The Rocket

Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: Focus

Media Credit: Steve Reed Dierks Bentley dances with Ashley Walter, 21, from Shippensburg, Pa., during Bentley's show at SRU on April 13 in the Aebersold Recreation Center. Many people lined up outside of the ARC the morning of the show to try and catch a glimpse of Bentley and to also be among the first into the facility. [Click to enlarge]

Dierks Bentley lit up the Aebersold Student Recreation Center on April 13 during the University Program Board's spring concert.

Bentley brought along fellow country artist Jedd Hughes as the opening act for his SRU show.

Hughes, a native of Australia, took the stage at 7:30 p.m. with Bentley following at 8.

UPB Vice President of Major Events Rusty Rocus said that he was very happy with the concert.

"Dierks and his crew were very appreciative," Rocus said.

Rocus said that Bentley requested Hughes to be part of the show.

Bentley's set list for the concert included "Every Mile a Memory," "Come a Little Closer," "Long Trip Alone," "Hope For Me Yet" and "Free and Easy Down the Road I Go."

Three Dierks Bentley fan club members, Hannah Wirth, 20 from Wooster, Ohio, and Nicolena Husted, 21, and Marissa Husted, 17, of Erie, Pa., were voted fans of the day on Bentley's Web site and were waiting in line at 9:30 a.m. for the doors to open.

Ashley Walter, 21, from Shippensburg, Pa., was pulled up on stage to join Bentley in a dance while he sang, "Come a Little Closer."

"It was amazing to be up there with him," Walter said.

Kelly Hammer, 20, health major and UPB crew member, started setting up for Bentley's arrival at noon.

"I'll be selling merchandise during the concert," Hammer said before the show. "The only thing I'm not looking forward to is staying late to clean up."

UPB crew members stayed until 3 a.m. Monday after dissembling the stage and cleaning up.

Janet and Gary Wood from Malvern, Ohio, made sure they were in the front row so that Janet could pass Bentley a bouquet of flowers.

"We won tickets to the concert from the radio station K105," Janet Wood said. "We got (to SRU) at 2:30 and only had to wait in line for about three hours."

WQXK-FM K105 is based in Youngstown, Ohio.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools