Dierks Bentley Kicks Off Broken Branches Tour with Electric Night in Austin

Dierks Bentley lit up the Moody Center in Austin, Texas on Thursday night, officially launching his highly anticipated Broken Branches Tour in front of a roaring crowd of country fans. The show marked the first stop of the 30-city run, and if opening night was any indication, fans across the country are in for something truly special.

If you didn’t know Zach Top before Thursday night, chances are you left the venue Googling him—or already had his album on repeat by the drive home. The Texas crowd loved every second of his set, which perfectly blended classic country vibes with a fresh, youthful energy.
Opening with “Sounds Like The Radio,” Zach brought smooth vocals, old-school charm, and real-deal talent. He tipped his hat to the legends with covers of Merle Haggard’s “Ramblin’ Fever” and George Strait’s “Amarillo by Morning,” and earned big cheers with songs like “Beer for Breakfast,” “Use Me,” and the laid-back closer “Cold Beer & Country Music.”

Then it was time for the headliner—and Bentley did not disappoint. Kicking things off with “Well Well Whiskey,” he launched into a career-spanning setlist full of hits, fan favorites, and genre-crossing moments that had the whole crowd singing along.
He hit all the big ones—“Drunk on a Plane,” “Somewhere on a Beach,” “5-1-5-0,” “What Was I Thinkin’”—and mixed in emotional moments like “Riser” and “I Hold On” that had the arena glowing with phone lights and goosebumps.
Then, just when we thought the night was over, out came Hot Country Knights—Bentley’s ‘90s country parody band—for a surprise encore that turned the arena into a full-on honky-tonk dance party. Wigs, windbreakers, throwback hits—you had to be there.