Dierks Bentley Worries About the Future of Live Music, But He’s Announcing a Tour Anyway“I just worry about this not being over because enough people didn’t get vaccinated,” says Bentley, who will hit the road in August on a large-scale amphitheater tour "Beers on Me" with a stop at Jones Beach on Fri, Sept 24, 2021: tix: http://DIERKS.jonesbeach.com
“I wrote a song a few months back with some friends called ‘Beers On Me’ that inspired this year’s tour name,” Bentley said in a statement. “It’s a pretty simple recipe for summer…get your friends together, have a round or two and dive into some great Country music. That’s exactly what Riley, Parker and I plan on doing out there on the road with our fans. Both these guys are road warriors and great performers that are going to help us get this summer fired up.”
“So the house lights will be up. I’ll take a look around, maybe raise up the ‘Cheers!’” Dierks Bentley says, taking a break from strumming his acoustic guitar to lift a can of peach-pear LaCroix to eye level and predict how a live audience might react after a year without concerts. “They may look at us like we’re idiots.”
Turning to his band, he adds, “Y’all ready?”
Bentley’s touring ensemble roars to life, filling this practice space at Soundcheck Nashville with the first live music I’ve heard in person in more than 13 months. Barely allowing so much as a breath between three consecutive songs, it’s like he’s making up for all the lost time of 2020. I’ve forgotten my earplugs and am shocked at how loud it is — seriously, was live music always this loud? — but I’m simultaneously exhilarated by the volume, every hair on my arms standing at attention, the frequencies penetrating my teeth.