Before his first-ever headlining show at Bridgestone Arena on Jan. 21, multi-Platinum singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley paid homage to Nashville’s music history by crashing Legends Corner tonight (11/14) for an impromptu set. After Bentley shared his plans on social media, fans lined the streets of Broadway for hours hoping to get into the legendary honky-tonk. With walls plastered in classic Country album covers, those who made it in were welcomed by the renowned radio broadcaster and voice of the Grand Ole Opry Eddie Stubbs, who invited Bentley to the stage.
“Let me share a little bit of history before he gets started,” said Stubbs. “He’s played a lot of music on this block. He embraces the legends and welcomes new artists with open arms. He’s a keeper.”
“This place is an especially fun way for me and the guys to get warmed up for the show in January,” said Bentley. “That big line meant so much to me. We love being able to take it back to the time we had no money and just played for the love of music. Wow…thanks for being part of this before we head across the street.”
With the same drummer backing him since his days of playing for free beer and tips at what used to be Wolfy’s Den a few doors down, Bentley’s spontaneous set list included Conway Twitty, George Jones, Ray Price, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, Jr., Charlie Louvin, Brooks & Dunn, Sawyer Brown, John Michael Montgomery, Vern Gosdin and Alan Jackson covers before tourmate Cole Swindell hopped on stage for Joe Diffie’s “John Deere Green” and Randy Travis’ “Forever And Ever, Amen.” Whether taking fan requests on the spot or paying tribute to his biggest musical heroes, Bentley once again demonstrated his depth and dexterity as an avid fan of Country Music.
“As a performer and ambassador for the genre, Bentley has been a steadfast star, and one that continues to take risks that pay off” (USA TODAY), which is transcendent with the release of his new single, “Black.” Written by Bentley, Ross Copperman and Ashley Gorley, the title-track from his critically acclaimed album BLACK (Capitol Records Nashville) has been hailed as one of “the sexiest songs of his career” by the Associated Press and Rolling Stone. The Multi-PLATINUM singer/songwriter kicks off next year with his 2017 WHAT THE HELL WORLD TOUR launching Jan. 19 in Dayton, OH, with special guests Cole Swindell and Jon Pardi.The the first leg will treak through 23 cities through in both the US and Canada, making a notable stop its first weekend with a career-first for Bentley – headlining Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Jan. 21. Tickets for the notorious stop go on-sale to the general public Friday (11/18) at 10:00A CT at www.dierks.com.
