Dierks Bentley Enthralls Fans With Hit After Hit At Bridgestone Arena Show

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Dierks Bentley. Photo: Zachary Belcher

Country star and top-notch entertainer Dierks Bentley brought the party to Bridgestone Arena last night (Sep. 7) with his “Gravel & Gold Tour.”

Bella White kicked the evening off with her timeless sound. The singer-songwriter showed off her vocals with songs from her Among Other Things album, including “Flowers On My Bedside,” “Break My Heart,” “Marilyn,” “The Way I Oughta Go” and more. She also covered Lucinda Williams’ “Concrete And Barbed Wire” to help warm the crowd up. 

After a quick set change, it was time for Chase Rice to hit the stage, and he came out in full force starting with his “Bad Day To Be A Cold Beer.” After captivating the audience with a few more tunes, he then played his first No. 1 as a songwriter, “Cruise” recorded by Florida Georgia Line. During his cover of John Denver’s “Take Me Home Country Roads,” he engaged with the excited audience by inviting a lucky fan to sing part of the song with him.

Dierks Bentley and Chase Rice. Photo: Zachary Belcher

Rice kept his high-energy set going with “Ready Set Roll,” “Lonely If You Are” and more. After expressing his gratitude for his fans, he had everybody singing along with his first No. 1 on country radio, “Eyes On You.” Before ending his set, he brought his partner in crime out on stage with him, his black lab Jack. The companions swooned the crowd with the touching “Bench Seat” before ending the set with “Drinkin’ Beer Talkin’ God Amen,” during which Rice supplied some audience members with beers from Jack’s backpack. 

With the arena buzzing with anticipation for the main event, the lights went to go down as Bentley and his band hit the stage with the tour’s namesake “Gold.” Everyone immediately rose to their feet and the energy was locked in for a great night. Bentley continued to get things rolling with “Lot of Leavin’ Left to Do.” 

“This is a big night,” Bentley said to the hometown crowd. “We have some serious VIPs in the crowd. My lower C-Team Beer League hockey team is here tonight.” He then started to name some other VIPs in the crowd, including teachers from his childrens’ schools, and the workers at the auto shop where he gets his car serviced. After urging the arena to bring their A-game for the night, he continued his set with “I Hold On,” “Am I The Only One” and a cover of Toby Keith’s “Red Solo Cup,” which he performed while running around the stage doing party tricks with a cup.

Dierks Bentley. Photo: Zachary Belcher

After inviting two audience members up on stage for a beer shotgunning contest, Bentley had the Nashville crowd in the palm of his hand. “This place is so special to me, my band and my crew,” he shared. “My hope for you guys tonight is that you find a moment in the show where you feel like you’re living.” He then cleverly went into his hit “Living.” 

For “Burning Man,” Bentley turned the volume up to 11 and had everyone dancing along. Before heading into the next song, he surprised the crowd by bringing out the Red Clay Strays‘ frontman Brandon Coleman for a jam session of Waylon Jenning’s “Lonesome, On’ry and Mean.” After Coleman exited the stage with a roaring applause from the crowd, Bentley went into his top-25-and-climbing radio single “American Girl” from the Tom Petty tribute album Petty Country. He wrapped up his cover section of the show with a mashup of his “Free and Easy” and Alabama’s “Mountain Man.” 

As the crowd was feeding off of Bentley’s energy, he brought Rice back out onto the stage to sing “Gone,” during which the two pulled pranks on each other on stage. After wrapping up, Bentley gifted Rice with a D-45 Martin guitar.

Dierks Bentley and Brandon Coleman. Photo: Zachary Belcher

Next was time to slow thing down. Bentley showed off his vocal ability on a performance of “Say You Do,” surrounded by a sea of cell phone lights. The setting was the perfect set up for the next track, “Black,” where Bentley sang behind a special effect video wall that took fans into the journey of the song. After the crowd took it all in and gave a roaring applause, Bentley went into a mashup of “Up On The Ridge” and “Callin’ Baton Rouge,” where his and his band’s musical talents were highlighted. 

There were more special guests to be revealed. Bentley’s daughter Evalyn joined him on stage for a cover of Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season,” where she showed that her father’s singing genes have certainly been passed down. While the crowd was applauding Evalyn, country riser Zach Top hit the stage for a three-song stint with Bentley and his band, including a cover of “Freeborn Man” and Bentley’s own “High Note” before ending with Top’s top-25-and-climbing “Sounds Like The Radio.” Bentley commended Top for his talent before he exited the stage. 

After taking the time to introduce his band with a special video they each made using the Nashville Predator’s gym and custom hockey jerseys, Bentley heralded them as “the best musicians in Nashville” before proving it with “5-1-5-0” and a mashup of “Somewhere On A Beach” and “Beers On Me,” where Bentley threw beers into the crowd. He then closed out the main set by taking the crowd on a trip with “What Was I Thinkin’”

Dierks Bentley and Zach Top. Photo: Zachary Belcher

The crowd knew better than to think Bentley was actually done, as everyone remained on their feet chanting for his return. The entertainer emerged, graving the stage in a full pilot costume for “Drunk On A Plane.” 

A video began to play on screen, and veteran Bentley fans knew what was happening next. It was time for him and his band to morph into their famous alter ego, the Hot Country Knights band. The group came out in ’90s country garb and amazed the crowd with a bevy of iconic covers, including “T.R.O.U.B.L.E.,” “I Like It, I Love It,” “Meet In The Middle,” “Friends In Low Places,” “Heads Carolina, Tails California” and more. They dazzled with group choreography, skits with each other and enthralling playing.

Bentley had one last surprise for the crowd before it was time to say goodnight, bringing out the Nashville Predators team to a rousing applause. Everyone left the arena in a feel-good mood after Bentley left everything he had on stage. 

“The Gravel & Gold Tour” will continue on Sept. 12 in Wilmington, North Carolina before heading to Charleston, Grand Rapids and more.

Madison Hahnen
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