Although it has been over 20 years since Dierks Bentley burst onto the country music scene, fans didn’t notice at his performance in Kansas City on Friday.
The country star brought a party to his biggest fans at T-Mobile Center as part of his Gravel and Gold tour. He previously told The Star that the crowds in Kansas City have always been great to him, which is why he always makes it a point to come back, and Friday’s crowds were no exception.
From the moment the arena lights went out after Chase Rice’s second act performance, the audience rose and stood the entire time, singing along to every lyric of Bentley’s songs, matching the 48-year-old singer’s energy.
He began his performance by listing the venues he’s performed at in Kansas City, including the Starlight Theater, the Power & Light District’s KC Live! Block, and the site of his very first Kansas City show, the now-closed Beaumont Club. But he said there’s nothing better than playing at the T-Mobile Center.
He even showed a picture of himself and Taylor Swift performing together at the venue in 2015 during her 1989 world tour.
“Without all of you, we would be nothing,” said Bentley.
Before the show began, fans with VIP access waited in line for hours to hear Bentley’s soundcheck session, and the anticipation for the show was palpable in the air. In addition to Rice, singer-songwriter Tanny Usrey opened the concert.
Anna Dries and Finley Heffner, 17-year-old friends from Olathe, are younger than Bentley’s eponymous debut album, which came out in 2003, but when they heard his music on the radio in the Kansas City area, they became fans. They also credited their parents’ influence.
Before the show, Dries and Heffner said their excitement level was at 10. After the show, Anna’s father Andy said their excitement level was at 12.
“We will never forget the visual impressions in connection with the audience and the music,” said Andy Dries in a text message. “Dierks seemed sincere and full of gratitude for the support of the audience and his crew, that really touched us.”
“The whole family loved it and can’t wait for him to come back to town!”
Whether he was playing hits like “Drunk On A Plane” or “Somewhere On A Beach,” playing covers like Tom Petty’s “American Girl,” or playing a medley of ’90s country hits with his parody band The Hot Country Knights, Bentley and his band were having fun, and that fun rubbed off on the audience.
During “Lot of Leavin’ Left To Do,” he dueled on acoustic guitar with guitarist Ben Helson. During covers of “Callin’ Baton Rouge” and “Freeborn Man,” he pretended to be jealous that banjoist Charlie Worsham and fiddle player Dan Hochhalter were stealing the show. During “Beers On Me,” he handed out Bud Lights to fans in the orchestra pit and convinced two fans, one of whom had never had a beer before, to drink beer with him.
“You don’t represent Kansas City very well,” Bentley told the fan.
His antics on stage made the show so much better, said Kristin Carver.
Carver had traveled with her husband, Tony, and daughter Alice from Adrian, Missouri, an hour south of Kansas City, to attend the show, but not originally for Bentley. Kristin’s 10-year-old daughter (who turns 11 on Sunday) is the biggest fan of Rice, the opening act, and has attended 10 of his shows.
Rice waved a sign she made for him during his final song, “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen,” while his dog Jack played with a water bottle. She was probably the only person in the building who knew that Rice takes his dog on tour and brings him along for the final two songs, including “Bench Seat,” a song dedicated to Jack.
“I enjoy the show, but my excitement comes from seeing how excited (Alice) is,” Kristin Carver said. “This is the first time (Tony) has come with us to see Chase, so he hasn’t seen her in all her glory yet.”
Although he is not on Rice’s level in Alice Carver’s eyes, Bentley’s performance made her a fan. It helped that Rice came back to perform “Gone” with Bentley.
It’s safe to assume Bentley will return to Kansas City in the future, but who can say when? With the NFL season right around the corner and him wanting to take his family to a Chiefs game, it could be sooner rather than later.
What songs did Dierks Bentley play?
Dierks Bentley played a total of 28 songs, but not all of them in their entirety. Here is his setlist from Kansas City on Friday:
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“Gold”
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“There is still a lot to do”
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“I’m holding on”
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Medley of “Am I the Only One” and “Red Solo Cup” (Toby Keith cover)
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“Life”
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“Burning Man”
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“American Girl” (cover of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)
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Medley of “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)” and “Mountain Man” (Alabama cover)
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“Gone” (with Chase Rice)
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“Say you want”
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“Black”
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Medley “Up on the Ridge” and “Callin’ Baton Rouge”
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“Freeborn Man” (cover by Keith Allison)
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“5-1-5-0”
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Medley “Somewhere on a Beach” and “Beers On Me”
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“What was I thinking?”
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“Drunk on the plane”
The show concluded with the Hot Country Knights, who played excerpts from these 90s country hits:
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“I like it, I love it” by Tim McGraw
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“Meet In the Middle” by Diamond Rio
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“Little Rock” by Collin Maye
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Heads Carolina, Tails California by Jo Dee Messina
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“Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus
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“Man! I feel like a woman!” by Shania Twain
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“Friends in Low Places” by Garth Brooks
