Meet Mariana Bowring, Dierks Bentley's 'Stand-In' Guitarist In Georgia

If you've been to a recent Dierks Bentley show, you know he usually gives one fan--who looks like they're rockin' and having a good time--an "on-stage experience of a lifetime" by pulling them out of the crowd to the stage, strapping his #7 red Fender Telecaster guitar on them and letting them jam with the band to the rest of "Lot of Leavin' Left To Do."

DB Congress member, Mariana Bowring from Georgia, was the lucky fan during the September 19, 2013 Lakewood Amphitheater show in Atlanta, Georgia.

Although Mariana's first live DB show was only a few years ago, she's been a fan "ever since I've loved country music," she admits to DB Congress.  She is a dedicated DBC-er, posting, tweeting, promoting and requesting Dierks daily!

Here's her Dierks back-story:

"The first time I saw Dierks Bentley perform was CMA Fest 2011, but I'd known about him for as long as I've loved country music. During his set he sang "Up On The Ridge" and "Draw Me A Map" (neither of those songs had I heard before) and I instantly fell in love and had to hear more of that music! So I bought the "Up On The Ridge" album, and because I loved that so much, I bought a banjo (I just had to make that same kind of music). 

Then the "Home" album came out and that became the second Dierks album I bought and I loved every song! So I decided I needed to see Dierks on tour and in concert! I joined the fan club and stalked the dates for something near me. But because I kept moving, we kept missing each other. 

The second time I saw him was CMA Fest 2012 and by then I was dying to see him at a real concert! He was finally coming to where I lived, but we ended moving again a month before that show. I was heart-broken. After moving, for some reason, they added an extra date and it was gonna be only two hours from me! That was the Macon, GA show where I got a Meet & Greet and got pulled on stage the first time! 

I do play banjo (although I am a beginner, not at all that good at it!) And because Dierks is the reason I got a banjo, I got it signed by him at LCB (Last Call Ball annual fan club party) in June! I play guitar, sing and write songs, too. (I'm attempting a country singer-songwriter career). 

The Atlanta show on September 19th was my 10th Dierks Bentley show and one that I had been looking forward to since the date was announced back in December.  I was in the pit, right up at the catwalk and only two people between me and the front of the stage.  The Cadillac Three and Randy Rogers Band were awesome openers and I especially wished RRB had done more songs!  

Then, Dierks Bentley!  It was my favorite show yet (they get better and better every time)!  My favorite songs he did were "I Hold On," "5-1-5-0," "How Am I Doin','" "Feel That Fire," "Home," and of course, "Lot of Leavin' Left To Do." 

I was wearing a 'The Departed' ball cap which Dierks was wearing also, so during the instrumental of LOLLTD, he turned his usually facing backwards cap around and came over to me and pulled me on stage! I was in total shock, since he had already pulled me on stage in Macon!  It was so fun to jam on the guitar and with the band! (Back in March, Dierks left the stage to let me finish the song, so I thought he'd done the same thing this time.  Turns out he was sitting behind me on stage jamming out!) 

Dierks and Mariana

Mariana and Dan Hochhalter

Dierks pulls Mariana up on stage at the 2:40 mark of this video:

Later, at the end of singing, "Feel That Fire," Dierks called me out singing "This girl wants to play my guitar at the Atlanta, Georgia show," and blew me a kiss! 

After "Home" and the final bow, Dierks came over with a guitar, asked if I had one yet (which I didn't), signed it, and gave it to me! I broke down crying--it was the BEST night of my life! 

It was such a great concert, I'd go to it over and over!  Can't wait for show #11 in October!

Dierks Bentley Rewarding Hard Core Fans with Fender Guitars, Experiences of a Lifetime

Got a guitar, got a guitar on my back...

Hard core, DB Congress fan club members have been singing along to those lyrics from Dierks Bentley's top 5 song, "Trying To Stop Your Leaving" for years, never dreaming they would be acting out the words for real--on stage with the man himself!

Seems Dierks, along with a little help from Fender Guitars, is showing lots of love for his myriad minions in every show of the Locked and Re-loaded tour with Miranda Lambert.  It's as if he's "thanking" his loyal fan club members by bringing them up on stage and giving them a special experience--an experience of a lifetime--during "Lot of Leavin' Left To Do."

And even though the two songs both have "leaving" in the title, DBCers sure are "staying" up on stage, rocking out with the boys in the band for the rest of the song on his red #7 Fender Custom Thinline (*thanks, Dr. Feasby)!

At the end of the show, Dierks brings out a fresh Fender Telecaster, autographs it, and hands it to the 'with the band' member of the night.

