You know what’s crazy? I’ll tell you what’s crazy.™
Dierks Bentley is crazy. Not cause he’s crazy, but because he is cool.
The country music star was in downtown Nashville Tuesday afternoon doing a sound check for his live performance on Good Morning America Wednesday morning.
What’s crazy is that I couldn’t imagine the Rolling Stones or Bruce Springsteen showing up for a sound check in the middle of the street and playing a free mini-concert so the sound guys and the abc camera crew could block out their shots.
Can you imagine problem children like Motley Crue or Buckcherry standing on stage talking to star struck fans while a sound guy adjusts a meter one way or the other.
But country music stars are not rock stars. Country Music stars are down to Earth and in touch with their fans.
So it’s 3pm on a Tuesday and the singer, nominated for 3 Country Music Awards, including male vocalist of the year, is on stage.
While his band members tune their guitars, he talks to the crowd one on one. He doesn’t use a mic, he speaks directly to the people, and they speak directly back. It is an amazingly personal and poignant moment, because it solidifies why country music continues to have a fan base that is as loyal as a St. Bernard.
I watched this country music super star actually takes pictures of the fans who were taking pictures of him. It was a cool moment.
At one point Bentley tells the gathering that he played those honkey tonks across the street. He told them how he remembered the smoke and the sweat and the smell of stale beer on the walls.
Bentely kiddingly asked the people in the front of the stage if they had the guts to eat a burger at Roberts Record shop on Lower broad just around the corner. I laughed to myself, that would be a dangerous place to risk eating a burger.
He is a normal dude who seems to understand the blessing and good fortune that surrounds him.
Then he gets the signal from someone and he begins belting out songs including the bluegrass number, Up on the Ridge, which is nominated for album of the year.
The crowd goes crazy. Women are swooning, while holding poster boards with his image on the front.
A little before 4pm, the sound check ends and he leaves the stage. He has a million things to do, but his publicist has promised me that he will give me a one on one interview.
He’s a man of his word.
I do a live shot at the top of the 4pm and then rush to a room inside the Bridgestone Arena.
Dierks Bentley is casually attired and his hair is a carefully managed ragamuffin cool.
“How ya doing dude,” I say casually.
“I’m great he replies.”
And so it goes.
I ask him about getting up and performing nationally at 7:30 am and then 12 hours later lacing em up and performing nationally again on the CMA stage.
He says it will be a challenge but he is looking forward to it.
I ask him about his shift to bluegrass and the notoriety this record has brought him.
I ask him about going up against heavy hitters; Brad Paisley, George Straight and Keith Urban. He handles it as you would expect him to handle it. He’s dignified, and respectful and low key.
Perfect country cool.
I get about four minutes of one on one time, which is pretty amazing considering this guy is a run-a-way train of little time and too many commitments.
I read this press release associated with the CMA show:
“With Dierks Bentley performing on good Morning America you can leave the caffeine in the coffee pot, said CMA Chief Executive Officer Steve Moore. “What a great way to jump start the day.”
As I go out and do 2 more live shots in front of smokey honky tonks filled with men in cowboy hats and girls wearing cowgirl boots, I marvel at the energy that is Music City and the weird day that is my job.
And that is crazy.