For more than 40 years, Barney Bentall has been making music and hitting the road to play. It's been so much a part of his life that when we asked what it is that keeps him going, he told us that it's the calm that he feels when he plays. He said that he's been doing it for so long that he can find this comfort and calm on stage. And while he knows that it might sound off to someone who's just starting out and feels anxious or their nerves kick in before they play, that's how it feels for him.
As we spoke about the music industry and his career, and the careers of younger artists, Barney Bentall was open about the fact that he's a willing mentor. He told us that he's not going out looking to push his ideas or thoughts on people, but artists like JJ Shiplett, Leeroy Stagger, and his son Dustin Bentall are all welcome to as much advice or wisdom as they'll let him share. With the longevity and success that he's experienced in his own career, we have a feeling he's sharing some pretty good information.
He also said that one of the big reasons he's more than willing to give those thoughts is that he didn't have anyone to do that for him when he was early in his career. He and his bandmates were mostly left to their own devices, made to make decisions they didn't have any experience with and left with the consequences.
We've had two chances to see Barney Bentall live in the last few years. Most recently, Trish caught his show in October 2017 at The Dakota Tavern where the room was packed, the vibe was perfect, and just us mentioning the show put a smile on Barney's face. That night Bentall was playing songs from his most recent album, The Drifter & The Preacher. And if the feeling in the room that night was special, it was more than partly because that album is so good.
Related: The Drifter and The Preacher, Barney Bentall at The Dakota Tavern
The second time was almost exactly five years ago, back in January 2013 at The Rivoli in Toronto. Dustin Bentall & The Smokes opened for Lindi Ortega that night, and in the middle of the younger Bentall's set, Barney was called up to join the band for a rendition of Three Thousand Miles.
Aside from music, we found ourselves talking to Barney Bentall about horses and roping and rodeo. He told us that for a time he was involved in team roping, and while he had a lot of fun, he realized the dangers of being hurt, losing fingers, and not being able to go back to music were too much. It was also interesting when he told us that at his first rodeo, the nerves and excitement were flowing through him so much that he's sure the horse could feel it. It was a stark contrast to the feeling of calm he talked about the stage giving him earlier in our chat.
Note: He also beamed with pride when talking about his son Dustin's career in music and in the custom boot-making business that he's got in Toronto.
Sitting down with Barney Bentall was everything we expected and then some. He's a veteran of the music business who has seen massive changes in how everything works. He continues to tour and play his music, acknowledging that he's thankful for having the energy to do it. And he's still drawing inspiration from other artists, which keeps him moving forward with his own music.
On Thursday night in Toronto, Barney Bentall will take the stage alongside artists including Kevin Fox, The Good Brothers, Lori Cullen, The Young Novelists and more at Hugh's Room for the 15th and final edition of The Way We Feel, A concert celebrating the songs of Gordon Lightfoot. The four-night event runs January 10-13, and as of now, there are limited tickets still available.
While we had Barney Bentall with us, we got him to play a round of 5 Quick Questions with us, where we learned what his go-to road trip album is, where he'd love to play, and which artists he recommends right now.
Check it out!