Stage Manager, Jay Ballinger (@Jbgod222), recently tweeted the latest shipment:

"Whats in the box?"Thanks to @fender 50 lucky @dierksbentley fans will find out! #lockedreloaded"

The fans aren't the only ones enjoying this streak of giving.  Dierks is getting a lot out of it as well.  He was so taken by one girl's reaction, he made it his Twitter (@DierksBentley) profile photo:

"maybe my favorite pic of the #lockedreloaded tour so far. love her expression!!!"

We told you about the first guitar give-away in Knoxville, Kentucky to DB Congress member, David. Here are a few more stories below.  Who will be next?


STACY LOBDELL (IL) - Dekalb, IL, Valentine's Day - Feb. 14, 2013

This was her second DB stage experience.  The Illinois DBC rep has been known as 'Stage-dive Stacy' ever since she took a leap of faith with Dierks six years ago.

"Dierks is the best to his fans and if I wasn't already, I'll be a fan for life." 

ASHLEY WARDRIP (KY) - Baltimore, MD - January 24, 2013

She doesn't remember much about being on stage...

"It all happened so fast. I went to the Baltimore show by myself, got there at 2 pm and doors opened at 7 pm. I got in the corner of the stage and pit on the left side of the stage. I had a sign that stated I drove 10 hours just to see him (from KY).

During "Lot Of Leavin' Left To Do" he took my sign, showed it to the cameraman and then reached his hand out. I said, "Are you serious?" and he laughed and said "C'mon!" I, not so graciously, climbed on stage where he put his guitar around me. I have never touched a guitar and I was so nervous that I was strumming the wrong part so he had to grab my hand and put it in the right spot. No idea how long I was playing but I saw him staring at me, and I asked him if he needed his guitar back. He gave me the biggest hug and escorted me off stage. 

Afterward they brought out a guitar, he knelt down in front of me and signed it and gave it to me. Since I was by myself and not in the greatest part of town I had 3 security guards walk me to my car. Best day of my life!"  

DAVID WATTS (CA) - Scottsdale, AZ - January 31, 2013

It must have been the shirt.....that earned him a trip to the stage.

@DistantShore19 David: "I named her Fae. #ILoveHer"

David tweeted to Dierks the next day: "Dude, when I showed my 12 year-old son the guitar, he said, 'That's so cool, Dierks made your dream come true!' He was right! Ty Bro."   David also tweeted that the best part of the show was not getting pulled on stage, not getting a guitar, but watching Dierks shed a tear for his dad when he sang his new song, "I Hold On."




STEPHANIE LANHAM (MO) - Kansas City, MO - March 9, 2013

Stephanie Lanham (MO), is also a member of our DBC Cabinet, serving as Historian and graphic designer!  Fellow Missouri rep, Takara, captured Steph's special moments on video:






Dierks knows how many miles his fans travel to see him.  He knows we get there early and stand in line for hours in the cold, heat, sleet, rain and snow--just to secure that front row, elbows on the stage, spot in the pit.  He knows we do all that to have that 'come a little closer' moment with our number one artist.

He knows how much we support and promote him every day in between shows.  And this is his way of recognizing our dedication and showing his appreciation!

Every mile a memory
Every song another scene
From some old movie goin’ back in time to you and me
Every day a page turned down
Every night a lonesome sound
Like a freight train rollin’ through my dreams

We love ya, dude!

~Ronna
DBC Chair (FL)

Dierks Dubs Devin, 'The Interpretive Dance Guy'

Please leave a comment to welcome new Dierks Bentley Congress California rep - DevinErik! Discover his "Dierks" back-story here:

"I live out in CA, and I can tell you about some of my Dierks experiences. For starters, I've been a Dierks fan since "What Was I Thinkin'" hit radio stations everywhere. Bought his debut cd and haven't looked back. My favorite song is "Beautiful World." I won the Green Screen Contest on CMT for "Free & Easy" which was pretty cool, but that doesn't compare to my New York City trip.

So here's the story. Last October, I was sitting around checking out the fan club site when I noticed that Dierks was doing 4 consecutive shows at 4 separate venues in and around New York City. I remember thinking that it sounded like an amazing time, but I had never been to NY and didn't know anyone that lived out there. The more I thought about how awesome it would be to see the city and watch a Dierks shows each night, the more I realized I needed a vacation. So I booked it; bought tickets to all 4 shows, booked a flight, called my boss, looked for a hotel.

