at the chance!

Watch the 15 minute special here.

Below are the transcriptions from Dierks' segments:

One of the really unique things about country music is obviously the connection between the fans and with the singers and with the band.  Certain towns have certain people you see, the front row I'll look down and I'll see people I recognize for years they've been coming out since I played bars and clubs and there they are in the front row  and so its just a really beautiful thing that exists I think only in country.

As a country fan myself I meet somebody and they love country music we automatically have so much in common. I mean right away it’s like wow we’re friends. We could go have a beer and like talk for hours about artists we love.  And a lot of the music is so story based and it makes you start talking about your life and how a song affected your life and if you love country music it’s an instant bond with a stranger and it really brings people together.  It’s an unbelievable community I feel so honored to be a part of.

If you are on the road a bunch, you know, you try to find ways to bring little bits and pieces of home with you. Sometimes that is literally bringing home with you. The kids come out on the road…obviously my wife is there. So, we’ll have my three kids – sometimes they bring friends and so its pretty chaotic backstage but its so fun. I feel really lucky to kind of have, like, you know, two families – obviously, the one back in Nashville, my real family, but also my road family which is very important to me. It's just a chance to be present in these great shows, great venues – all leading towards a great end of the summer party at Seven Peaks.

It's just such a great location. I mean, it's just...this is a place that I've said, even if there wasn't any music there would be a reason for people to come together and hang out, it's just so beautiful. Seven 14,000 foot mountains you can see from the festival grounds. It's just a great way to spend time with friends, family, other fans meeting together here. That means a lot to me.

MARY LOU - Once we got to know each other, it was so much more than Dierks.

As an artist, somebody who gets to sing every night, one of the greatest compliments when we see other fans, people make friendships through your show.  People that never knew each other and because of your music, maybe because of your fan club, they became like lifelong friends.  I've had families started from our concerts so it's pretty humbling for the music and for what we've created out here to be the centerpiece of a lot of people's lives in some ways.

As a fan, when you go to a show, you want to at least believe the artist is like, this is a special show for them. I always think of Red Rocks and Colorado's one of those places that brings out the best in every artist that plays there. And I like to think that Seven Peaks is like that as well. YOu know, this amazing setting, you're looking at all these mountains!

RENEE - It doesn't matter if you're local or not because the locals welcomed everyone from all over the country - one giant family.

You know, those songs are what, how we communicate our feelings. Those singers, those songwriters - they say what we can’t.

NANCY - Amanda story/ it was tough to lose a friend so close to me and one of the things that helped me get through it was Dierk's music.

Every night, back stage, I have a meet and greet and I'll meet 60, 70 people and I've heard stories about songs and how they've changed peoples' lives, whether it's putting the song title on a poster or a direct story about a brother over in Iraq and this song is what helped them get through or someone has cancer or a song like Riser or I Hold On. They're telling you these stories with tears in their eyes. I can relate to that because I love this music, too. There's no other genre that has the song writing craft that country has. Every word is thought about and anguished over and how that word ties to the next word, and how it ties to the sentence, and does that tell the right story for this verse leading into the chorus, and the second verse is going to take the story to another spot, and the bridge is going to make the magic happen. I mean, it's such a craft and that has power.

NICHOLE - and son, Justin "It was only a mountain"  - we gotta get that tattoo!

Every night  I meet people who say something great about a song of mine and it means a lot to me and I take that story on stage and I think about it when I'm singing that song and I think that energy really translates in unseen ways when it happens.

I feel like at Seven Peaks, people are living! You know, they come out there and they're committed for a weekend and they're in the mountains, in the moment, in the music. And I just hope those moments right there translate in bigger moments in their life and they just feel inspired to make changes in your personal life, or you're more grateful for what you have, or just to leave this experience transformed in some way and take whatever you had there back to your community and take a little piece of Seven Peaks with you.  That's my goal for it.

MARY LOU - Dierks is everything this festival represents

RONNA - the mountains and the fresh air and just having that experience with your friends, and just...living! 

I love it when someone comes up to me and says, “you know, I grew up listening to your music and, you know, touring with you, I’ve learned so much from the way you tour and your crew is awesome and everyone treats us so well out there.” That’s like the biggest compliment you can get. You know you treated people well enough that they remember the way you made them feel – that’s something that I strive to do. I know everyone in my crew. They are, kind of, the face of the organization and they do a really great job of just being super, over-the-top kind, courteous and helpful in any way they can be. So that’s the legacy we want to leave behind.


