LEWISTON – More than 3,100 people filled the city-owned Androscoggin Bank Colisee on Friday, raising their hands, beers and cowboy hats for a trio of up-and-coming country music acts, headlined by Dierks Bentley.

“I came to see the hot cowboys,” said Krista Labonte of Sabattus, who brought along her 3-year-old daughter, Adia. The pair wore matching straw hats.

“Let’s hope Dierks notices us,” Labonte said.

Bentley, a Country Music Association nominee for best male vocalist, kicked off his portion of the concert with “Every Mile a Memory.”

The single is currently No. 3 on Billboard’s country singles chart.

“We’re just thrilled that he’s here,” Helene Foss, who went to the concert with her daughter, Samantha Laverdure, 12, and her stepdaughter, Katie Foss, 13. “The opportunity to see him here, in Lewiston, is awesome.”

Yet, tickets were still available when the show began.

People are still learning about the remodeled arena, said Kelly David, spokeswoman for the Colisee. There was also scuttlebutt that the show had sold out.

“I don’t know,” she said. “Rumors get around.” However, the ticket sales still pleased tour organizers. The show also featured newcomers Miranda Lambert and the Randy Rogers Band.

“They all seem very happy,” David said.

Rogers’ band, who is promoting a just-released album, began the night sounding nothing like a country act.

“My name is Randy Rogers and I love my job,” the band leader said, looking more like rocker Dave Matthews than twangy Randy Travis.

The frontman wore a T-shirt and backward ball cap while playing unapologetic rock ‘n’ roll.

Rogers was followed by Miranda Lambert, who kept the rocking going with Janis Joplin-like vocals, eventually unveiling a pink Gibson guitar and yelling into a pink microphone the question, “Do we have any hillbillies in the house?”

While the crowd cheered, a bassist with a spiked Mohawk thundered.

But it was clear that Bentley was the evening’s draw. Some people waited in the rain for more than 90 minutes to snag a coveted stage-side spot on the general admission arena floor.

Teen girls Samantha Laverdure and Katie Foss had spent Friday afternoon making a sign for the singer. It read, “We love you Dierks Bentley” and was decorated with hearts and pink, green and blue dots.

As they made the sign, they sang to his songs in their bedroom, holding brushes to their mouths to stand-in for microphones.

“I think I’m going to scream when he comes out,” Katie predicted.

At 9:30 p.m., Bentley appeared in black with lights flashing.

And Katie screamed.