On July 20, 2007 Dierks Bentley took some time out of his busy schedule to have a great phone conversation with me about a variety of things he has happening in his career right now. It has been a really busy year for Bentley and our 15 minute conversation was packed with all kinds of fun information.
Touring and Music
He has been crossing the country a few times over as he tours to support his current album, Long Trip Alone. The album has done very well, with "Every Mile A Memory" hitting number one on the charts and "Long Trip Alone" hitting number 10. We talked about his current single, "Free And Easy Down the Road I Go," and how much fun they had shooting the video for it. Said Bentley, "We had a lot of fun, and I think that's what we were really trying to capture in the video. What life is like out on the road. Not only for us, the band, but for the crew, as well as the fans that come out to see the energy and excitement that happens every night on stages across the country." The video was shot in four different towns on their tour, and really does show a glimpse of the very real energy you'll find in a Dierks Bentley show. Bentley released a live DVD earlier in the year that was filmed last year at the Filmore in Denver that also captures the energy that he and his band put into a show. He said that they want to be one of the best live bands of any genre out on the road, and they do what they can to ensure the energy and excitement are in place, and a lot of that is captured in the live DVD.
Dierks is part of the CMA Music Festival and Bonaroo Festival
Bentley had a full schedule during CMA Music Festival, with shows, his booth, and a fan club party. He personally picked up four Canadian fans there when they came in as part of a contest they won. They had no idea he would be doing that and the surprise element was a lot of fun for him as well as the fans. They drove all over Nashville doing things like the visiting the Ryman and the Hall of Fame, and then they had backstage access to his performances. That was all aired as part of the ABC special airing of CMA Music Festival segments, which was broadcast last month. There is also a huge four day camping music festival in Tennessee every year called Bonnaroo, and Bentley was the only contemporary country band to be a part of it this year. "It went really great. I mean, I didn't know what to expect, it was a different crowd for us," he said. But the crowd loved their performance and he said the ladies must been either really hot or really excited because they were "shedding clothes left and right."
Miles and Music
We touched on a couple of projects that Bentley is a part of. Last year he spearheaded the Miles and Music fundraiser for Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. Along with a motorcycle ride there were performances by some friends of his like Montgomery Gentry, Miranda Lambert, Jeff Foxworthy and many others. It was a huge success and they are doing it again this fall, so watch for details on how to be a part of this terrific project. He also teamed up with Little Jimmy Dickens to be a part of The Great Opry Drive In." This project is designed to help someone plan their road trip to Nashville and features Bentley and Dickens as part of the video promo.
Staying in Touch with the Fans Online
Bentley has a great website at www.dierks.com as well as a Myspace page where he does really well at keeping up blogs and journal entries for his fans. He feels that these are great mediums to stay connected with his fans. He said that there should be one more single released off the current album and they are expecting to have a new album out about this time next year. He's busy trying to get material together for that. Touring is keeping him very busy which doesn't leave a lot of time for him to write, but writing is a big part of his career so he makes the time to do it as much as he can. They bring a jeep along on the road to check out the areas they play in. He mentioned having a chance to open at a Bon Jovi concert, and that Bon Jovi was the first actual concert he had been to as a kid. It was a full circle moment for him. On the other side of the musical genres, he also has worked with several bluegrass artists and appreciates the honesty and integrity of the music.
Dierks Fun Facts
We ended our conversation with me asking him if there was a fun fact he could share about himself that everyone may not already know. It was a little tough since he is so great about keeping current on his journals and blogs, but he came up with something for us. Like many people, he and his band and crew enjoy playing video games and often play on the bus. When they were touring with Miranda Lambert, he bought her band and crew Xboxes so they could play Halo II. It was a rivalry between buses and they had a blast. He also likes to be out on the lake in his boat when he has the chance.
Dierks Message to the Fans
Thanks again to Dierks for taking the time out to talk with us. For the fans he says, "Thank you so much for all the support. Just keep calling into the radio stations. That's still the most important thing for us is country radio and getting our songs heard on the radio. That way people can sing along when they come to our shows. But thank you for all the support from radio and supporting our touring over the last five years."
