"We can pick up right where we left off," sings Dierks Bentley in part three of the video series that started with a love triangle story-line in "I'll Be The Moon, followed by "What The Hell Did I Say," where the lover, played by Austin Cook, leaves texts on the girls phone that her live-in boyfriend reads while she's sleeping.
The video "Pick Up" starts with her waking up to a missing phone and an angry, abusive boyfriend. While the lover is desperate to get her to pick up the phone, he drives to her house to find her on the floor. Watch to the very end to see the shocking scene.
The four-video series is chronicled exclusively at rollingstone.com featuring four songs from Dierks Bentley's upcoming album Black releasing May 27.
"When you're in the throes of a relationship, it can be crazy and lustful, even obsessive and jealous," says Bentley. "'Pick Up' drops into the sequence as that point when you just have to be closer to your girl. For the storyline and plot of these videos, Wes [Edwards, director] definitely takes it there and puts a shocking spin on it."
iTunes put "Pick Up" at #79 on the Country Chart today, while "I'll Be The Moon" lands at #114 and "What The Hell Did I Say" is #137. The fact that these songs charted at all on iTunes without even being released as singles speaks volumes about the power of video and Dierks!
Stayed tuned for our recap of the fourth video, "Black," to close out the series.
Dierks kicked off his Somewhere On A Beach Tour Thursday night in Homdel, NJ, complete with a "Black" Bus before the shows for Black Card holders to listen to the whole album prior to the May 27 release. Great way to give something special to the hard core fans! He even jumped on the bus himself!
You may remember we told toldyou about our one and only Ireland DB Congress member, Rita (Reet) Eaton, who promotes Dierks daily--without every having seen a show or meeting him. In April, Reet finally had the opportunity when Dierks did a show in Dublin. Here's her story:
To say that I've been looking forward to seeing Dierks play live for a while now would probably be an understatement. I had thought about trying to save money to get over to the U.S. to see him, but when I heard last October/November that he was coming to Ireland, let's just say I was a little ecstatic. Oh hell......let's be honest here....I was freaking over the moon. I couldn't believe it. Dreams really do come true.
So, on November 19th 2015, I got my Dierks tickets. No's 6 and 7. Happy bunny here I can tell you. only problem was the gig wasn't until April 21st 2016....5 whole months to wait. A lifetime away, or so it seemed. Some of you may have been aware that I was counting down the days!
We have a few Country Music TV programmes over here in Ireland and I started sending in requests for Dierks videos and songs, telling them about his upcoming concert and was lucky enough to get him mentioned on a couple of the programmes, and get the videos and songs played.
I have been friends with a few DB Congress reps and Dierks fans on Facebook and Twitter and was delighted when I found out some of them were coming over for the show. I met up with Janet, David and Jim in Dublin. We had a great time. They were so nice, and before too long we were getting on like a house on fire. They all made my first Dierks gig so much more fun. David and Jim had some really cool stickers made especially for the Dublin show and we were giving them out to all and sundry.
Time went by and finally, FINALLY, April 21st was here. OMG! I'm going to see Dierks.
We were standing in line outside The Olympia Theatre in Dublin for a couple of hours wanting to make sure that we got a good spot (I mean....that's normal right?) when all of a sudden, there in front of me was DIERKS. FREAKIN'. BENTLEY. It took me a minute for this to sink in. Then I managed to pull myself together.
The first thing that hit me was how quiet and unassuming he was. I mean, when you see him on stage (and up to this point I've only seen videos and clips that have been posted up) he's there in front of you...larger than life, owning the stage and the audience. You almost expect him to be this larger than life personality off stage too, But no, he seems humble, normal, just an everyday sort of dude. At least that's how he came across to me anyway.
Having been around bands and musicians for a big part of my life I am all too aware that what you see on stage, isn't what you see off stage. But this was DIERKS. FREAKIN'. BENTLEY. He's in the Hall of Fame (exhibit) in Nashville. He co-hosted the ACM's. He's a huge Country Music Star in the U.S.......and here he is standing in front of me...on the street.....outside The Olympia Theatre. WOW!
Stashed in my bag I had some Irish Whiskeys which I didn't know if I was going to be able to sneak in or not. Luckily I didn't have to worry about that anymore. I gave them to him there and then, along with some Green Cups (as opposed to Red) as he was in Ireland after all. And yes, he used said Green Cups on stage (me privately chuffed). I also managed to get a "Selfie" taken with him (and I hate having my picture taken). It wasn't too long before a small crowd gathered and a few more "Selfies" were being taken. Dierks was great sharing his time.
After that, it was time to go into The Olympia. Second highlight of my day.....I had yet to have my Meet and Greet with Dierks. I had my picture taken with him (again) and he signed my new "Black" t-shirt. He said that was his first time seeing them so that's my claim to fame. Dierks Bentley signed MY "Black" t-shirt first. 😊 Unfortunately, as my brain was not functioning at this point and I didn't get to say thanks to Dierks. Not only for his wonderful music, but also for the incredible friends in DB Congress that I have made through him. That's really what I wanted the Meet and Greet for, but my brain had pretty much left the building at this point.