~Ronna Clark
DB Congress Chair (FL)

Dierks and Knox Live it Up in "Living" Music Video

Released as a single in February, Dierks Bentley's "Living" has been climbing the charts ever since. And it's no surprise, really. This song touches everyone's soul on some level. It's full of heart and life ... a reflection of the man himself. It was only a matter of time until an official music video was released. Goodness, did the team deliver!

Earlier this week, Dierks took to social media to start teasing the video. Dierks, his 5-year-old son Knox, puppies, wave riders, pajama jam sessions ... we knew it was going to be good!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dierks Bentley (@dierksbentley) on Apr 9, 2019 at 4:00pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dierks Bentley (@dierksbentley) on Apr 10, 2019 at 1:00pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

TOMORROW!

A post shared by Dierks Bentley (@dierksbentley) on Apr 11, 2019 at 4:00pm PDT

The video follows Dierks and Knox in an epic day of adventure! This is fitting, given the song's focus of making the most of every day and truly living in even the most ordinary moments.

“’Living’ certainly celebrates life’s big moments and adventures, but for me it’s even more about being intentional and present in everyday moments,” Dierks said. “Knox is at that age where he can still find the biggest joy in the smallest things, and that childlike appreciation for life is the spirit I wanted to bring to this video to remind us of difference between just being alive and actually ‘living.’”

So here it is ... living, indeed!



Accompanying this release, People took fans behind the scenes for the making of this perfect video. Take a look here!

You can also see a fan-feature music video Dierks' team released in May 2018 as a series of music videos to promote the album The Mountain.

Dierks and the guys first played this song as a gift to DBCers present at a concert in Las Vegas in December 2017. "I was thinking of everybody here, but definitely these hardcore, hardcore fans standing down here ... this would be my gift to you." I had the honor of being along the stage for that moment, and I can tell you there wasn't a dry eye around me.

This song has touched so many lives. The lyrics and music had much to live up to. This video certainly lives up to the challenge.

Jessica Borrelli
DB Congress Rep, WA
@AllTheWayToMe

"Living" Released As New Single

It's official--a song very near and dear to many DB Congress members' hearts has been announced as Dierks Bentley's newest single.

First heard as a gift to DBCers present at a Las Vegas concert in December of 2017, the song "Living" quickly became a deep fan favorite.

 

For this very introspective, self-reflective, heart moving, downright gorgeous song, Dierks put his own pen to paper, personally writing this track with Ross Copperman and Josh Kear.

“The idea for this song started from being on the road and realizing how little ‘living’ we were actually doing out there,” he said. “Whole days would go by where you never leave the bus and all you would see is the back parking lot of the arena. Going to Walgreens was a big deal! That is when the idea was born that there is a true difference between being alive and actually ‘living.’ This song is certainly about big moments in life and adventure … but it’s more about finding the beauty and that feeling in everyday moments. My goal for 2019 is to get outdoors and seek adventure whenever possible while also being fully present and living in even the ordinary moments … whether it be my son’s hockey practice and my girls’ theater performances or sitting around the table having dinner in catering with my band and crew.”

While we can assume there will be an official "Living" music video in the future (not confirmed), this initial video was released before the album, and shares a fan story of truly living.


This might be presumptuous of me, but I, personally, could see this one going all the way to number 1 (which would make it his 19th number-one hit, following his 18th--Burning Man--just a couple weeks ago!). Now, we simply need to help get it there! Call, text, tweet your radio stations so we can share this lyrical gem with radio listeners everywhere.

With a heart full of grateful ...

Jessica Borrelli
DB Congress Rep, WA
@AllTheWayToMe

"Living" Music Video--Behind The Scenes with Jennifer Fry

Shortly after Dierks' "Living" music video was released, we received a request from a Jennifer Fry to join the DB Congress as a rep from Maryland. Turns out, she's the woman who was featured in the moving and inspirational music video. We had the chance to catch up with her by email (and in person at the tour launch!) to learn the "behind the scenes" of making the video. Check it out!

1. How did Dierks' team hear your story and how did they reach out to you to see if you would be willing to be featured in the video? 
When I pre-ordered the new album ... I received an email asking for fans' stories on celebrating the human spirit and how various people have overcome great struggles or adversities, [stories] of those living life to the fullest and making a difference in people’s lives and/or communities. 

