With tailgate season in full swing, a crowd of country fans headed to Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater to watch headliner Dierks Bentley bring his ‘Burning Man Tour’ to the beach. For exclusive videos from the show, click here to head to our Instagram Story Highlights.
Photo by Justin Aharoni (@jaharoni) for NYCountry Swag
Before Hot Country Knights took to the stage, performing a parody of 90s country songs, VIP ticket holders were lucky enough to witness an acoustic set by Bentley himself in the VIP tent. The singer, supported by his band, sang bluegrass versions of some of his biggest songs, including “Woman, Amen”, “I Hold On,” and “Burning Man.” NYCountry Swag followers had the opportunity to win VIP access to the special performance on our Instagram giveaway contest. Congratulations to our winner, Catrina Cotrone!
Photo by Justin Aharoni (@jaharoni) for NYCountry Swag
The first true opener of the night was one of our Swag Spotlight alums, Tenille Townes. With her sassy attitude and killer vocals, the songstress spotlighted her fresh sound and honest lyrics on the big stage, proving why she’s one of our 2019 Artist to Watch. Kicking it off with her poignant love song, “White Horse” followed by “Where You Are,” Townes continued to win over new fans throughout her performance. She went on to sing “Jersey On the Wall,” which she added “This is one that’s very close to my heart,” and “Come As You Are,” but it was the end of her set that was her sweet spot. The singer-songwriter covered U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” as the audience sang along to each and every word. Townes ended her incredible set with her debut single, “Somebody’s Daughter.” For more about Townes and her undeniable talent click here.
Photo by Justin Aharoni (@jaharoni) for NYCountry Swag
Country crooner, Jon Pardi took the stage next, as fans came in droves, packing out the venue. Pardi brought the energy throughout his hour-long set, opening with his song, “What I Can’t Put Down,” followed by “My Next Broken Heart,” a Brooks and Dunn classic, which he lent his voice to on the record REBOOT. He continued the momentum, singing songs like “Lucky Tonight,” “Ain’t Always The Cowboy,” “Me and Jack”, and “Heartache Medication.” The latter are both said to be songs off Pardi’s forthcoming studio album.
Photo by Justin Aharoni (@jaharoni) for NYCountry Swag
Fans went crazy throughout his whole set, but the crowd was extra loud when Pardi sang his most popular songs, “Heartache on the Dance Floor,” “Head Over Boots,” and “Dirt on My Boots.” The singer even admitted in his set that “The more [he] gets out of Nashville, the more hardcore country fans there are.” Pardi succeeded in bringing true blue country music to New York, and fans loved every minute of it.
Photo by Justin Aharoni (@jaharoni) for NYCountry Swag
Shortly after, the man of the night, Dierks Bentley took the stage. Bentley left it all out on stage, singing his most vulnerable songs, his party songs, and everything in between, all while remaining humble and endearing the whole time. His set began with “Burning Man,” and “Up on the Ridge” featuring images of mountains in the background, which added to the ambiance. The backdrop quickly changed, during Bentley’s epic performance of “Somewhere on a Beach,” which he added fit the venue perfectly. The recording artist continued to sing fan-favorite song including the romantic ode to women, “Woman, Amen,” the endearing, “Black,” and of course, “I Hold On.”
The entertainer shifted gears soon thereafter, singing his party anthem, “5-1-5-0” and of course, his newest single, “Living.” Check out an exclusive clip from the performance on our Instagram in the video above. Bentley also brought Pardi back out to sing one of Bentley’s favorite songs by Pardi called, “Missin’ You Crazy.” The pair really played off each other’s energy and it was evident by the vibes in the room that fans approved of the duet.
Townes also came back on stage to sing a mesmerizing rendition of “Different For Girls” with Bentley. The headliner sang his praises for Townes, adding that she’s “paving the way,” for women and comparing her talent to likes of Patty Loveless and Martina McBride. While on stage, Townes proved that she knows her 90s country, singing some of both “Strawberry Wine” and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman.”
Photo by Justin Aharoni (@jaharoni) for NYCountry Swag
Although we loved the duets, one of our favorite moments of the night was when Bentley sang his beautiful song “Riser.” Before performing the song, he shared his appreciation for law enforcement, firefighters, volunteers, the military, and those who serve us every day. Bentley added “I like to think these songs are for people that are no longer here, what they would say now. I feel like, they would say, don’t just go through life being a survivor, go through life being a riser, make the most of every day.” His statement and performance of “Riser” surely brought chills to each and every fan there.
Soon thereafter, Bentley kicked off the acoustic part of his set, as he made his way to the B-stage to sing some of his more vulnerable songs. Of course, in typical Bentley fashion, he made sure to shotgun a beer with a fan on stage first. The singer-songwriter went on to sing, “Come a Little Closer” and “Say You Do.”
Photo by Justin Aharoni (@jaharoni) for NYCountry Swag
Keeping fans entertained, Bentley made his way back to the main stage, singing an electrifying version of his song “What Was I Thinkin’” and brought DJ AyDamn on stage to sing “Sideways.” Of course, Bentley came back to the stage after the song to sing two songs for his encore. In true Bentley fashion, he came back to the stage dressed in a full-pilot getup to sing “Drunk on a Plane.” The superstar ended his set with “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go),” the perfect song to end the exhilarating night of music on a high note.
Dierks Bentley with NYCountry Swag Founder, Stephanie Wagner
For exclusive videos from the show, click here to head to our Instagram Story Highlights. Looking for the perfect captions for your pictures from the show? Check out our list of 10 best Dierks Bentley Lyrics to use for your Instagram captions.
Bentley, Pardi, and Townes will continue playing ‘Burning Man Tour’ shows through the rest of the summer.
To keep up with Dierks Bentley and the tour, visit dierks.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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