I've been a country fan, to various degrees, ever since I can remember and I'm 49 years old. It's been only about 5 years or so that I have really become nearly obsessed about the genre.

I started out being more into the alt stuff and to heck with the pop stuff. Music Row? Dismissed. But I have learned to embrace every facet of the genre. I used to think Keith Urban was the end all and be all. I still like him very much but I have learned in the past couple of days that Dierks Bentley is my guy. He's mainstream to be sure, but he has a traditional bent streaming in his stuff, moreso than Keith, Kenny or anyone else out there in the CMT/GAC world of country.

I believe he has the potential to be a long lasting artist along the lines of the greats. I can see him having a Marty Stuart/Rodney Crowell/Emmylou/Dwight Yokam type of career. He's got a real appreciation of the roots of country and in the coming years he'll be a respected and an often cited icon. At least I hope.

I live in NYC and hope he can find his way to being a regular visitor in these parts on his future concert tours.