I decided to tell my story about my hearing impairment. I explained that although it does have its difficulty in life, I never let my disability stop me from doing something that I love, whether it was completing school, listening to music, playing instruments (flute and now learning violin), playing sports, learning Irish dance, or doing my photography. I always had people telling me that I couldn’t do it. I opted to prove them wrong. I don’t know if I will lose my hearing completely. I learned to appreciate things much more, such as the birds singing, the sound of water, or the sound of the trees in the wind. I truly enjoy photography because it allows me to document a certain moment as I see things.

After trying my best to outline my story, I added my photo and submitted my story. A few weeks later, I received an email from a producer asking me if I was interested in participating in one of his music videos. Of course, I was ecstatic!

2. What was your experience in filming the video?
It was surreal and I was a bit nervous during the whole process. The producer who contacted me was very sweet and made the whole experience something I will never forget. I had a film crew consisting of two gentlemen who came to my home. They were very professional, but also very down to earth. It was easy to talk to them. In a way, I believe the whole ordeal was therapeutic for me. First, to tell my story in hopes that it will give others with a disability a sense of hope. Second, to just be provided the opportunity do something like this was unbelievable. I don’t have a whole lot of big things that happen to me so this was something that I will remember the rest of my life.

3. Have you always been a Dierks fan?
I remember the first time I saw Dierks on CMT. I was sitting in my college dorm when “What Was I Thinkin'” came on. I imagine it was one of those top 20 countdowns. I was hooked on his music since then (and the curly hair!). That was in 2003, so for the past 15 years, I have been following him as a fan. What was even better was when I found out my husband was also a huge fan. I saw Dierks perform a couple of times before I was married. Now it’s nice because my husband and I go see him perform together.

4. The song "Living" holds a special place in a number of DBCers' hearts. How has this song resonated with you?
I am so much in love with the song “Living.” I did not even hear the song until they sent me a short preview of the video about a week after filming me. I had tears in my eyes because it relates to my life so much. I didn’t hear the full version of it until it was fully released. I can’t stop listening to it now. It resonates with my personal story. Although I have the hearing loss, I never really let it stop me from doing the things I want to do. I always find a way, even if I have to adapt my path from others. It makes me see the world a bit differently, which I love to document with my photographs. .. I try not to take things for granted. Life is short. Enjoy it while you can.



5. What was the most surprising outcome of being featured in the video?
Being able to do something like this was the biggest surprise. I have dealt with anxiety throughout my life, so I was tremendously nervous to tell my story to strangers. However, I knew if I didn’t push myself to do this that I would regret it for the rest of my life. It was sort of a proud moment for me personally. I hope it might inspire others who have a disability. Just because our lives may be a little different doesn’t mean they aren’t just as beautiful.

6. We heard you met fellow DBCers at the Maryland concert (and Dierks, too!)!
I met so many wonderful ladies at the Maryland concert. It was an absolutely amazing evening. Everyone was super friendly! Thanks to so many wonderful people, I did have a chance to meet Dierks! He was such an awesome down-to-earth person. It was so easy to talk to him. I thanked him so much for the opportunity he gave me with the video. And he said how much he enjoyed the story. He and his music just mean so much more to me now! The entire night was just amazing as always. I'll never forget it!

Welcome to the DB Congress as one of our newest reps, Jennifer (@Jenn_BH32)! Thank you for sharing your story!

Dierks Bentley On Another Level for Opening Night of the Mountain High Tour in Columbia, MD

Photo Credit: Mary Lou Greene 
Cassady Feasby, Ben Helson, Dierks Bentley, Steve Misamore, Dan Hochhalter, Tim Sergent,
Opening Night, Mountain High Tour, 5/18/18, Merriweather Post Pavillion

Dierks Bentley was nine songs into his opening night of the Mountain High Tour before he drew a breath. 

"I didn't get a chance to introduce myself....Hi, I'm Dierks Bentley, I'm your lead singer tonight and you guys are amazing.  You guys are so incredible I cannot believe ...just blows my mind you guys are all here, everywhere, alright! up top!"

The Merriweather Post Pavillion was a gorgeous setting, and the fans in Columbia, Maryland on Friday, May 18, 2018 didn't seem to mind the rain to have the chance at the Dierks Bentley Mountain High experience.

