Country singer Dierks Bentley surprised a local neighborhood on the morning of Oct. 17 with a live performance. Riverside Drive residents woke up to a block party which began at 5 a.m. and was featured on Good Morning America.

“It was cool that we were aired on national television and that such a big event happened in the neighborhood,” Bailey Trigg ‘20 said.

Bentley sang several of his hit songs, including Somewhere on a Beach,  Black, Survivor, and Hold On. Free breakfast, coffee, and water was provided, sponsored by King’s Hawaiian. The neighborhood wanted to give back to the community, so there was a collection of donations to provide to Hurricane Harvey relief down in southeast Texas. A $20,000 donation was made by King’s Hawaiian to the American Red Cross Foundation.

“I went with my friends and we had lots of fun messing around and singing along. I love country music, so it was nice to see one of my friend and I’s favorite artists,” Meryn Meyer ‘20 said.

Williamson County Law Enforcement blocked off the streets nearby and lined up their vehicles around the block. Security was increased for the concert due to the recent Las Vegas country concert shooting, where a gunman opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest music festival. There were 58 left dead and over 546 injured, so local law enforcement were concerned about any copy-catters or incidents that could potentially occur.

“It was surprising that they had so much security for such a small event, but I see where they’re coming from,” Emma Monreal ‘20 said. “We met someone on the street of the block party and they talked about how there were snipers from the police department surrounding the concert.”

The event was a pleasant occasion for all families and people who lived in the neighborhood, with people of all ages attending and enjoying the concert.