It was only a matter of time before Zach Top joined the Hot Country Knights on Dierks Bentley’s tour, and the result was every bit as iconic as expected.
If you’ve never been to a Dierks Bentley concert or haven’t followed his side projects, the Hot Country Knights is Bentley’s country parody band, launched in 2015. Decked out in outrageous ’80s fashion and wild hairdos, the band delivers a mix of classic country throwbacks and hilarious parodies, many of which appear on their 2020 album, The K is Silent.
Bentley fully commits to the bit, performing in character as Douglas “Doug” Dougelson during his concerts. He storms the stage in costume, putting on an unforgettable show packed with retro hits and hilarious bits. The start of his 2025 Broken Branches tour has been no exception to this tradition.
With Zach Top, the king of the retro country revival, opening for Bentley, it felt inevitable that he’d join the Knights on stage as an honorary member. Luckily for the fans on Saturday night in Tinley Park, Illinois, they got to witness the debut of the epic Zach Top x Hot Country Knights crossover.
Perfectly fitting right in with the theme, Doug’s long-lost son, Billy Bottoms (aka Top), came on stage with his mullet flowing, Pit Vipers, denim on denim, and of course, a dart hanging out of his mouth. Bentley, matching with his blonde shaggy wig and a gloriously eclectic Americana outfit, joined him for an amazing cover of John Michael Montgomery’s “Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident).”
The 1995 hit is undeniably a staple in country music and a surefire way to get a crowd rowdy. Add in Top pulling a beer from his shirt pocket mid-performance and the duo’s surprisingly synchronized dance moves, and you’ve got one of the most entertaining and rowdy performances of the night.
While this may be one of the first times that Top has joined Dierks on stage for the Hot Country Knights portion, the two have been gifting fans the past few shows with some amazing bluegrass duets. If there is one thing about Bentley and Top, they are true bluegrass savants and will take any opportunity to rip on the guitar.
There are still plenty of dates left in the Broken Branches tour, which means there are extensive opportunities for more Zach Top and Dierks Bentley magic to happen on stage (whether that be a bluegrass jam session or a ’90s country cover). Hopefully, though, this isn’t the last we will see of Billy Bottoms onstage.
Check out the list of upcoming tour dates below:
- 6/19 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
- 6/20 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
- 6/21 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
- 6/26 – Los Angeles, CA – Intuit Dome
- 6/27 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
- 6/28 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
- 7/10 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
- 7/11 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
- 7/12 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
- 7/18 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
- 7/19 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
- 7/31 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
- 8/1 – Nampa, ID – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater
- 8/7 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
- 8/8 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
- 8/9 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
- 8/14 – Buffalo, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
- 8/15 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
- 8/16 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
- 8/21 – Savannah, GA – Enmarket Arena
- 8/22 – Birmingham, AL – Coca Cola Amphitheatre
- 8/23 – Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum
- 8/28 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
- 8/29 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
- 8/30 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
Watch the clips below: