Paisley and pals make it 'Saturday Night' any night of the week
By: Nancy Dunham
Special to The Examiner
October 22, 2009
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| Brad Paisley (Courtesy Photo) |
If you goBrad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Jimmy Wayne
Where: 1st Mariner Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore
When: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22
Info: $34.50 to $51.50; ticketmaster.com
Don't let all of those glossy photos of Brad Paisley staring out from national magazine covers fool you.
He and singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley, who is on tour with Paisley as they come through 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore Thursday night, may have Hollywood looks and style but they remain true to their country roots.
"We get along great," said Bentley of Paisley. "We both have country music roots that go pretty deep."
Both Paisley, who grew up in Glen Dale, W.Va., and Bentley, a Phoenix native, let their love of country music lead them to colleges in Nashville where they studied, and later entered, the music industry. Although both are certified Nashville stars -- with Paisley having more music industry awards and nominations than only a handful of other contemporary artists -- both have remained close to their roots.
Paisley's reverence for the elders of country music plus his contemporary take on music is well showcased on his latest album "American Saturday Night," yet he's modest about the praise he's received for that and other work.
"I feel like they let a freshman into the prom," Paisley said in a radio interview with Jack Shell earlier this week. "In a good way."
That sort of humble attitude is why the singer -- who tackles such sophisticated contemporary topics as technology and racism in the title track of this latest album -- likely will remain a critical and popular favorite in music circles, said Beville Darden, editor of the country music site "The Boot."
"He has that, 'aw, shucks' personality that makes him accessible with his fans," Darden said. "He doesn't act like a celebrity. He acts like your friend ....[Plus] he is basically a song writing genius."
Melissa Parker of Rockville saw that first-hand when she attended a recent event in Nashville at which Paisley and Bentley performed.
"He is a down to earth guy you'd hang out with," said Parker of Paisley. "He really is a normal guy and that's pretty awesome ... And Dierks was just full of fun, jumping all over the place. They are just nice people."
Expect plenty of that fun Thursday, even though this is one of the last shows in a long tour.
"I know it sounds kind of weird, but the tour is coming to an end and all of us on the road know we'll miss it," Bentley said. "We will put everything in -- making good music for good people -- because these shows are just a lot of fun."
