With Chase Rice and Ella Langley also on the bill, Thursday’s ‘Gravel and Gold’ tour stop at Van Andel Arena delivered plenty of Bentley’s familiar country hits. The review, photos and set list.
‘Lot of Leavin’ Left to Do’: And lots more popular songs on the docket for Dierks Bentley on Thursday. (Photo/Joshua Tufts)
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Matching the title of his latest album, country star Dierks Bentley brought his “Gravel and Gold” tour to Grand Rapids’ Van Andel Arena on Thursday,
“It might be gravel, but it feels like gold,” goes the title song — and the singer’s music glittered during his deep and rangy set before adoring fans.
With a catalog full of No. 1 hits, Bentley performed most of them. “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go),” “5-1-5-0” and “I Hold On” were all crowd favorites.
But the Arizona native also touched on his 2010 bluegrass album, “Up On The Ridge,” utilizing talented band members such as Charlie Worsham and Tim Sergent. A half-dozen players were grouped closely at center stage and the harmonies sparkled.
His Tom Petty cover of “American Girl” unfurled as a contest between country/rock and bluegrass styles, and incorporated both. An interesting mix.
The large LED/video screen at the rear of the stage was a scene-setting wonder. It provided a striking flaming background for the song “Burning Man” and an underwater atmosphere of swirling bubbles across the stage for the sensual “Black.”
Chase Rice: Preceded Bentley on stage. (Photo/Joshua Tufts)
The band’s first encore selection was the confessional, “Drunk On A Plane.” But a second encore was set up by a video segment in which band-members rode a magic bus to go back in time to the 1990s.
They emerged back on stage in period clothing as the band Hot Country Knights (actually a Bentley-formed parody band). The players loosely and comically strung together a medley of ’90s country hits such as “Achy, Breaky Heart,” “Meet in the Middle,” and “Friends in Low Places.” It was fun, but over the top. And after their earlier, more stellar efforts, it felt too long.
But with a musical set that stretched over 100 minutes and just kept coming in waves, the experience spun out a gold-covered party feeling which fans had been expecting.
Earlier, the popular country artist Chase Rice and his players relished their hour of stage time. With a drink in hand, Rice led his song parade with “Bad Day to Be A Cold Beer” and had the crowd chanting the chorus lyric.
A touching moment came in the introduction to his cover of the John Denver standard, “Take Me Home Country Roads.” It was one of five songs a young Rice learned before his dad would buy him his first guitar. His father died two years later and Rice still plays that same acoustic guitar in concerts.
A new song, “Haw River,” proved to be a driving anthem with spiritual force. It was quite a contrast to the sentimental “Bench Seat,” for which Chase brought out his dog, Jack, who dutifully sat next to his owner for nearly the entire song. The compliant dog received plenty of camera time on the large screens on either side of the stage.
Opening the evening was singer-songwriter Ella Langley, who with her band performed six tunes, including her opener, “Paint the Town Blue.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Dierks Bentley, Chase Rice, Ella Langley at Van Andel Arena
Photos by Joshua Tufts
SET LIST: Dierks Bentley at Van Andel Arena
Setlist.fm
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