Why Dierks Bentley loves playing Kansas City concerts: Travis, Taylor and Garth Brooks
Country singer Dierks Bentley has always loved coming to Kansas City, but he has a newfound appreciation for the city, thanks to the world’s most popular couple.
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift may have converted the country star into becoming one of the newest members of the Chiefs Kingdom. In a 15-minute interview with The Star, he said his family watched a lot of Chiefs football thanks to those two.
“My teenagers love the Chiefs,” he said. “I’m Travis Kelce’s biggest fan because of that. We get to watch football as a family because of that.”
So you might just see Bentley and his family at a Chiefs home game this season. But before that, fans of the artist can see him in Kansas City this week.
The 14-time Grammy-nominated singer brings his Gravel & Gold Tour to T-Mobile Center on Friday in support of his newest album with the same name. This is a part of the second leg of the tour that started in 2023. Bentley is joined by country singers Chase Rice and Tanner Usrey.
“A special town to play in”
Kansas City crowds have always been great to Bentley, he said, so he made it a point to come back here. It was also the site of an impromptu trip with his wife, Cassidy, to see Garth Brooks play one of his nine sold-out shows at the T-Mobile Center in 2007.
Bentley and his wife left a “terrible football game” between the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars early on Nov. 11, 2007 to fly to Kansas City to see Brooks perform.
This was before Bentley earned his pilot’s license and began flying himself and his bandmates to shows, so he and his wife got on a Southwest Airlines flight out of Nashville to make it in time.
Bentley was also a guest performer for Swift during her 1989 World Tour stop in Kansas City in 2015.
“I feel like I’ve been playing there my whole life, but I can’t remember the exact tour dates,” Bentley said. “I’m always living in the present, but (Kansas City’s) always a special town to play in.”
‘Gravel & Gold’
“Gravel & Gold” is Bentley’s 10th studio album, and he wanted it to feel special. After multiple recording sessions in a studio in his home state of Colorado, he settled on making it a collection of all the different sounds he’s been associated with over his 20-year career.
Fans can hear traditional and modern country styles, along with bluegrass scattered throughout the album’s 14 songs.
Even though one of his hit songs is titled “Drunk On A Plane,” part of why he’s been able to perform for two decades is because he’s a trained pilot who flies himself to tour destinations. Being able to fly to and from shows reduces the wear and tear on his body from traveling and performing, keeping the 48-year-old star fresh for the 90-minute shows.
He received it in his early 20s, but he ran out of money and couldn’t afford to stay in the sky.
It wasn’t until he bumped into his friend and country icon Tim McGraw a decade later that he decided it was time to get back to flying. Bentley’s first kid was just born and he was looking for ways to reduce his time on the road so he could spend more time with his family.
McGraw was taking flying lessons and introduced Bentley to his pilot, and the rest is history.
Bentley isn’t sure if he’ll fly to Kansas City for the show since he has a show in St. Louis on Thursday and Omaha on Saturday. No matter his method of travel, he said he’s looking forward to putting on a great show for the fans.
Concertgoers can expect to hear his greatest and latest hits, like the song “Gold,” from his new album, along with covers from artists like Toby Keith, Tom Petty and Noah Kahan. Bentley’s 90s country music parody band, The Hot Country Knights, are expected to make an appearance at the end of the night to play hits from artists in the 90s, like Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Achy Breaky Heart,” and Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places.”
“We put so much time into our show, making it the best it can be,” Bentley said. “We really focus on the fan experience and want it to be awesome.”
How much are tickets?
Tickets are available on Ticketmaster’s website. Prices range from $20 to $59.75 for seats and $95.75 for general admission pit tickets. Prices are before fees.
Here’s how the lowest ticket prices compare on resale sites as of Saturday:
- SeatGeek: $11 before fees
- StubHub: $10 before fees
- Tickets For Less: $20 with no fees
- Vivid Seats: $13 before fees
When does T-Mobile Center open?
T-Mobile Center’s website says the doors open at 6:30 p.m. for Founders Club members or visitors with premium plus or VIP ticket access. Visitors who have T-Mobile as a cellphone provider and signed for the service’s Club Magenta pass can enter at 6:45 p.m.
All doors open at 7 p.m. Guests who have VIP and general admission tickets can line up to enter starting at 11 a.m. Friday.
If your cellphone provider is T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile or MINT, you can enter through the expedited T-Mobile gate on Grand Boulevard when all doors open.
The venue is cashless, so you can only buy concert merchandise with credit and debit cards or contactless payment methods, like Apple Pay.
What can and can’t I bring to T-Mobile Center?
T-Mobile Center does not have a clear bag policy, but the venue encourages fans to pack lightly when attending. Your bag should not be larger than 12” by 6” by 12”. Don’t bring backpacks or chain wallets.
These other items are not allowed inside:
Artificial noisemakers
Beach balls and balloons
Cameras with detachable lenses
Coolers and containers
Laptop and tablet computers
Outside food and beverages
Pocket knives
Selfie sticks
Spurs
Umbrellas with spike-like points
Any type of weapon, fake weapon or object resembling a weapon
Where can I park in downtown Kansas City?
Downtown Kansas City has plenty of parking available near T-Mobile Center. The arena offers on-site parking in the red lot at 12th and Oak streets and the yellow lot at 13th Street and Grand Boulevard, which is the KC Live! garage.
You will have to purchase passes to these lots in advance online. Both lots cost $20 before online fees. Event parking opens three hours before the concert.
Other than those, there are over 40,000 parking spaces in the downtown area. Many are paid lots, and you can find free street parking. You can also park farther away and take the free KC Streetcar to the stop 14th and Main streets, the closest to T-Mobile Center.
Where can I be dropped off and picked up for the concert?
Grand Boulevard and Oak Street in front of T-Mobile Center will be blocked off for the concert.
If you’re being dropped off by a family, friend, Uber or Lyft, they can take you as close to the 13th and Oak Street entrance as possible. They may also drop you off on streets that aren’t blocked off in the Power & Light District or farther away if walking isn’t an issue.
The same is true for picking up concertgoers after the show. Communicate with your driver so they can find you once the show’s over.
This story was originally published August 21, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