Off I went into the venue. We managed to get front row spots. No one in front of us, but plenty behind us.
At 8 pm Dierks' support act, Tucker Beathard, came on and showed us his musical talent. He was brilliant. Just him and his guitar, and as Dierks said, it's not easy to come out on stage, in a strange Country, and do what he did, but he did it with no problem at all and the crowd loved him. I loved him, too. A new fan for Tucker.
Finally, it was time.
Dan Hochhalter and Tim Sergent appeared on stage playing an intro with an Irish twist on the fiddle and banjo. This turned out to be the intro to "Up On The Ridge." Soon they were joined by the rest of the band, Cassady Feasby, Steve Misamore, Ben Helson, and Dierks himself for the full version of the song. So damned good.
My night had started. I was flying.
The night went on with many favourites (old and new)...."Free and Easy," "Tip It On Back," "Am I The Only One," "Say You Do," "I Hold On," "Every Mile A Memory," "Freedom," "Lot Of Leaving Left To Do," "Black," "Somewhere On A Beach," "Sideways," "I'll Be The Moon," "What The Hell Did I Say," then finishing the night with the only song that can finish a night like that off, "Drunk On A Plane." In between his set he paid tribute to Merle Haggard and sang one of his songs, also mentioning Prince who had died that day.
Dierks had the crowd in the palm of his hand. He drew everyone in and made you feel like he was singing to you personally. He showed the audience his new "old" boots telling everyone how he got them and where they came from (from his DB Congress!). He's real pleased with those boots.
The Band were just incredible and Ben, the new guitarist, fits right in perfectly. Every single person left The Olympia Theatre in Dublin on a high knowing that they had just witnessed one hell of a show, and one hell of a singer. It was special. No one was disappointed.
We all made our way out of The Olympia having made new friends along the way, gathered outside talking about the incredible night we'd all just had.
The only down side? I was just so sad that it was all over so soon. I had a serious case of Dierks Post Concert Blues.
What the night of April 21st 2016 did for me was make me even more determined to go to MM4K (Miles and Music For Kids) in 2017. Wild horses won't keep me away from that now. No Way.
So there you have it. My first ever Dierks Bentley experience. I just hope I manage to have many more.
Thank you Dierks for probably THE most memorable night of my life.....and that's saying something because I've seen a fair few bands, but nothing like this.
Oh yeah....a small P.S. We even made a brief appearance in the small compilation video that Dierks posted of his Dublin/London/Glasgow trips.
Prepare to be deeply moved by fellow DB Congress rep, Nancy Eaton (Maine), as she tells her brave and inspirational story.
My Journey to the Boston Marathon
by Nancy Eaton
Nancy Eaton crosses the finish line of the 2016 Boston Marathon
I started running at the age of 47. I had just gone through a difficult divorce and my life consisted of working 50-60 hours a week in Boston as a nurse in Labor and Delivery and raising my six kids. There needed to be some sort of stress-reducer in my life. So I started running. The more I ran, the more I loved it. Running took me away from the stress of my life and helped me find inner peace. It took me out of my head for the hours I was able to squeeze into my week.
A couple of years after taking up running, a new nurse came to work on my unit. Her name was Amanda Turner Russell and we hit it off immediately. We both loved Disney, traveling, music, reading and nursing. She was a ray of sunshine on our unit, always smiling. She was one of the most incredible nurses I have ever met, always up for a challenge, caring for the most difficult of patients. She was also very very funny, always making us laugh over various situations. We bonded over our running and we started running Disney races together. She was all about the costumes and the characters, I was all about my finish time.
Amanda and Nancy
Amanda loved taking pictures of sunrises, we worked the night shift. Every morning she would go to the roof of our building and snap a picture of the sunrise. If I was on vacation or off that night, I would awaken to the sunrise picture of the day on my Facebook page! I loved that she was always trying to make me smile even when we weren’t together.
Pushin' comes to shove, and hey I'm a fighter...
We also bonded over our love of music. I fell in love with Dierks Bentley’s music the first time I heard him sing "Home" at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis. My daughter is a midshipman there and she asked me to come to the concert. The respect he showed to all the midshipmen was something I will never forget. I started downloading all of his music and running to it. Right now I have about 20 miles of his songs on my iPod. If I feel like I can’t finish my run I put on Riser. It reminds me that I can do anything I set my mind to.
I went to my first real concert in the summer of 2015. My daughter and I drove to Virginia Beach from Maine and stood in the pit for hours waiting for Dierks to perform. Amanda loved and supported my musical obsession, patiently waiting for me to access the Ticketmaster app on my phone when we were in Disney so I could get tickets to another Dierks concert.
Nancy, Dierks Bentley, Nancy's daughter
In the Fall of 2015, Amanda decided to run the Boston Marathon for our Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center hospital team, hoping to raise $7,000 for our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). When she asked me to join her I told her I was trying to qualify for Boston so I would pass, but that I would donate to her cause.
