Dierks Bentley Performs in Downtown Nashville for Pre-CMA Celebration on ‘GMA’

He’s already a winner today with his acceptance of the award for CMA Musical Event of the Year, so Dierks Bentley celebrated in style by performing an early morning gig in downtown Nashville for Good Morning America on Wednesday (Nov. 2).

Taking home the pre-show award for his hit duet with Elle King, “Different for Girls,” off his latest album, Black, Bentley performed that song and a number of his other well-loved tracks from his catalogue to a huge Broadway crowd right outside of the Bridgestone Arena.

Bentley also spent a little bit of time in between songs during his set to talk to GMA co-host Lara Spencer about his busy schedule and how crazy it is to think how far he has come in his music career.

While he revealed that he took a red-eye from his massive show in Orlando on Tuesday night, Bentley was rearing and ready to go, especially to play outside such a huge venue in town while looking out on the small honkytonks he used to perform at any chance he got.

“I know it’s crazy. Looking over at Legend’s, I used to play there a little bit. Wolfy’s. A lot of bars along the way here. And we’re actually headlining this place January 21, so it’s very weird to be in the middle of all these little…I actually played the Palm over there. I played for a free steak dinner one night. I played everywhere there is down here, so this is just an amazing gig for us. This alone, playing here will be a dream come true for me back in the day,” Bentley explained.

He will be performing with King on stage tonight at the 50th Annual CMA Awards, which airs live at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.