The Rocket

Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: Focus

Media Credit: Submitted Photo [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: MCT Campus [Click to enlarge]

It's time for a little bit of country, now that SRU's had a little bit of rock 'n' roll.

The University Program Board's first spring concert act, a performance from the band Mae, will be followed up this weekend with a show from country singer Dierks Bentley.

Bentley will be performing at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Aebersold Recreation Center. Tickets are $20 for SRU students and $30 for non-students.

"I feel so blessed to be doing what I do," the 32-year-old Bentley said. "Getting on stage and playing music is the biggest blast. Every night feels bigger than the one before."

Born in Phoenix on Nov. 20, 1975, Bentley said he found his love for county music at the age of 17 after a friend sang Hank Williams Jr.'s "Man to Man."

After years of performing songs in local bars, clubs and honkytonks (small country music clubs), Bentley was discovered and signed by the Capitol Nashville record label.

In 2003, his self-titled album was released and his debut song "What Was I Thinkin'" went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the year.

Although he has been performing at large venues since 2003, Bentley still likes to get back to the places he started singing at, he said.

"I love performing at college campuses because that is where we (the band) started from," he said. "Sometimes it's hard getting to smaller venues because we have four semi trucks and two buses, but when we can, we do."

Currently, Bentley is promoting his third album with Capitol Nashville, "Long Trip Alone."

"I love singing and writing my own songs because they are songs that you can relate to," Bentley said. "I just keep enjoying the journey."

UPB Vice President of Major Events Rusty Rocus said that around 1,200 tickets have already been sold for the concert. The maximum occupancy for concerts held in the ARC is 1,900.

"Tickets sales are wonderful, and of course, our goal is to sell out the concert," Rocus said.

Some students at SRU are excited to have the country singer visit campus.

"I love Dierks Bentley," said Megan Wislie, a 21-year-old education major. "I'm really excited for the concert because I go to all the country concerts in the summer, so it's nice to have such a big star come to SRU. It's a great way to kick off my summer country concerts."

Allison Avolio, a 23-year-old pursuing her master's degree in student affairs, said that she is pumped that a country artist is performing live at SRU during her last year on campus.

"I am definitely going to see Dierks on Sunday because I am a huge country music fan and he is the kind of artist that has a devotion to writing and living his music," Avolio said. "He builds his fan base by being real, not by being famous."

The spring concert in past years have featured rapper Ludacris (2004), country artists Trace Adkins and Chris Cagle (2005), emo rockers Hawthorne Heights (2006) and rapper T.I. (2007).

Janelle Risser, a 20-year-old business major, said that she would prefer an artist that would reach a variety of students.

"Getting someone who is of one genre but stretches across others and is featured with a lot of other artists like Justin Timberlake or Chris Brown would be nice because I think it would reach a larger audience, rather than the extremes who only appeal to smaller portions of our student body," she said.

Rocus said that the performers for UPB concerts are chosen after a committee of almost 45 students sit down and suggest artists they would want to see come to campus. The committee then goes down the list to find out about the potential artists' availability.

"We (the UPB) want every student to see at least two concerts they would enjoy before they graduate," Rocus said.

Jennifer Shuniak, a 20-year-old dance major, said that she would prefer seeing someone other than a country artist.

"I pretty much hate country," Shuniak said. "I think that they should get someone that everyone would enjoy, like Dave Matthews Band. Who doesn't like them?"

Bentley is nominated for the 2008 Country Music Television "Best Performance of the Year" award for the song, "Free and Easy Down the Road I Go," from his "Long Trip Alone" album.

The CMT awards will be held April 14, at the Nashville's Curb Event Center at Belmont University in Tennessee.

Additional reporting by Meagan Gribbin.

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