ABC News RadioDierks Bentley launches his biggest tour ever Thursday night in North Carolina, and he’s ready to deliver a rocking show for his fans all-summer long. The new stage show features a giant projection screen Dierks calls “the wave” that allows him to connect with audience members sitting in the very back of the venue.
Dierks says, “I think about going to amphitheaters as a kid when I was 17, loving country music. Every band comes through, and you want to make your show stand out and be different and be unique.”
Dierks is stepping up the video elements of his live show, and fans at this weekend’s show will get a sneak peek at video footage from his latest single, “Drunk on a Plane,” which doesn’t premiere until Monday. It’s all part of Dierks’ effort to keep the audience’s attention throughout the night.
“You know, off the stage, I really don’t seek attention, but on the stage, I like to have everyone’s attention all the time until I walk off,” he explains. “I try to design a show that’s going to keep everyone really focused and engaged.”
Fans can feel free to photograph or tape any part of Dierks’ show, but they should be warned he doesn’t take any selfies with fans’ phones until the end of the show. Dierks is dumbfounded by how many people actually throw their iPhones onstage trying to get him to take a photo on it.
Says Dierks, “People are literally throwing $400 iPhones up on stage. Like, ‘That’s your phone, man! All your contacts. Your pictures. That cost $400. You just tossed it up here on stage.'”
Chris Young, Jon Pardi and Chase Rice join Dierks on the Riser tour this summer. Go to Dierks.com for dates.
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