On Saturday, June 15, country star Dierks Bentley will be kicking up gravel and bringing fans gold as he hits the stage at Cincinnati’s Riverbend Music Center as part of the extended leg of his "Gravel & Gold" tour.
The "Gravel & Gold" tour kicked off last summer in support of the “Drunk on a Plane” singer’s 2023 album of the same name. In February, Bentley announced the party would continue this summer with 30 new dates, including in the Queen City.
“We got done with this tour and realized that we just missed playing a lot of places,” Bentley told CityBeat . “I don't tour as much as I used to. That's more about just quality over quantity. … We got down the tour and it's like, dang, we missed playing some places. We always played Cincinnati. It's, like, such a big part of our yearly summer tour, and we missed it last year.”
Bentley said he looked at renaming the tour but ultimately decided to just extend it and add some songs to the setlist, including a cover of Tom Petty’s “American Girl.”
“We're gonna put that in there and change a few things up, but the set was so fun last year — the stage, the way it feels — and I just want to run it back one more time and it's going to be a really great summer,” he said.
Bentley describes building the set list for "Gravel & Gold" like building a roller coaster, making sure there are enough heights with the songs that feature his signature high-energy mix of bluegrass and country rock and drops to slower ballads that will eventually take you back up. Together, these songs create a full-scope, no-filler concert experience Bentley’s fans crave.
“There's a few sections in the show where things get brought down, but it's only so I can build it back up again. I love those moments, but I really enjoy the more higher-intensity parts of the show — and the fun. We have a lot of fun on stage.”
And with Bentley putting months of effort in building a set list that’s going to strike that perfect balance of hits with new work, fan experience and giving the audience the rides of their lives are key.
“Even coming out, I just — it's gonna be a good time,” Bentley told CityBeat . “I mean, we hope people can see it when I walk on stage, just how much fun I'm having. … It doesn't matter what the day's like leading up to it, the second I step on stage, I'm just like — it's so fun. … I walk out there every night with a real sense of joy and wonder that I get to do this. And I think that translates. And the band, I know, feels the same way.”
Country artists Graham Barham and Lee Brice will take the stage first. Following Bentley’s main performance, he’ll return to the stage as Douglas "Doug" Douglason in his parody ‘90s country cover band Hot Country Knights to play a few songs.
Dierks Bentley brings his "Gravel & Gold" tour to Riverbend Music Center Saturday, June 15. The show kicks off at 7 p.m. Buy tickets or learn more about the show at riverbend.org .
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