KEEPING OUR "EYES" ON THE PRIZE

First of all, I want to apologize for my absence last week. I didn't have nearly as much available internet time while I was in Hawaii, which I suppose is the sign of a great vacation. But now that I'm back on the mainland and COLD reality, I will give you all the latest Billboard chart info that will publish on Thursday!

Dierks Bentley's "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes" moves up to #2 this week, inching to be within just one position of that wonderful #1 spot! It's a mere 1.34 million audience impressions behind Reba's "Consider me Gone," and still gaining ever-so-surely, but Tim McGraw's "Southern Voice" is packing a slightly mightier punch which could blind-side Dierks's endeavor for 3 straight #1s. Basically, it is likely to catch "Consider me Gone" this week (the chart week ends Sunday), but there is a very real possibility that "Southern Voice" could leapfrog it to take the top spot. But, if it can hang on for 6 more days, and edge out Tim, it will snag #1 next week! (For what it's worth, IWMYCYE was the most-played song last week -- 1 spin higher than Reba!)

Congress, if there were ever a time to get on the phone, email, tweet, text, heck -- DRIVE to your local stations, this is the week to do it! Request it on your morning drive. Request it on your evening commute. The higher the audience, the better we'll be. We've got 6 days to get this song to #1. Hopefully I will be back in one week with excellent news!

As an aside, I tweeted while I was in Hawaii that after being on Kauai for just 24 hours, we'd heard Dierks 5 times. This is particularly interesting because just 1.5 years ago when we were last on Kauai, they didn't even have a Country radio station! The Dierks love wasn't confined to Kauai, though, because as our vacation went on and took us to 2 more of the Islands, Dierks continued to be the artist we heard the most (yes, I kept track). We heard all but 3 of his singles, and many of his songs were heard more than once (everything off FTF, for instance). The two artists played just as much as Dierks? Kenny Chesney and Garth Brooks. Unfortunately for us Dierks fans, the Hawaii stations don't report to Billboard or Mediabase -- if they did, I'm fairly certain we'd have the audience boost we need to get to #1!

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

DIERKS PRESENTS POSITVE IMAGE AT ACM's

Although we all know he totally deserved to be nominated for an ACM award but wasn't, Dierks Bentley was picked to present the Top Female Vocalist Award (to Carrie Underwood--Miranda got robbed IMHO!) at last night's ACM Awards. I thought he was looking dapper, and I was lovin' the soft curls. Let's see what the buzz was on Mr. Bentley.

First, there was a rehearsal observation from Whitney Pastorek via Entertainmentweekly.com: "3:23 p.m. Reba is on stage in front of me. She looks great. When does she ever not? Even in jeans and a sweater, she is a classier broad than I am. If doing this show's gotten old for her, I can't tell, and her run-thru of "Strange" is right on point, three straight times. After she finishes the song, a female announcer's voice says, "Ladies and gentlemen, Dierks Bentley and Darius Rucker." A tall man in glasses and a short auburn-haired woman emerge. They are neither Dierks nor Darius, I'm pretty sure."

During the live show--no Darius.

Nora Ashkar posted on film.com her favorite fashion of country men on the ACM Awards: "As for country's men, Jake Owen looked sharp in a white pinstripe suit and a shaggy do, and Dierks Bentley did us a favor sporting fitted jeans and a jacket while letting his curly hair lay loose."

Well, as Dierks always says, 'you can't believe the good without the bad,' so here's Saul Relative's (that's his name?, really?) take on Mr. Bentley's attire: "Still, the worst dressed had to go to Dierks Bentley, who presented. He looked as if he was wearing his little brother's suit jacket. It was buttoned, which made it look even worse. Then there was that pale yellow-ish tie. You could write a country song about the way that poor boy was dressed and have a hit on your hands. It was tragic."

Now Saul, that was kind of harsh, don't ya think? I thought the ensemble was ten times better than last year's mustard suit.

And, to end the fashion foo foo on a positive note, here's a quote from our very own DB Congress Historian, Stephanie: "Seriously, how freaking adorable is he?! The curls are looking good, a little scruff...I approve! Dude, you've been missed at the awards shows."

I refuse to write about any of the award nominees or recipients since our "Dude" and president was unrecognized--with not so much as a nod. In the words of Jerry-the-OCD-lawyer from Boston Legal..."hhmmppff!"

~Ronna (DB Congress Chair)