All six 'Team Dude' members managed four costume changes (and wigs) in record time from the VIP 'mountain-clad' acoustic set, to 15 minutes later opening for LANCO in overalls as "The Maryland Monroes," then the new set, and a psychedelic '70's-themed encore--complete with platform shoes, bell bottoms and oh, yeah, a pilot's uniform.

The VIP acoustic set started out with stripped down versions of 5-1-5-0, Up On the Ridge, Drunk On A Plane and new from The Mountain album, "You Can't Bring Me Down." Fantastic fiddle playing by Dan Hochhalter! At one point, someone in the crowd was face-timing and Dierks took the phone and introduced the band to them. Dierks on the mandolin was having a blast, then traded with Ben Helson for the guitar.  Thank God for the versatility of this skillful group of musicians! Check out the VIP acoustic videos on our DB Congress Facebook page!

It's 9:20 pm and the lights go dark.  The intro music starts..."Well I bet my soul on a six string gamble, and I climbed like hell through the brush and the bramble. Even though I had my doubts, told myself, don't look down, and I turned that hill into a pile of gravel.  It was only a mountain, nothing but a big ole rock.   Only a mountain,  it ain't hard if you don't stop.  It just took a little step, a right then a left then a couple million more, who's countin'?  Hell, it's only a mountain, Hell, it's only a mountain...then BAM! An explosion --90 seconds of electricity and elaborate new lighting (compliments of Chris Reade), and live electric guitars, drums, bass, and banjo. Dierks, Ben Helson, Cassady Feasby, Dan Hochhalter, Steve Misamore and Tim Sergent rocked 'The Mountain' hard, straight into the next song--I Hold On.

Transitions were tight--they never stopped playing. Ending each song on the same note the next one began--seamless.  Before Somewhere On A Beach, Dierks quipped, if you want to climb a mountain, you gotta start at the bottom, you gotta start at sea level before you reach that altitude. The wild drum sound of Woman, Amen was augmented with LANCO and Brothers Osborne drummers in addition to Bentley's own Steve Misamore and perfectly positioned Black as the chaser.

Burning Man brought Brothers Osborne to the stage again--a much anticipated number since the Brothers are featured on the album cut.  And many DB Congress reps heard it live first in Vegas in December 2017. Ben Helson and John Osborne killed it while Dierks,  jumped up and down excitedly:

Up On The

Ridge took a turn to Hillbilly Shoes (a nod to Montgomery Gentry), spotlighting the vocal talent of bass player, Cassady Feasby. "You think you know me, but you ain't seen nothin' yet.  Til you walk a while, a country mile in my hillbilly shoes, he belts out while Bentley harmonizes with background vocals:



During 5-1-5-0, LANCO lead Brandon Lancaster returned to duet with Dierks on the 90's throwback, "Sold" (Grundy County Auction).



So how did the tour name come about? Dierks tells us.

"Ah man, we've been off the road for a while...this is our first night of the Mountain High Tour.  I got a record coming out called The Mountain, so me and the guys we're responsible for the "Mountain" part of the name, Brothers Osborne are responsible for the "High" part of the Mountain High Tour.  Pretty good, right? We're just so relieved to be back on the road, this is where we love to be.  We had to take some time off to try to make the best record we could, but we missed you guys, miss being around you guys."

"It was a crazy year last year, it was a hard year for a lot of us in country music, in the country music community and a lot of difficult times out there that we all went through together.  I was meeting earlier tonight with a girl who was here with her family and its her first concert back since Route 91 and I want to recognize her and her family--thank you for coming out tonight and letting us be your first concert since then--really means  a lot to me and the guys that you guys came here."

"I know everybody here, you all have your own mountains you're climbing, your own personal battles, and I tell you the one thing I know is that country music fans have more perseverance and determination than any people I've ever met in my life and we're gonna send this song to all you risers out there tonight--this is for you guys, you are risers, there's nothing you can't do, nothing we can't get through together. Isn't that right?"

Am I The Only One? allowed the guys to all sit down for a minute (whew!) on the new stage with a U-shaped set of lighted steps, and Dierks introduced each of them, then strolled out to the B stage for Tip It On Back--a perfect fit for the fans on the lawn- and Say You Do, before heading back to the main stage for Living, Thinking and Sideways.

When darkness comes to town, I'm a lighter...the stage goes dark for a short time and then a 70's clad crew come back for the lively Drunk On A Plane encore and suddenly Dierks is maneuvered high up in the stage clouds for the Mardi Gras tune in a make-shift plane.

