Dierks Bentley’s ‘Hot Country Knights’ Makes Its Debut in Nashville
See, this is the kind of commitment to the weird mainstream country needs more of.
Last night (2-25) as part of Country Radio Seminar festivities in Nashville, Dierks Bentley, aka Douglas “Big Rhythm Doug” Douglason, showed the depth of his commitment to his alter-ego 90’s country band called Hot Country Knights by taking the stage at “The Stage” on Lower Broadway and launching into renditions of big late 80’s & 90’s country hits like Alan Jackson’s “Chattahoochee,” David Lee Murphy’s “Dust On The Bottle,” and even had guest stars like Kip Moore show up, and Miranda Lambert playing the part of “Shelby Shelton” singing Shania Twain’s “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under” while referencing lyrics on her cell phone.
Other guest stars included Randy Houser posing as “Dallas Houston” and singing “Watermelon Crawl,” and Charles Kelley playing “Ronnie Buns” in a rendition of Brooks & Dunn’s “My Maria.”
First introduced to the world in January, Douglas “Big Rhythm Doug” Douglason and Hot Country Knights consists of Dierks Bentley’s backing band sporting wigs and outdated duds. Detailed personas and bio information was mocked up for the band that also includes Trevor Travis, Barry Van Ricky, Shelton Van Ricky, Dillard “Monte” Montgomery, Cade “Bonesy” McCoy, Vinnie “Frenzy Fingers” Pompanelli, and Terotej “Terry” Dvoraczekinsky. There’s even rumors of an album on the way through Capitol Records.
Meanwhile we’ll have to settle for these live versions:
February 26, 2015 @ 7:39 pm
I don’t get this at all. Are they making fun of the 90’s or paying homage? Why not just listen to the original songs? It wasn’t that long ago.
Isn’t “Watermelon Crawl” a Tracy Byrd song?
February 26, 2015 @ 8:53 pm
Sorry, what I meant to say was Randy Houser was dressed like John Anderson. Yes, Tracy Byrd is responsible for “Watermelon Crawl.”
I think if you try to read too much into it, the joke’s on you. I think Dierks and his band are just doing something that they enjoy and can blow off steam with.
February 26, 2015 @ 11:39 pm
Appropriate given that Randy Houser sounds a fair bit like John Anderson. I’m surprised he didn’t launch into “Seminole Wind.”
February 26, 2015 @ 8:02 pm
I rather listen to original 90’s country than today’s country making fun of my beloved country 90’s music.
February 28, 2015 @ 9:22 pm
anyway I like Dierks Bentley.
February 26, 2015 @ 8:17 pm
It is a Tracy Byrd song and I would rather listen to him than ANY of these morons.
February 26, 2015 @ 8:20 pm
this is kinda cool, everyone knows of Garths silly Chris Gaines deal a while back, but George Strait actually has played shows under an alias and disguise. A lot of those big acts miss the fun and intimate settings of local bars and honky honks. That would be cool if that was the idea behind this
February 26, 2015 @ 8:55 pm
The difference between Chris Gains and this is Garth took himself too seriously.
February 28, 2015 @ 9:23 pm
that was a joke what Garth did.
March 2, 2015 @ 9:03 am
Johnny,
When did George do this? I think that is kind of cool. It gives an artist a chance to play some of their favorite songs from other artist. I have never heard of GS doing this.
February 26, 2015 @ 8:44 pm
i think they really love the 90s music but cannot do it this day and age. So they put on a show to pay homage. Dierks is a huge bluegrass fan as well, I just think it’s something they can do when they are not on the road. Charles Kelley killed the Ronnie Dunn act.
February 26, 2015 @ 8:46 pm
Whoa lighten up people. This is just a lot of fun. Sheesh.
February 26, 2015 @ 9:27 pm
Yeah, I agree. I bet the band and the audience both had an absolute blast doing this.
The only thing I don’t quite get is the band’s getup. If they’re a 90’s country act, shouldn’t they be wearing cowboy hats, Garth-style colorblock shirts, and sporting mullets?
Oh well. As Trigger said, I love how totally weird this is, and how committed they all are to it.
February 26, 2015 @ 9:09 pm
I assume this was free and it looks like a good time was had by the band and the crowd, I see no problem here. Yes, its meant to be funny but they are still being respectful of the music itself, its nothing for anybody to get offended by. I probably would have been very entertained if I was there, they all still have a lot of musical talent (they just don’t use it on their own songs most of the time). I hope they keep doing this, seems better than an actual Lady A or Kip Moore show.
February 26, 2015 @ 10:03 pm
If there was some album planned for like an “80’s or 90’s” I’d be alright with that
February 26, 2015 @ 10:30 pm
The same people taking this seriously are of the same ilk that critique Steel Panther as a legitimate band.
Loved it. Good fun.
