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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Blogs Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Multimedia Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Road Cams Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend December 1, 2006 Rising country star Dierks Bentley blends bluegrass with traditional country music. Dierks Bentley hits the stage Country music recording artist comes to the Rogue Valley BY BILL VARBLE Mail Tribune Dierks Bentley tours like he's afraid that if he slows down, something might be gaining on him. Within a week after his Locked and Loaded Tour hits Medford, he'll play gigs in Montana, Idaho, Washington, California, Arizona, Nevada and British Columbia. Bentley will perform at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4, in the Compton Arena at the Jackson County Expo in Central Point. Opening the concert will be the Randy Rogers Band and Miranda Lambert. If Bentley and his band have played more gigs in the last couple of years than they can remember, one night stands out: They took the stage one night at the Memphis Pyramid and sang for some 20,000 people to set the table for George Strait. Then they hopped on a bus and drove to Oxford, Miss., where they played a raucous late-night show for 150 college students in the basement of an Ole Miss fraternity house. "We went from one of the biggest lighting rigs you can have to a three-ring light tree," Bentley says with a laugh. Advertisement After several well-received albums of his own (including his 2003 breakout, "What Was I Thinkin'?"), Bentley says he's still proud of opening for stars like Strait and Kenny Chesney. But he says the more satisfying shows are the ones on smaller stages with their autograph lines. Bentley moved from Arizona to Nashville and spent eight years making himself into a country artist. In his first year with a major-label deal, he spent 300 days on the road, playing such towns as Rock Springs, Wyo.; Elma, Wash.; and Porterfield, Wisc. He claims he doesn't mind. He says when the bus driver offered to put a TV monitor up by the front of the bus, he declined, instead choosing to watch the country going by outside the windshield. "I want to wake up every morning thinking I've got to make the most of this day," he says of life on the road. Bentley grew up surrounded by FM rock and heard country mostly on his dad's car radio and TV's "Hee-Haw." He tried to play electric guitar but grew frustrated trying Van Halen licks. Finally, he decided he wasted a lot of time listening to a lot of bad hair bands. He started writing songs and learned to play rhythm guitar. In Nashville, he used a fake ID to hang out in the Station Inn, Nashville's fabled bluegrass bar. A job at The Nashville Network allowed him watch country performances from the '40s' to the '80s. He filled notebooks with the songs of Willie Nelson, Harlan Howard and Mel Tillis. He set a goal of playing the famed Bluebird Cafe before his 23rd birthday and made it, then formed bands and graduated from dive bars to brew pubs to honky tonks. His sound mixes bluegrass and traditional and modern country. He also worked with young audiences, and Capitol offered a record deal. Bentley's debut single, "What Was I Thinkin'," was a hit. Two more quickly followed. He paired up with Ragweed for the High Times and Hangovers Tour, a 35-city run that lived up to its name. Several albums and awards later, the touring has yet to quit. IF YOU GO: Who: Dierks Bentley When: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4 Where: Compton Arena, Jackson County Expo, 1 Peninger Road, Central Point Tickets: $29.50 Call: 503-224-4400 Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Trunks, Footlocker Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Casinos Canada Cord Blood Banking Discount Hotel Reservations Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing Debt Help New Hampshire Primary