As if our clear eyes weren't even blinking, it was over, leaving us with a heart full of grateful for all Dierks and his crew gave us tonight, an uplifting evening, allowing us to feel that fire we've been missin', we were living!

Don't miss the Mountain High Tour tonight in Camden, NJ.  See all tour dates here.

Ronna Clark
DB Congress Chair

Music Video Series Shares Fans' Personal "Mountains"

Though the promotion and hype of Dierks Bentley's ninth studio album, The Mountain, has focused on a literal mountain setting, the meaning is much bigger. Instead, it is a metaphor for life's challenges, focusing on the struggle and the moments of overcoming.

What inspired this picturesque metaphor?

“The people I meet on the road who are climbing their own personal mountains unknowingly inspired this album,” Dierks said. “Their stories are powerful and raw, but there is always a sense of resilience and hope. Those feelings are the foundation of this album to me.”

So, Dierks teamed up with Apple Music to share the stories of some of the people who inspired The Mountain--fans with powerful, real struggles. This four-part video series will highlight "fans’ stories of resilience, perseverance and hope set to picturesque performance footage shot in Colorado."

The first two videos have been released, with the next two coming out before the album release on June 8. These videos and stories will certainly get you thinking about life's mountains and will, no doubt, tug on your heart.

The Mountain
The first video features Daniel Foley, Boston Marathon runner and 2013 bombing survivor. Daniel's family was near the finish line when the bomb went off; they all witnessed the horror that took place that day. They decided to overcome the mountain together. "My wife and I decided we were going to focus on all the good, that we can come back from a terrorist attack and we can run the next year and not be afraid." Here's their story:




Living
The second video features Jennifer Fry, a photographer who was born with low-tone hearing loss in both ears. Despite others telling her she wouldn't be able to have a normal life, she opted to prove them wrong. "I'm not really sure if I'm going to lose my hearing completely. I'm just going to keep going and hear the birds singing and water splashing, just everything. I want to take it in as much as I can." Here's her story:



UPDATE:
You Can't Bring Me Down
The third video features McKenzi Loid, who passed away from a car accident while leaving a Dierks concert on April 24, 2017. Her mom (Robin Loid) and sister (Emily Wilkins) created the non-profit Cultivate Kindness in her honor. Their organization raises money to support Be The Light, an annual special needs prom. "It's wonderful to continue her kindness and her positivity through Cultivate Kindness ... turning that grief and sadness into something wonderful, like this prom, it's incredible to us."



Stay tuned for the final video, which should be available this week.

In the meantime, Dierks' team is still collecting "mountain" stories from those who have recently scaled a mountain of their own. Have a story? You can submit it here. It might be featured during the album release!

Jessica Borrelli
DB Congress Rep, WA
@AllTheWayToMe

Title Track and "The Mountain" Tracklist Revealed

On April 12, those who follow Dierks Bentley's social media channels were given some very important news we've all been waiting for: The Mountain album will be released June 8!

That same day, those who pre-ordered The Mountain were notified of an extra special surprise: a downloadable title track!

Oh, it's an amazing week for Dierks fans, isn't it?

After we set up yet another Dierks countdown timer on our phones (54 days, 15 hours, 23 minutes as of the writing of this blog), we can now see what's been hinted at over the last few weeks. All song titles are available (and we have clips of many of them!).

As stated by Dierks' PR team, "Reaching a new creative high, Bentley co-wrote 10 of the 13 new tracks that are unified by themes of presence and positivity, and range in style from textured rock to acoustic folk, feeling both rooted and expansive at the same time."

Can I get a "Woman, Amen!"?

Here's what we know (click on the links for info about the songs):

1. Burning Man (written by Luke Dick and Bobby Pinson)

2. The Mountain (written by Dierks Bentley, Jon Randall, Luke Dick and Natalie Hemby)

3. Living (written by Dierks Bentley, Ross Copperman, Jon Nite, Ashley Gorley)

4. Woman, Amen (written by Dierk Bentley, Ross Copperman, Josh Kear)

5. You Can't Bring Me Down (written by Dierks Bentley, Luke Laird, Hillary Lindsay)

6. Nothing On But The Stars (written by Dierks Bentley Ross Copperman, Jon Nite, Jon Randall)

7. Goodbye In Telluride (written by Dierks Bentley, Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley, Scooter Carusoe)

