Exclusive: Dierks Bentley Tips It On Back In Detroit

Dierks Bentley performs to a sold-out crowd of more than 15,000 on Sunday evening (May 22) at DTE Energy Music Theatre. Photo: facebook.com/dierksbentley

“My name is Dierks Bentley, and I’ll be your head bartender tonight,” the 12-time Grammy nominee, and the evening’s headliner, told a sold-out crowd of more than 14,000 on Sunday evening (May 22) at DTE Energy Music Theatre just outside of Detroit.

In truth, he was much more, providing the soundtrack for a boozy, music-filled shindig. A rootsy-rock rendition of “Up on the Ridge,” the title track of his 2010 album, launched the show, followed by 2007’s “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go).” Bentley encouraged the crowd to lift up their “first cups of summer” for a drink before launching into “Tip It on Back.” Bentley tipped back a drink of his own with a lucky attendee onstage, as the fan and the country star shared a cold one mid-song.

Dierks Bentley performs to a sold-out crowd of more than 15,000 on Sunday evening (May 22) at DTE Energy Music Theatre. Photo: Jessica Nicholson

The show was the sixth stop on Bentley’s 2016 Somewhere On A Beach Tour and it was evident from Bentley’s easygoing onstage charisma that he was cherishing each moment. The outdoor amphitheater was an ideal fit for Bentley’s 18-song set, which was heavy on the hits, including “Am I the Only One,” “5-1-5-0,” “Say You Do,” “I Hold On,” “What Was I Thinking,” and “Lot of Leavin’ Left to Do.”

Bentley has long had the reputation as one of the hardest-working entertainers in country music. This evening, dressed in jeans and a fitted shirt emblazoned with “Detroit,” Bentley made the most of every inch of the stage and its production, which included multiple performance levels and three screens. With every seat in the venue occupied, Bentley worked to reach every fan in attendance.

Halfway through the set, Bentley made the trek through the crowd to a satellite stage, shaking hands and thanking fans along the way. He brought up two of the evening’s openers, Randy Houser and Cam, for a cover of The Eagles’ “Take It Easy,” before offering another track from his latest album, Black, titled “Freedom.” Black releases May 27 on Capitol Records Nashville.

With the song’s strains still ringing, Bentley made the jaunt back through the crowd to the main stage for the tour’s namesake (and current single), “Somewhere on a Beach.”

Dierks Bentley performs to a sold-out crowd of more than 15,000 on Sunday evening (May 22) at DTE Energy Music Theatre. Photo: MusicRow

Fans in the front rows and pit area got plenty of face time, as Bentley high-fived fans and took selfies with audience members’ phones, all while never missing a lyric. Multiple times during the show, he teased fans near the stage in the “pit” area with a crowd surf. He made good on his tease, jumping into the crowd for a brief surf, as he reached into his song catalog for his very first hit, 2003’s “What Was I Thinkin’.”

Bentley made it clear that his ambition wasn’t just to put on a good show, but to genuinely have as much fun onstage as his audience had in the crowd. “It’s my Sunday funday, too,” quipped Bentley, who later ‘fessed up to his own drunk-texting behavior from time to time. Though, his recipients are a bit more famous than most. “Sometime around 2 a.m., 3 a.m., I will text Alison Krauss. That’s what I do,” said Bentley.

Some of the evening’s most impactful moments came from (slightly) quieter moments showcasing newer material from Bentley’s album Black, including the sensual title track and “What the Hell Did I Say.”

Dierks Bentley performs to a sold-out crowd of more than 15,000 on Sunday evening (May 22) at DTE Energy Music Theatre. Photo: MusicRow

Bentley was careful to keep the party rolling, however. By the end of the night, the crowd had gotten “Sideways,” and the stage was taken over by a plane-shaped set prop, as attendees spilled from the plane to the stage, singing along with one of his biggest chart-toppers, “Drunk on a Plane.”

Prior to the show, several fans got more up-close interactions with the artists on the evening’s bill, including an acoustic performance from Tucker Beathard, a meet-and-greet with Houser, and an early acoustic set from Bentley, including a fan-requested rendition of the affecting ballad “Riser.”

Dierks Bentley performs to a sold-out crowd of more than 15,000 on Sunday evening (May 22) at DTE Energy Music Theatre. Photo: MusicRow