So the first night the show was at The Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan and I got there around 5 or 6 to scout out the line. When I arrived, there were already a dozen or so fans waiting. Luckily I ended up front and center anyway. Dierks came out pumped (coulda been the bottle of Patron he was sipping throughout the set). When he got to the line, "I guess the lord made me hard to handle," in "Lot of Leaving Left To Do," I put my fist in the air and started shaking it. Dierks continued, "So loving me might be a long shot gamble," and I let the dice fly (imaginary dice of course). Dierks almost started laughing mid song.

After finishing the song emphatically, he asked the crowd,"Can you all see this guy down here?" He was laughing in disbelief. "I looked down and saw him shaking his fist and thought, hmmm, shake-weight? Nah, couldn't be..." mocking my muscle tone (or lack thereof). Then he said, "I finally figured it out. He was rolling the dice for the 'Long shot gamble' line." He went on to describe me as an interpretive dancer and told the audience to watch for my moves and then said "Come on Devin, I expect a lot out of ya!"

The rest of the night he jabbed at me, doing some hand gestures and "moves" of his own. Later on in the evening he did a cover of George Strait's "All My Exes Live In Texas" and he had me face the crowd and hand-mime the lyrics. It was incredible.

Finally at the end of the show Dierks began to pull all of the girls wearing white tank-tops up onto the stage while rocking through "What Was I Thinking." He came over to me and yanked me up with everyone else.

I looked around a bit and noticed that I was the only one not wearing a tank-top...or was I? I unbuttoned my shirt a bit to show that I had one on under my flannel and the crowd went berserk.

When the last note of the song played and the drums given a final smash, I grabbed the mic and yelled, "We're going streaking!!!" - which got a big laugh out of Dierks...I'm pretty sure he's a big Will Ferrel fan.

The girls all started clearing the stage, but I was allowed to stay. I started river dancing to the Irish rock song he plays to close out his shows and everyone laughed. Dierks brought me into a huddle with him and the rest of the band and then we all gave an unorganized bow- again, the crowd laughed.

Of course my mind started wandering and I imagined myself tearing up New York all night with the crew, but it all ended with a signed photo of Dierks that said "THX Bret, God Bless" - guess the Patron made him forget my name a bit. But to me it was perfect. The perfect ending to the perfect day.

During my October 2010 trip to NYC, I made a music video of my Dierks trip: "Love Grows Wild." 



Last month I was lucky enough to watch the Dierks & Friends show at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA and Dierks came right over to me at the end and said, "The interpretive dance guy, right?" - yup, that's me.

It is a personal goal of mine to someday write a song with or for Dierks, but for now I'll settle for being someone that he recognizes as a fan. He is a fantastic musician and a cool dude. Thanks for letting me share!

Glad to be a part of the congress!"

-The Interpretive Dance Guy (DevinErik)

DB Congress Rep, California

DIERKS' THIRD 'THREAD' IS 'PRICELESS'

This week, Dierks Bentley's WSM radio show was "Priceless," as in legendary Country Music Hall of Famer Ray Price. "We're gonna do a whole show on Ray Price's music and his influence on me and a lot of my contemporaries." Dierks says.

The Thread is stringing us along, from DB's Station Inn roots, to his Lower Broadway antics and now the third show in the series demonstrates how the history of country music legends are all connected.

Although Lot of Leavin' Left To Do began the hour, it was the only Bentley-penned song played. Instead, Dierks took us for a ride in Ray's old buick, showcasing a lot of the songwriters that had hits with Ray Price, from 1956 forward. Like Crazy Arms, You Done Me Wrong (George Jones and Ray Price co-wrote), and a Bill Anderson penned tune--City Lights.

Bentley played Invitation To The Blues written by Roger Miller, matter -of-factly letting us know the song peaked at #3, but it just goes to show you don't need a #1 hit to have a big hit.

A natural story teller, he goes on to outline Ray Price's 1953 band - The Cherokee Cowboys. Who knew Roger Miller, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Paycheck were all in one band! What a treat for the 1950's audiences!

Dierks reminded us that even though we're all used to hearing Crazy sang by Patsy Cline, (a big hit in 1962 for her), that Ray Price recut it in 1967; his version only went to #73 but the cool piece of trivia is that Willie Nelson wrote it.

One of Bentley's favorite singer/songwriter's of all time, Kris Kristofferson wrote, For The Good Times, and it won Price a Grammy for Best Male Vocal Performance. The song went #1 in 1970.

Next on the Price play list is The Lonesomest Lonesome, written by Mac Davis. "I love the word lonesome," Dierks admits. For those of us who are lucky enough to own his 2001 independent album, "Don't Leave Me In Love," that word - lonesome - is laced between every other lyric on the CD!

