Dierks Bentley Rocks Kansas City with an Unforgettable Party

While it’s been over 20 years since Dierks Bentley broke into the country music scene, fans at his Kansas City show on Friday wouldn’t have been able to tell.

The country star brought the party to his biggest fans at the T-Mobile Center as part of his Gravel and Gold tour. Bentley has often spoken about his love for Kansas City crowds, and this show was no exception.

From the moment the arena lights dimmed after Chase Rice’s set, the crowd rose to their feet, singing every lyric and matching Bentley’s high energy.

Early in the set, Bentley reminisced about the venues he’s played in Kansas City, such as Starlight Theatre, Power & Light District’s KC Live! Block, and the now-defunct Beaumont Club, where his first Kansas City show took place. He mentioned that there’s nothing quite like playing at the T-Mobile Center.

He even displayed a picture of him and Taylor Swift performing together at the venue during her 1989 World Tour in 2015. “Without y’all, we’d be nothing,” Bentley said to the crowd.

Before the show began, fans with VIP access waited in line for hours to hear Bentley’s soundcheck session. The excitement for the show was palpable. In addition to Rice, singer-songwriter Tanny Usrey opened up the concert.

Anna Dries and Finley Heffner, friends from Olathe who are both 17, were among the enthusiastic fans. Although younger than Bentley’s debut album from 2003, they grew up listening to his music on local radio stations and credited their parents for their fandom.

Dries and Heffner’s excitement levels were at 10 pre-show and escalated to 12 post-show, according to Anna’s father, Andy Dries. “The visuals in connection with the audience and the music was something we won’t forget. Dierks seemed genuine and full of gratitude for the crowd support and his crew, that really resonated with us,” Andy added.

The whole family enjoyed the show, eagerly awaiting Bentley’s return to town.

Whether performing hits like “Drunk On A Plane” and “Somewhere On A Beach,” covering Tom Petty’s “American Girl,” or delivering a medley of ‘90s country hits with his parody band, The Hot Country Knights, Bentley and his band had fun, and the crowd felt it.

During “Lot of Leavin’ Left To Do,” Bentley had a dueling acoustic guitar moment with guitarist Ben Helson. He humorously pretended to get jealous when banjo player Charlie Worsham and fiddle player Dan Hochhalter stole the spotlight during covers of “Callin’ Baton Rouge” and “Freeborn Man.”

He passed out Bud Lights to fans during “Beers On Me,” even plucking two fans to shotgun beers with him—one of whom had never done it before. “You’re not representing Kansas City very well,” Bentley joked.

Kristin Carver, who traveled with her husband Tony and daughter Alice from Adrian, Missouri, appreciated Bentley’s on-stage antics. Initially attending for Rice, Carver’s 10-year-old daughter, who turns 11 on Sunday, is a huge fan of Rice and has been to 10 of his shows.

During Rice’s final song, “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.,” Alice waved a sign she made for him while his dog, Jack, played with a water bottle. She might have been the only person in the building who knew that Rice takes his dog on tour and brings him out for the last two songs.

“I enjoy the show, but my excitement comes from seeing [Alice] get excited,” Kristin Carver said. Although Bentley isn’t on the same level as Rice in Alice’s eyes, his performance won her over, especially since Rice joined Bentley on stage to perform “Gone.”

Bentley is expected to return to Kansas City in the future. With the NFL season approaching and his desire to attend a Chiefs game, it might be sooner rather than later.

Dierks Bentley played 28 songs in total, although not all were performed in full. Here’s his setlist from Kansas City on Friday:

• “Gold”
• “Lot of Leavin’ Left to Do”
• “I Hold On”
• “Am I the Only One” and “Red Solo Cup” (Toby Keith cover) medley
• “Living”
• “Burning Man”
• “American Girl” (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover)
• “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)” and “Mountain Man” (Alabama cover) medley
• “Gone” (with Chase Rice)
• “Say You Do”
• “Black”
• “Up on the Ridge” and “Callin’ Baton Rouge” medley
• “Freeborn Man” (Keith Allison cover)
• “5-1-5-0”
• “Somewhere on a Beach” and “Beers On Me” medley
• “What Was I Thinkin’”
• “Drunk on a Plane”

The Hot Country Knights closed out the show with snippets from ‘90s country hits:

• “I Like It, I Love It,” by Tim McGraw
• “Meet In the Middle,” by Diamond Rio
• “Little Rock,” by Collin Maye
• “Heads Carolina, Tails California,” by Jo Dee Messina
• “Achy Breaky Heart,” by Billy Ray Cyrus
• “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” by Shania Twain
• “Friends in Low Places,” by Garth Brooks

Source: The Kansas City Star