Dierks Bentley Feels Nashville’s Growing Pains

Dierks Bentley has been warmly welcomed by Nashville since he moved to town back in 1993. But the Arizona native says that while he's happy to call Music City home, he has mixed feelings about the entertainment mecca it has become.

"Part of me loves it. Part of me is like, ugh. I don't want the town to get any bigger because I like the airport where you can just park your car outside and run inside and grab something," Dierks tells CMT Radio. "The town's getting so big. The award shows are getting so big ... I still like the smallness of the town. Hopefully it doesn't get too big."

The small-town feel came in handy several months ago, when Dierks, along with several of his musical friends, including Brad Paisley and Keith Urban, faced devastating losses in the wake of the tragic flood that plagued middle Tennessee in May. But the 35 year old says the history-making storm reminded him why he is so proud to be part of the Nashville community.

"I went over to [Lady Antebellum member Charles Kelley's] place, and he was talking to his neighbors. He just moved there, and I said, 'That's cool that you know your neighbors pretty well,'" Dierks tells The Boot. "He said, 'I never knew them before today.' Everyone comes out and [bonds] when something like the flood happens. It does have a way of bringing people a lot closer together, for sure."

Dierks may soon become a fan of the increase in award shows. The recipient of four major awards, including an ACM and a CMA, he has been nominated for almost a dozen more, including two recent Grammy nods for his innovative bluegrass project, 'Up on the Ridge.' Fresh from the success of the recent Up on the Ridge tour, the happily married father of a little girl is spending time off the road, working on a new album and eagerly anticipating the arrival of his second child early next year.