Country singer takes Columbia stage with The Cadillac Black
Country music and cold cans went hand-in-hand at the Tin Roof Tuesday night as everything “got a little sideways” with country singer Dierks Bentley stopping by Columbia’s Tin Roof to give USC students an end-of-the-summer party to remember.
The platinum-selling country artist performed on the bar’s outdoor stage as part of his “Back to College” tour, which features only three stops at SEC schools. Bentley has recorded six gold and platinum albums as well as 10 singles reaching No. 1 on the Billboard country chart, most of which Bentley performed on stage.
The gates opened around 6 p.m. as the sold-out crowd started filling up the 3,500-capacity parking lot area. The girls wore their cowboy boots and denim shorts while some guys brought their cowboy hats. They grabbed themselves a cold bottle of beer and listened to both old-fashioned and modern country music over the loud speakers.
Kelly Nash of FM radio station 97.5’s “The Morning Rush” kicked off the show around 7 p.m. and energized the crowd for the opening act with a “GAME-COCKS” chant.
The Nashville-based county trio the Cadillac Black then took the stage with their red Solo cups, trucker caps and dangerously long hair. Performing such songs as “Get Your Buzz On,” “Whiskey Soaked Redemption” and “Tennessee Mojo,” the band entertained the crowd with its hillbilly-hipster style of country music.
The fairly new trio, which formed in 2011, psyched everybody up for Dierks Bentley while frontman Jaren Johnston moved around the stage and rocked to his guitar.
Johnston took a few moments in between songs to talk about his friendship with Bentley, who has worked with Johnston inside the recording studio. Johnston currently serves as producer of Bentley’s latest album “Country and Cold Cans.”
After the Cadillac Black left the stage, the crowd showed their love for the band’s music by shouting their name back at the stage.
As the night grew closer to Bentley’s performance, worry hit the faces of fans as the sky started showing signs of rain. The rain did fall, but it didn’t matter once Dierks Bentley took the stage and rocked the night away.
Bentley kicked off his performance with one of his latest songs “Country and Cold Cans” to audience members who held their cups and aluminum cans in the air, clapped their hands and waved their arms. Bentley continued with crowd favorites “Grab a Beer” and “Am I the Only One.”
“I feel like the bartender that gets up on stage, sings along and starts pouring out the drinks,” Bentley said while holding up his Solo cup and drinking to the many in attendance.
As the rain fell, Bentley kept the crowd energized as girls took to the tops of guys’ shoulders and guitar picks flew from the stage. The crowd danced and sang along to Bentley’s more vitalizing hits like “Feel That Fire” and “Sideways.”
But it was when Bentley performed “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)” that the crowd overpowered Bentley — although the sing-along was accompanied by a few technical difficulties.
The country singer didn’t hesitate to share the attention on stage as he gave shout-outs to his bandmates and invited Johnston to sing some songs from Bentley’s latest album.
Bentley not only performed for attendees in the parking lot area, but also for spectators viewing the concert from their Hilton Columbia Center hotel room windows across the streets. He urged the crowd to wave and the hotel occupants waved back.
Gamecocks and USC students chanted “U-S-C” between songs, but Bentley felt there was another chant that needed to be heard: “U-S-A.” Bentley reminded everybody of the soldiers who have been fighting to defend this country before performing “Home.”
Bentley even took a trip down memory lane for his hard-core fans by performing songs written during the earlier days of his career like “How Am I Doin’,” “Lot of Leavin’ Left to Do” and “Every Mile a Memory.”
The concert ended on a high note with Bentley performing the song that started it all, “What Was I Thinkin’.” The crowd sang along to Bentley’s first No. 1 hit while Bentley ran around the stage, interacted with his bandmates and reached out for the girls sitting on shoulders.
Through the rain and the technical difficulties, Bentley’s performance reminded everyone in the crowd that country music is all about having a good time with friends and families.