Before I get into my critique of Dierks I just want to give you a little background. I was never a big fan of Dierks, and if I'm being honest, I would actually turn the radio most times one of his songs came on. When I heard he was coming to Hamilton I decided that I should give him a chance to change how I feel, but I was only going to do that if I got great seats. Well it must have been fate because I ended up with 4th row center on the floor.
Realizing that I would be seeing him live, I decided to go out and buy Dierks' latest CD Long Trip Alone so I could learn some of the songs before I went to the concert. If you happened to check out my Top 10 Favorite CDs for 2006 you'll see that Dierks made the list. I believe he was actually number 4. Long Trip Alone is a great disk, filled with fantastic songs and I highly recommend it. Yes, this is coming from the same woman who used to flip the station every time Dierks came on. And if I'm not seeming hypocritical enough already, I absolutely LOVED his live show last night!
As you can tell by my introduction I was very disappointed when Dierks arrived sans the gorgeous curls. I had heard he cut his hair, but was shocked at how short it was. I've never seen him up close and personal before, so I had nothing to compare with, but he looked so much smaller than I expected.
Dierks may have appeared small, but he certainly took command of the stage in a big hurry. The first thing that struck me was his seemingly endless amount of energy. He ran from one side of the stage to the other and was constantly on the move. A bit of a photographers nightmare, but definitely entertaining.
I have so much to say that I'm not even sure where to begin. I've seen a lot of fantastic performers over the years but I reserve the title of Entertainer for a special few. Just because you're a headliner it doesn't make you an entertainer, in my opinion. There needs to be a connection with the audience, an acknowledgement of the thousands of people who are there to be entertained, and an effort to be closer to the fans. Dierks nailed all three.
As he sang Dierks was constantly moving from one side of the stage to the other, reaching out and touching hands, giving his fans a special moment to remember. During "Settle For a Slow Down" he grabbed hold of one girls hand and held it while he sang "I held on longer than I should, believing you might change your mind." I was standing right beside the girl and I couldn't help but smile seeing how thrilled she was. (Yes, I was brave enough to head back up to the stage, and this time it was fight-free).
Which reminds me, Dierks just had to mention the cat fight. Apparently Chris and the guys from Doc Walker had told him about it. They certainly had a great view from up on the stage. He seemed amused, but it was a perfect lead in to "That Don't Make It Easy Loving Me," a great song from the new album about life on the road, and some of the things Dierks has seen and done over the years.
There were a few songs that I had never heard before but really enjoyed. "Cab Of My Truck" was one, and the other was "Domestic, Light, and Cold." When Dierks sang this one he walked over to a conveniently camouflaged fridge and grabbed a Bud Light. There was a lot of Bud Light being drank on stage for the rest of the night. I knew there was no possible way he was going to sing all the songs from the new album so I was very excited when he sang my favorite, "Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)." There were a lot of great songs, but this was the highlight for me.
I'm not sure if last night was a special moment, or if Deric Ruttan has been travelling with this tour, but Dierks brought him out on stage to sing a couple songs together. He announced Deric as one of his best friends and it looked like they were having a great time up there! Deric is originally from Bracebridge, a northern Ontario town, but now lives in Nashville. He's proven to be a terrific songwriter and he sounds great too.
At one point, Dierks shocked everyone by running off the stage and right into the crowd! It was an incredible moment and fun to watch as he hugged fans and let one girl sing with him. This is the kind of thing I'm talking about when I say that Dierks is an Entertainer. It could certainly be dangerous for a performer to parade down into the audience, but he trusted his fans enough to go for it and certainly left a lasting impression.
Another moment that impressed me was during "Come A Little Closer" when he grabbed a girls hand, hauled her right up on stage and serenaded her. She looked a little stunned at first, but that soon turned to a more lovestruck look as Dierks held her hand and they twirled around together. He gave her a big hug and lifted her off her feet and after spinning around a couple times he helped her back off the stage into the audience again.