8. My Religion (written by Jamie Kenney, Ben Burgess, Michael Pollack, Rick Markowitz)

9. One Way (written by Dierks Bentley, Jeff Hyde, Laura Veltz)

10. Son Of The Sun (written by Dierks Bentley, Ross Copperman, Jon Nite, Jon Randall)

11. Stranger To Myself (written by Dierks Bentley, Ross Copperman, Heather Morgan)

12. Travelin' Light (feat. Brandi Carlile) (written by Dierks Bentley, Ashley Gorley, Jon Nite)

13. How I'm Going Out (written by Jessi Alexander, Jon Randall--a fun bit of trivia: Jessi and Jon are married!)

Collaborations on this album include songs with Brothers Osborne, Brandi Carlile, and world-renowned bluegrass musicians Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas and Tim O’Brien.

When reflecting on the tracks of this album, Dierks said, “For me it’s the best of both worlds, and it feels like something new. It’s powerful but also happy, with acoustic sensibility mixed in with the big sounds I like to have for the road. They are the songs I’d play for somebody to say, ‘This is who I am right now.’"

We'll take all the sneak peeks we can get until this album is released.

With "Woman, Amen" climbing the charts and flooding the airwaves, and now "The Mountain" available through major music services (and on repeat on our devices!), our Dierks playlists have gotten that much better, with the promise of mountain-sized talent to come.

Carrie Srebro
DB Congress Chart Reporter
@corbers

Jessica Borrelli
DB Congress Rep, WA
@AllTheWayToMe

The Mountain, Songs We Know So Far

While we eagerly await the release of Dierks' upcoming album, The Mountain, he's been teasing us with clips of new songs through social media channels. And while we are so #grateful for the hints, it's making the waiting that much more difficult! Here are the songs we know so far:

Woman, Amen
This one doesn't need an introduction. "Woman, Amen" has been on the Billboard Hot Country Music Charts for seven weeks now and reached spot 16 on Mediabase, as well! (If you haven't yet, please call, tweet and message your local stations to request this song.) You'll be able to see Dierks perform this one live at the April 15 ACM awards!




The Mountain
For those who got their key to The Mountain, you can see Dierks' handwritten lyrics to the full song in the enhanced album experience. If this clip below is any indicator of what we can expect from this album, we could be on the verge of experiencing Dierks' best album yet (and that's saying a whole heck of a lot, isn't it, DB Congress?!).

New Album #TheMountain | Full Story: @NPR - Link In Bio

A post shared by Dierks Bentley (@dierksbentley) on Jan 10, 2018 at 5:45am PST

Living
DBCers who were in Vegas last December got to hear this one in its entirety. I, personally, had tears running down for this one. Yes. It's that good. Living is as real as it gets. Click here for the video from that concert and the lyrics to this powerful song.

some days you’re livin’ #themountain

A post shared by Dierks Bentley (@dierksbentley) on Mar 8, 2018 at 5:38pm PST

Burning Man.
Heard twice in Vegas last December, this song certainly received Internet buzz when we posted this video and lyrics. Watch Dierks' and the guys' faces in this clip below. Oh, the energy this song carries (it's even more intense hearing it live!).

#TheMountain

A post shared by Dierks Bentley (@dierksbentley) on Mar 1, 2018 at 6:43pm PST

Unknown Title
"You know we didn't get it right.
But it wasn't all wrong.
It wasn't just a phase.
It isn't all gone."

you know we didn’t get it right, but it wasn’t all wrong #themountain

A post shared by Dierks Bentley (@dierksbentley) on Feb 23, 2018 at 1:02pm PST

Unknown Title
"It's gonna be one way this time ...
She could be like a song.
The kind with the time always comes back home.
But something tells me she's gone.
There's no words, there's no rhymes ..."

but something tells me she’s gone #themountain

A post shared by Dierks Bentley (@dierksbentley) on Mar 14, 2018 at 10:16am PDT

Brother to the Sky (possibly Sun of the Sun)
"... brother to the sky.
Sometimes I've got to lose myself
So I don't lose my mind."

brother to the sky #themountain

A post shared by Dierks Bentley (@dierksbentley) on Feb 13, 2018 at 4:53pm PST

There are seven songs/clips to keep you going for now!

Dierks "found a personal connection to the songs on The Mountain. 'It's the mountain that we’re all faced with every day, and the struggle to put one foot in front of the other even when things are hard, that we all have in common. Looking back now, I think we were all searching for hope and optimism when we were writing this music.'"

Sources have indicated this album could be available around June.

