Dierks Bentley knows how to party like a rock star, but when it comes to New Year’s Eve, the “Burning Man” singer prefers to keep things a little more low-key.
“New Year’s is rough. New Year’s hurts no matter what’s going on,” Bentley acknowledged. “I’ve played a lot of New Year’s shows, but I’ve honestly found that it’s not my favorite night to throw down. Look, for a living, that’s what I do. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, I host a big party, not only on stage, but I’ve got friends backstage. It starts before the concert sometimes, [and] it goes long after the concert, so a lot of times on New Year’s, I’m looking for a really mellow hang – a good party, good friends, pretty chill.”
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Bentley has his three children – Evie, Jordan and Knox – to thank for his mellow celebrating on Dec. 31.
“Some of my best New Year’s have been just like actually hearing fireworks go off while I’m in bed, and know I’m gonna wake up the next morning for the first day of the New Year feeling great, feeling recharged,” Bentley said. “I’m ready to go into the New Year feeling good as opposed to going into it with a giant Jägerbomb hangover, which I’ve done many, many times.
“So, the goal this year is to go into it feeling pretty good and the kids help with that, because you really just don’t want to be hungover with children,” he continued. “It’s not a good feeling. You would probably admit to any crime to get them, just feel better, and get them leave you alone. So, [I’m] gonna try to hit New Year’s this year in stride.”
Bentley puts a lot of thought into how his life impacts his children, and not just at the holidays. The Arizona native previously revealed that he works hard to make sure his daughters and son have a normal life, in spite of his celebrity status.
“We constantly think about ways to give our kids as much of a balance as possible,” Bentley told CMT. “One of our favorite things to do is just go to Second Harvest, which is a food bank in Nashville, and pack backpacks for kids. They learn about the fact that these kids get their food from school. That’s the only place they really eat.”
Bentley will launch his Burning Man Tour on Jan. 17, with Jon Pardi and Tenille Townes serving as his opening acts. Find dates at Dierks.com.
Photo Credit: Getty images/Erika Goldring