February 27, 2015 @ 5:54 am
If I may…
If the music’s good and the singin’s straight (if not Strait), the dudes’ duds shouldn’t matter… Heck, Bulishi and Ackroyd’s Blues Brothers started out as a joke/skit on SNL (am I showing my age?), complete with faux-bios, but that entire act, comedians and musicians, went on to do some pretty decent covers of old tunes… and yes, one bad movie (let’s hope the Knights learn THAT lesson…)
g
February 27, 2015 @ 6:33 am
This is pretty fucking cool. It obviously looks like it is intended to be a good time and poke a little fun at the era, but hell they are playing good music and what does that tell you? This is a billion times better than what is on todays radio. Sure they may over exaggerate it a little but the music is good and people get to listen to good music!
February 27, 2015 @ 7:06 am
What the fuck? Is this–Keep Nashville Weird, now???
Somebody leaked their proposed tour schedule:
March 11 – Austin, TX
March 13 – Portland, OR
March 15 – Austin, TX
March 17 – Portland, OR
March 19 – Austin, TX
March 21 – Portland, OR
March 23 – Austin, TX
March 25 – Portland, OR
Stock up on PBR and Volkswagon Microbus spare parts, all you I-84 shopkeepers.
February 27, 2015 @ 9:23 am
Ok, as someone who lives in Portland this is really freaking funny. And as funny as it is, yes, the band would go down a storm here.
March 2, 2015 @ 7:07 am
I know, right?
I have been to both these cities, but I feel I have yet to really experience the full weirdness of either. But I appreciate the vibes.
February 27, 2015 @ 7:11 am
Yeah Dierks! I’m with you Trig, this guy is just blowing off some steam and having fun…because he can. I love it.
February 27, 2015 @ 8:42 am
it’s the country version of the Yacht Rock Review
http://www.pleaserock.com/tributes/yacht-rock-revue
February 27, 2015 @ 9:36 am
I actually love this. I don’t see it as poking fun of 90’s artists or music at all, they are poking fun of the fashion, but let’s face facts that is deserving of scorn. Plus, maybe this brings to light some artists and songs that have been largely forgotten by the mainstream. Plus as other’s have said, it’s fun, something that can get lost in the music business at times.
February 27, 2015 @ 10:06 am
Man, this is great. I grew up with 90’s country, and love the stuff. Sure it’s a little stereotypical, but it looks like good clean fun. They look like characters for some sort of Will Ferrel movie.
February 27, 2015 @ 10:10 am
I always thought a honky tonk version of the blues brothers would be the best movie ever.
Are these guys making fun of my jeans?
February 27, 2015 @ 10:33 am
I think they’re doing because their own songs are so mediocre, gotta be nice to play something everybody actually wants to hear for a change
February 27, 2015 @ 11:27 am
Amen to that, the bigger joke is ‘Drunk on a Plane’, this stuff is not only refreshing to them but also a music lesson.
February 27, 2015 @ 12:23 pm
“I think they”™re doing because their own songs are so mediocre, gotta be nice to play something everybody actually wants to hear for a change….”
“Amen to that, the bigger joke is ”˜Drunk on a Plane”™, this stuff is not only refreshing to them but also a music lesson.”
I’m certain this is a big factor for these guys . For years we ( country cover bands ) tried to keep on top of newer releases but they became progressively harder to sell in dance clubs .Quite simply, NO ONE DANCED to it because they aren’t dance songs . If we played ‘Watermelon Crawl’ or ” Whose Bed …” , ‘Chatahoochie etc.’.the dance floor was filled . For whatever reasons , the dance song is gone from most top 40 country charts . I think Dierks and the boys feel like most bands ….they wanna play solid , catchy dance music cus that’s THEIR roots too ….dance clubs , honky tonks , saloons etc. They will never be able to play DRUNK ON a plane 10 or 20 years from now .
February 27, 2015 @ 11:09 am
John Osborne from Brothers Osborne is there on guitar. Looking forward to their show tomorrow night in Columbus, OH. I’d love to live in Nashville and be in a bar when something like this happened.
February 27, 2015 @ 12:06 pm
I see this as all good fun, though I am not going to pay to see them, but it REALLY makes me feel old that the young ‘uns are into 90s nostalgia. Weren’t the 90s just last week?
February 27, 2015 @ 12:18 pm
This has nothing to do with Bentley but more new culture but the part that pisses me off is that the original artists are still around and completely ignored. No longer do we have respect for the elder statesmen in country. There will never be another Dickens or Wagoner. Guys like Byrd, Chesnutt, Diffie, Jackson, Black, etc. sold a ton of albums in the 90’s and everyone of these skinny jeans morons is standing on a business that those guys made huge.
February 27, 2015 @ 12:24 pm
Also I was really hoping for a demonstration of Bentley’s spectacularly pitchtastic singing voice.
February 27, 2015 @ 7:52 pm
a faux cover band (strike one) playing covers of shitty country songs (strike two), performing/pandering to the same people who forced the songs on us in the first place (strike three). no thanks.
i’ll admit, the costumes are hilarious.
February 28, 2015 @ 3:03 pm
I would buy this album if it existed.