On December 23, 2015, Amanda was on a training run when she was hit by a car driven by an impaired driver. She sustained severe head injuries and was declared brain dead 5 days later. Her organs were harvested and she passed away on Dec 29th at the age of 32. She left a young son, her family, and hundreds of friends devastated. At her bedside Amanda’s Mom asked me to run the marathon in her place. After breaking my foot twice in 2015 I was unsure if I could complete a full marathon so soon, but I knew I had to try. I felt as though I had to do this one last thing for my friend.
Brave, gotta call it brave...
So I began training, increasing my miles every week, getting ready for the Boston Marathon. In an attempt to bring me inspiration during my run I started collecting signatures of country singers on my running shirt. Dierks was the first person to sign my shirt! Amanda would have loved that! It has been an emotional couple of months. Running for her has brought me great joy, brought the nurses on my unit closer together, but it has also made me miss her even more. Every long run I would think about how it should have been her who was running, not me.
After weeks of training, Monday April 18th finally arrived! This was my 8th marathon and I have to say that it was definitely my hardest. It was hot, started later in the day, and we ended up running into the wind for the last 9 miles or so. I wore a Disney sparkle skirt in memory of Amanda. The race course was covered with friends, family, coworkers cheering me on. It was like running a Disney race, stopping for pictures along the way. The love I felt while running was incredible.
At mile 25 my daughter helped me me put on the wings that Amanda had made for me when we ran the Dopey challenge at Disney, 4 races in 4 days--it was the January after the Boston Marathon bombing. They truly carried me to the finish line on April 18, 2016. Not sure my legs and feet were working anymore!
I was also greeted with a sign that I should run faster because Dierks Bentley was at the finish line. Between the wings and the Dierks music in my ears, I was able to complete this race, receiving a hug from two more of my kids who were waiting right at the finish line.
Amanda’s Mom, sister and Godmother were at the finish line as well. As soon as possible I gave them Amanda’s bib and medal! In her life she touched so many people and continues to do so after her death. Her fundraising page has raised more than $26,000 for the NICU, her heart, lungs and kidney are giving life to others, and her beautiful soul is present in every sunrise.
Thank you, Nancy, for sharing your incredible story! I had the pleasure of meeting Amanda briefly in November when she and you had just finished your Disney 4 races in 4 days. Just as Amanda was in inspiration to you, you are an inspiration to your fellow DB Congress reps! We're so proud to have you on our team representing and promoting Dierks daily!
Ever notice how many questions Dierks Bentley asks in his song titles? First there was What Was I Thinkin', then How Am I Doin'?, and remember Is Anybody Loving You These Days? and Am I The Only One? Now in the new song from Black - "What The Hell Did I Say" - he's asking again!
Dierks is more or less messing with his fans by building the story of his next album, Black, one song and video at a time. The anticipation is killing us! But we're loving the intrigue so far!
The second installment of the mini-video series premiered April 15, "What The Hell Did I Say," follows the same actors - girl, boyfriend and lover portrayed in the first video, "I'llBe The Moon."
The love triangle gets even more tangled up when the boyfriend sees the girl's phone "light up" and read the texts from the lover--who can't remember what the hell he said to her during his drunk dials to her the night before, but she says she 'loved every single word' he 'left on her phone."
Dierks seems to be having fun with this one, and songwriters Ross Copperman, Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins found a few new verbs: Did I say we'd go shopping?That I'd 'LouisVuitton her'?/ That I'd 'Rodeo Drive' her?
Dierks tells Rolling Stone: "I love singing fun songs; I've built a career on them. With 'What the Hell,' it's a fun, morning-after song. The video is a chance to take it somewhere else and keep the conversation wide open"
The consequences of "What The Hell Did I Say" may be revealed in the third song/video, "Pick Up," premieres April 29 exclusively via Rolling StoneCountry.
Songwriters: Ross Copperman / Josh Kear / Chris Tompkins
Woke up this morning with my cellphone ringing
She said, "I know that when you called me, you were drinking
But I loved every single word you left on my phone
And I know you're hungover but I'm coming on over"
Did I say we'd go shopping? That I'd Louis Vuitton her?
That I'd Rodeo Drive her? Slide a Tiffany diamond on her?
What the hell did I say when I called last night
Dripping loads of whiskey honey in that message that the liked
What the hell did I say? Gotta dial it up again
I'm writing out those lines that fell out drunk at 3 am
What the hell did I, hell did I, hell did I say?
What the hell did I, hell did I, hell did I say?
Last thing I remember, I was thinking I'd call her up
And put her on speaker while the whole bar sang Free Bird
Had that phone in my hand when I ran into trouble
My friend coming over with a couple of doubles
Chorus
Did I say we'd go shopping? That I'd Louis Vuitton her?
That I'd Rodeo Drive her? Slide a Tiffany diamond on her?
Did I tell her she could move in and we'd fly out to Vegas
Champagne all the way and we'd get married by Elvis
Chorus
What the hell did I say?
What the hell did I say?
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Leave a comment. Are you Team Boyfriend or Team Lover?
Black is due out May 27. Get your BlackCard today to preorder and get special perks along the way!