Am I the only one who has a countdown calendar going? We're ready, Dierks.

Jessica Borrelli
DB Congress Rep, WA
@AllTheWayToMe

New Album Announcement (And So Much More) From Dierks This Week

If this week is any indication of how 2018 with Dierks Bentley will be, we're all on the ultimate ride! 

After almost two rare months of silence on his social media channels, and a very sad, blank space where his profile photos used to reside, fans and media channels started to notice something was going on. Even his website, dierks.com, went blank except for the tour date listings.

Then the clues (and subsequent social media frenzy) began.

Jan. 2, fans caught a--no kidding--6-second clip of clouds.
Jan. 5, a 9-second clip of Dierks' feet and backside hiking up some rocks.
Jan. 7, almost 12 seconds of forrest ... and Dierks hiking through it.
Jan. 8, just shy of three seconds of Dierks at the top of a mountain, taking a moment.
Jan. 9, 11 glorious seconds of Dierks hiking once again, but this time, with one of the best shots I've ever seen (anyone else with me?) of him taking it all in. Seriously. This has album cover written all over it.

Was this teasing a new album? (It has been almost two years since the release of Black, so that made sense. Plus we knew he was recently writing in Colorado.) Was there a new single coming out? What was going on?

Then Jan. 10 hit. And what a day it was!

The following clip (with a minute and a half teaser of the title track) was released with a note that you can now preorder The Mountain at dierks.com:

Does anyone else have chills?

At the same time, all profile photos switched to a nature-inspired logo, confirming the title of the upcoming album, The Mountain.

Thankfully we didn't have to wait long for more. Just 30 minutes later, his Facebook, Twitter and Instagram announced he would be live in two hours and would be collecting questions for the following hour using #TheMountain. There's no doubt why the hashtag was trending by the end of the day.

As hundreds flooded the platforms with their questions, hundreds more rushed to dierks.com to pre-order their copy, only to find a unique, iconically Dierks, surprise. You can order "a key to The Mountain." It's not just the key code to download your copy of The Mountain when it is available (plus enhanced features and content), but you'll get a literal key necklace engraved with words inspired by the album itself. You can pick between Strength, Humble, Freedom, Grateful, Believe, Hope, Faith and Grace. (Some have questioned where Congress is, but that's for another blog!)

These positive, uplifting, full-of-heart words all describe the man behind the music. If these are words inspired by the album, this could very well be the most self-reflective album yet. #humble

(A bonus for those who have ordered their key--you can use the emailed code to watch a video message from Dierks and see a handwritten copy of the lyrics to the title track! Which lyrics resonate most with you?)

He confirmed the album concepts in the live interview (where he answered a dozen questions, a couple of them we know were from DBC reps!).

In this interview, while we don't get an album release date, he does confirm the first single, "Woman, Amen," will be out Jan. 17. Thank goodness we don't have to wait long! #grateful

"Family has always inspired me. I think the first single shows that. Life. Living. Just that feeling of not just being alive but of living, going for stuff. That's probably more of what the whole album is about. My family is obviously the core to that."

His absence, he notes, is because he's been busy #living the music. We can get on board with that.

As for his inspiration for the album, the same day, Dierks' team put out an incredible behind-the-scenes QnA article, fully diving into the making of The Mountain. It's definitely worth a read, DBC.

In the live interview, he adds this descriptor: "I'm trying to take a lot of sounds from Up on the Ridge and blend them with the sounds from Black. 'Mixing the bluegrass with the kick ass.'"

Don't wake me. I must be dreaming.

To sum up, here's what we know:

• Now--You can pre-order The Mountain, and pick out your "key to The Mountain." (Bonus: you'll see the extra Dierks video and handwritten lyrics.)
• Jan. 17--The first single, "Woman, Amen," will be released. (Which means call/message/tweet your local radio stations to request this song starting that day!)
• Jan. 18--Tune in, as Dierks will perform the new single on Ellen.
• April?--The Mountain is released. #hope
• May--The tour will kick off, though we don't yet know dates or cities. #believe
• We know of four new songs (all presumably on this album): Woman, Amen; The Mountain; Burning Man; and Living

"I've never cared less in my career, and at the same time, I've never cared more. I don't care about the success of the album as much as I care about it just has to be right."

We're ready to climb The Mountain with you, Dierks.

Jessica Borrelli

DB Congress Rep, WA

@AllTheWayToMe