Dierks Bentley Inspires Singalongs, Beer Chugs, Maddie & Tae in Flight Attendant Costumes
"This is my Thursday night, too," noted Dierks Bentley from the stage June 18 in St. Louis, speaking not only to the crowd at hand, but to the world at large: The show was being live streamed to an unlimited audience via Yahoo Live. Luckily, the country star had no problem holding down the fort when it came to making the masses want to party.
Opening up with his 2009 No. 1 hit "Sideways," Bentley lost no time engaging hmself with fans, drawing a guy in the audience up on stage right away to shotgun a beer with him (the two exchanged high fives and a bro-friendly hug after). From there, it was a total country singalong party, with the audience following along to nearly every of Bentley's dozen-year hit catalog, ranging from 2003's "What Was I Thinkin'" all the way to his current single, "Riser."
"You really gotta be weird to feel at home on a little stage in the middle of 10,000 people," Bentley noted, before dedicating his 2012 single "Home" to his late father, a veteran who passed away several months after the album of the same name was released. He then lightened the mood up considerably by rolling into 2007's "Free And Easy (Down the Road I Go)" accompanied by tourmates Canaan Smith and Maddie & Tae.
Bentley brought out his opening girl duo one more time at the end of the show, when he performed "Drunk on a Plane," the smash that currently holds the CMA Award for Music Video of the Year. This time, the "Girl in a Country Song" duo donned retro stewardess outfits to groove alongside Bentley, which may or may not be considered contrary to their overall feminist statement on women in country music -- but, as Bentley aptly expressed, the night was really more on the "Tip it on Back" vibe.
After waving to the crowd, Bentley took considerable time to sign numerous autographs, proving that he is the workingman's musician, an image he himself has never tried to contradict.
