Dierks Bentley to play Poplar Bluff on Thursday

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Wrapping up a successful year touring off the strength of a Billboard No. 1 country album, Dierks Bentley said he plans to "give it all (he's) got" in Poplar Bluff.

"We're coming there to blow this thing up one more time," Bentley said during a recent interview with the Daily American Republic.

Southeast Missouri has "great fans," Bentley noted. "People are so appreciative in that region when acts come through town," he said.

Bentley, whose latest charting single is "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes" off his current album "Feel That Fire," is set to perform at 8 p.m. Thursday at the Black River Coliseum.

"We're very excited to be hosting a concert with one of the most popular entertainers in country music," said Randy Mathews, coliseum director. "Dierks is a very energetic performer who puts on a fantastic show, and we know everyone who comes is going to have a great time."

The event marks the first act the coliseum has promoted since Mathews took the top position in August. Bentley has been on the coliseum's "radar screen" prior to Mathews' arrival, he said, but it was just a matter of nailing down a date with the busy musician.

Earlier this year, Bentley joined Grammy-award winning country singer-songwriter Brad Paisley on his "Paisley Party Tour," which included stops in Canada and Australia. Bentley continued with Paisley on his "American Saturday Night Tour" this fall, hitting 48 states.

"I'm excited about the last couple shows, doing our own thing, which is what we love to do," Bentley said. While he looks forward to eventually taking a break from the road, he said, "everybody knows when you get back home for a few days, you wish you had another gig to do."

Bentley moved to Nashville in 1994 to pursue his music career, playing at any venue that would have him, he said, adding that he was not given any shortcuts.

"I did it the old fashioned way, touring nonstop, playing 300 shows a year," Bentley said. "Over the years, I was able to open up for bigger acts."

Asked to describe his sound, Bentley said his instrumentation is rooted in traditional country -- honky-tonk and bluegrass -- but his songs are a little more progressive, with a hint of rock 'n' roll influence.

"I wasn't raised on a farm," explained the Arizona native. By the same token, he added, he grew up "riding horses and wearing a cowboy hat" and identifies with the lifestyle.

"The subject matter -- the ups and downs; the heartaches," Bentley said, "that's what I live, and relate to, and write about."

When it comes to entering the studio, Bentley, now four major-label albums deep, said he tries to remember the feeling of cutting his first record, being nervous and hungry. He brings different musicians into the mix, he said, and changes his environment often in order to "keep it fresh" and avoid falling into a comfort zone.

In his biography on his official Web site, Bentley is portrayed as being one of a few new artists recording hits today for a diverse fan base, while remaining credible with his critics, and having done it from the grassroots.

One of the "25 Fittest Guys in America" in Men's Fitness Magazine last year and named among "Country's Hottest Guys" in a special edition of People Magazine that came out in June, Bentley said he still considers himself a "dude's dude."

He is a "creature of habit," he explained, who rides a motorcycle and watches ESPN's "SportsCenter." "I'm just fortunate that some girls like that sort of thing," Bentley joked.

In his personal life, Bentley is happily married and has a daughter who just turned 1 in October. "It's a beautiful thing," said the 33-year-old.

Bentley said he will always be a "free spirit, living out (his) dreams," but at the end of the day, his life centers around his family, which includes two rescue dogs that have been featured in his videos.

Bentley has received six Grammy nominations and seven No. 1 hits on Capitol Records Nashville, according to his publicist, Tyne Whitten, of The Greenroom, based in Music City. He is also the third country artist in history to be endorsed by Bud Light, joining the ranks of George Strait and Tim McGraw.

To purchase a ticket for the concert, which cost $27, visit www.ticketmaster.com, call 800-745-3000 or stop by the coliseum box office from 8 a.m. -- 5 p.m. Tickets can also be purchased at the door of the show, which opens at 7 p.m.

Pertinent address:

301 S 5th St, Cape Girardeau, MO