Ray Price has had 109 charting singles in his career and might have a few more in him! He's one of our true icons, still singing on the Opry stage! Dierks obviously has a lot of respect for the great Ray Price.

This week's episode of THE THREAD, presented by Dierks Bentley, is now available for download from the audio archive on the Dierks Fans Message board. You will need to be registered to access this free audio. The show has been edited to remove advertising and lasts 48 minutes.

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

Jamie (jmleslie)

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

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

Glenda (Aussie_Glenda73)

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

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

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



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

-Amanda (Mississippi Rep, DBC Secretary)

DIERKS MAKES A NIGHT OF IT

The next best thing to being there in person, is listening to The Grand Ole Opry live via wsmonline.com. The longest running radio broadcast (since 1925), the Opry morphed into an iconic live entertainment experience, dedicated to honoring country music’s rich history and dynamic present.

It's even sweeter when GOO Member Dierks Bentley is on the line up! Tuesday night Opry was such a night, and a few of us DB Congress reps were listening online and chatting on dierks.com when the one and only Eddie Stubbs, an announcer on WSM’s Grand Ole Opry, and evening DJ on 650 AM WSM, introduced our prez: "It's a treat to have this young man with us tonight...he wanted to be a part of the Opry family so bad he could taste it!"

Dierks began his set with Free and Easy 1,2,3,4! And it was obvious the feeling was mutual, because Dierks plugged in "Eddie Stubbs is rockin' on the radio" in place of the normal lyric. ...someday I know it's gonna take me home...I could just picture him pointing to the sky! Love that banjo, Tim!

Next up, Feel That Fire. Perfect! So Steph, David, Debbie and I tried to guess what the third song would be (hoping there would be a third song), Sideways, Better Believer, Beautiful World....nope! He launched into Lot of Leavin' Left To Do, right after introducing the guys. I was really impressed that this time he actually said their names slow and clear enough to understand.

Right before LLLTD, Dierks told a story of staying out late after the Brad concert and coming home, having to kick in the doggie door. Really funny.

And then at the end of the Opry show, Eddie said Dierks was gonna join him in a few minutes in the WSM studio (next door to the Opry House in the Gaylord Opryland hotel). So we stayed online and cotinued to listen, and Dierks came in! He was there with Eddie for over two hours talking and playing most of the songs from the new CD! (Little Heartwrecker, I Can't Forget Her, You Hold Me Together, Better Believer, Last Call, Feel That Fire, I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes and Beautiful World).

Dierks talked about each song, and said FTF was written as a heads up to all the guys to know what makes a girl want to feel that fire.

When they played Beautiful World, Dierks said if there was just one song he would want to be known/remembered for, that would be it. So they asked listeners to call in and comment on the song. David called in to tell them he loved BW! They said they would pass it on to Dierks, and they actually said on the air, "this guy called from Louisville, KY, couldn't even wait for the song to be over to let you know how much he loves the song." So then I called and it rang again and again and again and again and again (sorry, I type in Dierks lyrical rhythm), then they picked up and I said "I'm calling to comment on Beautiful World," ok, hold on--click. So I'm on hold forever--really thought about hanging up, when they came back on the line.

ME: Hi, This is Ronna, from Tampa, Florida.

DB: Hey, this is Dierks!

ME: You're kidding?! They've got you on the phones?

DB: Yeah, so how ya doin?

ME: Great! We just listened to you on the Opry, you guys sounded great! We are so proud of you!

DB: Thanks! So what do you think of Beautiful World?

ME: You know I love that song...

DB: So do you think between 'close your eyes' and BW, which one should be the next single?

ME: I love both, but I think close your eyes has a better chance of making it to #1 on radio.

DB: I know, that's the cold hard truth (*he said disappointedly).
(*I felt bad, cos he had just said on the air that he wanted to be remembered for that song).

ME: I was at the March 14 Nashville/Brad concert--but up in the stands...you know I am used to being down on the floor by the stage.

DB: So how did we sound up there?

ME: Awesome!

DB: Well I gotta get back on the air, tell everyone I said Hi!

ME: I will!

OK, so after that, I did not wanna close my eyes! Was I dreaming?
ME: Honey, I just talked to Dierks on the phone!
Hubby: I know, I heard you. I told you he was a good guy!

And still tonight as I write this--nearly 24 hours later, Eddie Stubbs continues to show so much admiration for Dierks on his radio show: "We are so blessed to have artists like Dierks come by and spend their time with us...he was here for 2 hours last night...talking about his new album, and to get somebody of his stature in this day in time to give up his time...with wife and 6-month old daughter waiting at home, that speaks volumes."

Yes it does!