Dierks Bentley and friends at Family Arena Friday

The Jagermeister Country Music Tour will stop at the Family Arena Friday night, April 29, headed by country superstar Dierks Bentley.
The tour will also feature rising star Josh Thompson, along with country newcomers and female duo Miss Willie Brown.
For Thompson, it’s a long way from pouring concrete during the day and writing songs at night, just a couple of years ago.
Thompson is a veteran of the Jager tour, as he was also on the bill last year with Eric Church at The Pageant
“I had a great time out with Eric last year, and I remember the Pageant as a very nice venue,” Thompson said. “I’m ready to come back to St. Louis with Dierks, though.”
Thompson said that  the camaraderie of the three acts on this tour is like going out on the town.
“With Miss Willie Brown, Dierks, and myself and our bands, it’s cool,” Thompson said. “We check each others shows out. It’s cool when you look to the side of the stage and see Dierks taking in your show. He’s a hell of an entertainer, so you can feel it. Then, we are all out there to see his show every time we can.”
Although they enjoy each other’s sets, at the time of the interview there hadn’t been any stage antics yet.
“We haven’t joined each other on-stage yet,” Thompson said. “That’d be super cool if we got to do that.”
In recent weeks, the trickery has been let out of the bag amongst those on the tour. Just last week, the girls in Miss Willie Brown, Kasey and Amanda, shrink wrapped Bentley’s jeep.
The duo, which actually hails from California, met while both of the girls were working in a barbecue restaurant as waitresses. Since meeting their friendship has grown into a sisterhood, and a musical act.
“There was something there from the instant we met, and didn’t know a thing about each other,” Kasey said in an interview. “We just clicked.”
“It was like we knew each other for years,” Amanda said. “We decided to hang out and we were up all night talking, and we learned about our mutual love of music and songwriting, and it became like a destiny thing. It’s very rare to find someone that you can relate to over a period of time, but when it happens instantly you know you’ve got something special.”
Amanda says that the two are indeed like sisters, twin sisters in fact.
“It’s like we are twins, we’ll finish each others sentences,” Kacey said.
That connection is what make the audience take notice of them as the opening act on the Jager Tour.
“A lot of time people don’t pay attention to the opening act, or don’t even arrive on time, but our fans are spreading the word,” Amanda said. “We’ve even had nights where we have sold the most merchandise, which is crazy.”
The duo is gaining a lot of attention with their lead single, “Sick of Me,” of their self-title debut EP. They are currently writing and recording between tour dates for their upcoming album, hopefully to be released in the fall.
Thompson’s current single, “I Won’t be Lonely Long,” is following in the path of his previous singles, “Beer On The Table,” and “Way Out Here.”
“It’s a song about how this girl breaks up with this guy, and he get the raw deal on Friday,” Thompson said, “but he takes it on the chin and doesn’t let it get him down because after he has that first beer, he’s not gonna be lonely long at all.”
It’s a beer-drinking, hell-raising song,” Thompson added. “I write and sing about what I know about, which is the common things in life. Hard work, struggling to make ends meet, and just when you think you got it something knock you off the path. You don’t let it hurt you though, you just gotta bounce back, like the guy in the song.”
Thompson is already working on material for his second album, consistently touring, and is producing a debut project by labelmate Chris Cavanaugh, along with Cliff Audretch.
“I love to keep working, and I believe in Chris,” Thompson said. “It pays to know your business that you are in, too.  I love music and all aspects of it. It doesn’t seem like work to me.”
Bentley, of course is known to millions for his hit songs “Sideways,” “Come A Little Closer,” “What Was I Thinkin’” and more. His current single, “Am I The Only One,” is rising up the charts to become another one of country’s chart-topping singles.
Dierks is also known as one of Nashville’s most charitable personalities, heading up his own “Music and Miles For Kids,” annual motorcycle poker run, and performing at benefits including a show with Brad Paisley May 3 at the Grand Ole Opry, for the first anniversary of the devastating floods there. Dubbed Play On, Nashville!, which will raise money for several area charities including the American Red Cross, United Way of Metropolitan Nashville and Hands On Nashville, a resource center responsible for connecting more than 125,000 volunteers to flood-related projects.

Who: Dierks Bentley, with guests Josh Thompson and Miss Willie Brown
When: Friday, April 29
Where: Family Arena, St. Charles
Tix and Info: www.familyarena.com