American country music singer Dierks Bentley made his way to Mizzou Arena on Saturday, Feb. 23 as a part of his 2019 “Burning Man Tour.” The show sold to thousands of concertgoers, including MU students.
Bentley said in a Billboard interview that he and his team have put a lot of effort into making the show both enjoyable and engaging.
“It’s a chance to see a tour that’s extremely, on our end at least, super dialed in,” Bentley said. “This thing is so fun. We’ve been nuancing the set and playing these huge places. It’s a great show.”
Bentley opened the show with one of his biggest hits and the name of his tour, “Burning Man,” which had MU students eager about the start of the show.
MU freshman Kayla Collins said he performed many of her personal favorite songs, which made the concert that much more exciting.
“The concert was especially great because Dierks Bentley sang two of my all-time favorite songs and performed them really well,” Collins said. ‘“The two songs were ‘Different for Girls’ and ‘Somewhere on a Beach’ and he sang them so well.”
Collins also said the energy in the stadium enhanced the overall concert experience, as many concertgoers dressed in flannels and cowboy or cowgirl boots.
Similarly, freshman Emma Weinbaum said “Different for Girls” was Bentley’s best performance of the night.
“I didn’t anticipate him to sing it because it has a featured artist, so when he did everyone was pretty stoked,” Weinbaum said. “But he sang it so well and it was just amazing.”
Weinbaum also noted that the atmosphere of the concert was light-hearted and energetic, which made it easier to have a fun concert experience.
Collins felt the Mizzou Arena venue was an excellent concert setting. She said it was impeccably clean and getting into the stadium was quick and easy.
Likewise, Weinbaum said that she wasn’t sure what to expect with the venue being so big. She felt the venue ended up being perfect as it was easily accessible and felt spacious despite being packed with people. Weinbaum also said that the concert was even better than the first time she had seen him perform live.
“I’ve seen Dierks Bentley once before and it was awesome, so I was expecting this concert to be similar to that,” Weinbaum said. “But it seriously exceeded my expectations. Dierks put on one of the best shows I’ve ever been to.”
Despite being a previous fan of the artist, Collins felt the concert was more enjoyable than she had anticipated as well.
“The show definitely met my expectations,” Collins said. “I expected it to be fun but I didn’t realize how good of a live performer he is. My friends and I are all huge fans so we really enjoyed the whole experience.”
Bentley still has 20 more tour stops across the United States on his “Burning Man Tour.” Each show has the same setlist comprised of a medley of his oldest and greatest hits, as well as songs from his most recent album, “The Mountain.”
_Edited by Janae McKenzie | jmckenzie@themaneater.com_