Tune In, Turn On
The 2026 spring/summer concert season is heating up at the Jersey Shore with only eight weeks left before Memorial Day! One of the bigger shows happening here in Atlantic City takes place this Friday, April 3, when country music star Dierks Bentley comes to Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena.
Bentley, 50, remains an anomaly among music stars. Throughout a career spanning more than 20 years, he has consistently prioritized his wife and three children — even piloting his own plane to fly the band to tour dates, ensuring the most efficient route back home to his family.
“I don’t think anyone has been able to do it the way I’ve done, as far as incorporating my family time into the touring thing,” Bentley told Esquire magazine last year. “It’s easy to chase the numbers when you’re single or not a great dad, but it’s a lot harder to do when you actually care a lot.”
Over a long and distinguished career, Bentley has achieved the difficult task of charting eight albums that climbed to No. 1 on the country music charts, in addition to 22 No. 1 singles.
Some of these singles include “Drunk on a Plane” (2014), “What Was I Thinkin’” (2003), “Somewhere on a Beach” (2016), and 2021’s “Beer’s on Me.”
The singer-guitarist’s sound has been described as country/bluegrass, blended with elements of anthemic-style rock. As proof of his long-standing stardom, Bentley was recently recognized as one of the 20 Biggest Country Artists of the 21st Century by Billboard magazine.
Bentley is a nonstop touring machine, which is a major reason for his high level of success.
Besides his own “Off the Map 2026” Tour, planned for 12 cities this summer, Bentley is hitting the road with fellow country music star Luke Combs for Combs’ 23-show “My Kinda Saturday Night” World Tour featuring Bentley as the primary guest in North America.
Bentley’s most recent album, “Broken Branches,” was crafted from an acoustic guitar foundation in whatever direction “felt right,” with producers Jon Randall and Ross Copperman at the helm.
The album’s title suggests themes of imperfection, resilience and real-life scars – i.e., people who have been through hard times, but keep on going. It should make for a great show at Hard Rock Live this Friday. Showtime: 8 p.m.; tickets $82-$166. Info: https://casino.hardrock.com/atlantic-city/casino.
Tune-Ups
Tower of Power/WAR at Tropicana Ballroom, April 3: For those of us who dig the funky, soulful side of music, I recommend the superb double-bill of Tower of Power and WAR, coming to the Trop in A.C. this Friday night.
TOP, formed in 1968 in Oakland, California, is renowned for their complex horn arrangements, tight, punchy horn section (alto/tenor sax, trombone, trumpets), funky grooves and memorable soul/R&B vocals.
Some of their many hits include “What Is Hip?” “You’re Still a Young Man,” “So Very Hard to Go” and “Don’t Change Horses (in the Middle of a Stream).”
Their co-headliners, WAR, formed in 1969 in Long Beach, California, features members from the group Lowrider (and session players). The group’s unique sound is an eclectic fusion of funk, soul, jazz, Latin, reggae and R&B, with strong sociopolitical and street-level storytelling, as well as prominent use of harmonica and multi-part percussion.
The great Eric Burdon originally fronted WAR in 1969, producing their mega-hit “Spill the Wine” (Burdon left in 1971). Some of their signature songs include “Low Rider,” the aforementioned “Spill the Wine,” “Why Can’t We Be Friends?”, “The World is a Ghetto,” “Cisco Kid” and “Slippin’ into Darkness.”
There have been numerous lineup changes through the years, but the group’s sound remains timeless and extremely popular, even to younger generations of concertgoers.
Showtime: 8 p.m.; tickets start at $74.
Info: https://www.caesars.com/tropicana-ac/shows.
Doug is the owner/operator of Doug Deutsch Publicity Services, which since 1995 has been servicing nationally touring acts, and working record release campaigns for clients. Doug can be reached at ShoreLocalDoug@gmail.com
