CMT Blog: Dierks Bentley

I met Chris Young last week and he couldn't have been sweeter. Until he started singing. Then his smoky, dirty, sexy, I-want-you-naked side came out when he sang "Gettin' You Home." It's the one about her black dress hitting the floor and loving him all night long. In a way, songs like this are aspirational more than they are relatable. I think I speak for a lot of married couples when I say that it's been a while since the lyrics of this song have rung true. So I put together a playlist of country songs to kind of bring the sexy back.

"Gettin' You Home," Chris Young
"Need You Now," Lady Antebellum
"What I'd Give," Sugarland
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They are not going anywhere. The Station Inn near downtown Nashville is quickly being surrounded with fancy schmancy buildings and hot spots, but there they are -- all stubborn and vintage and timeless. In a kind of run-down tiny building, they're doing what they do best: giving bluegrass music a place to call home. Dierks Bentley got his start playing there, legends like Earl Scruggs, Emmylou Harris and Bill Monroe have played there, and stars like Ricky Skaggs, Alison Krauss and even Dolly Parton have stopped by to sing. But now that the Inn is engulfed in this trendy new 'hood called the Gulch, some folks are wondering how it will survive. The lease expires next year, but the Inn's owners have an option for two more years. That's good news for anyone who likes to go, like Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman, who recently caught a Doyle & Debbie show there.

Dierks Bentley says that one of his favorite songs is "Beautiful World" because of its inspirational message, but I'm wondering if it has something to do with the fact that he got to duet with the incomparable Patty Griffin. The song is about how there is a lot of negativity in the world, but if you choose to see the good in people and believe in something better, then it truly is beautiful. Its video is simple and understated, much like the song, and I like how as the two drink coffee and sing to each other you can sometimes see rain falling outside the cozy house. Somehow that seems to bring the message home. By the way, Bentley and CMT One Country are offering a free download of "Beautiful World" for a limited time. Beautiful indeed.

Dierks Bentley raised $215,077 for the Children's Miracle Network with his Miles & Music for Kids event yesterday (Oct. 11) and holding the giant check said, "I just can't believe it, looking at this number. Thank you all so much." Motorcyclists turned out in droves for the charity ride and concert, and after spending all day with his audience, Bentley was as comfortable as if he were at a backyard barbecue. He started his headlining set with "Sideways," and after thanking the crowd announced, "Let's keep this as down-home as possible. We're taking requests." He got plenty of those and ended up playing "Every Mile a Memory," "Lot of Leavin' Left to Do," "What Was I Thinkin'" and even brought 3 Doors Down frontman Brad Arnold out for a couple of tunes.

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Dierks Bentley will be riding his motorcycle into downtown Nashville on Sunday (Oct. 11) during his fourth annual Miles & Music for Kids event, with the charity ride culminating in an all-star concert. Yet, Bentley still remembers that first year, in 2006, when he was worried about the fundraiser for Nashville's children's hospital. "That was the big goal. We didn't know who was going to show up. We had a lot of artists donating their time, like Jeff Foxworthy and Montgomery Gentry," he said. "We ended up making $100,000 so it ended up exceeding expectations. I was nervous, you know, the first time trying to pull something off. You've got cops involved, a lot of volunteers and artists and fans, and you want to make sure it's a great experience for everybody. And it ended up working out."

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If you didn't make it up late last night to catch Dierks Bentley on The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien, I understand. People have things to do and beauty rest to get. Still, it was really worth watching. Especially because it seems like O'Brien's camera man is a bit of a hardcore country fan. I am basing that assumption on the five very extreme close-ups of Tim Sergent's hands working his magic on the steel guitar behind Bentley. Looked cool, sounded even cooler. And Bentley himself sounded better than ever, making an intimate song like "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes" feel just right for late night TV. If you like Ellen Page and Kevin Nealon, by all means watch the whole episode. But if Bentley's all you want, slide the bar down to about 39 minutes into the show.

I know I sound like the proverbial broken record, but I think this time Dierks Bentley has really written one of the most moving songs of his career. It's relevant and realistic and, at the same time, hopeful and heartfelt. In this world of ours, there are demons to hate and crosses to bear, sure. But you press on and whisper a prayer because in the big picture, it is all so worth it. This song combines Bentley's gravely voice with the angelic nuances of Americana songbird Patty Griffin. And right now, you can get a free download of the song just by entering a little info on CMT.com. It's part of Bentley's effort to raise money and awareness for the Children's Miracle Network. It's Bentley music, for free, for a good cause. So, yes, it is indeed a beautiful world.

How did I not know about this? There is this place called ticketsforcharity.com where you can get concert tickets AND give to charity. It's beyond brilliant. I know I bitch plenty about the price of good seats, but now that I know I could do a little good with that extra cash, it somehow makes it all better. Like if I wanted to see Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley and Jimmy Wayne next week in Phoenix, I'd pay around $82 for a really good seat but then $25 would go to charity. (In that case, it would go to Team 25: The Shjon Podein Children's Foundation, but it looks like the charity depends on the artist). Or I could get tickets to see Brooks & Dunn in Alpine, Calif., and $20 of my $80 seat would go to their charity. From now on, when I have to buy tickets, I'm shopping here first.

Photo credit: Ed Rode

Only Dierks Bentley could make a video this sexy without shedding any clothes. He does it instead with extreme close-ups of his face, his eyes, his beard. And, oh yeah, there's a pretty girl in it, too. But this video for his latest tune "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes" is all about Bentley. He's kind of in his songwriting mode in this big empty house, and then the hottie shows up. And you can kind of guess what might happen after the cameras are off. Bentley's done sexy before, with "Come a Little Closer." But in that one, clothes came off. Somehow, though, this one is actually way better. Maybe just because it leaves so much to your imagination.

Oh, the horror! Scalpers have bought benefit concert tickets and are putting high price tags on them! How dare they! Oh wait. This is America, where everyone tries to make money with or without a moral compass. So, some sneaky scalpers have gotten their hands on Keith Urban's "All for the Hall" fundraising concert featuring folks like Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Lady Antebellum, Dierks Bentley and Little Big Town on Oct. 13. The tickets were $25 but now can be found on eBay for up to $500 (for 15th row, center). I don't think what these scalpers are doing is right. But they still paid their $25 per ticket so the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum still gets that money. And like I blogged yesterday, no matter how steep the price is, some shows are just worth every penny. This will be one of those shows.

Photo: Jason Squires/WireImage