I realize that Luke Bryan just won the Country Music Association’s entertainer of the year award, but, next time around, he might get a run for his money from Dierks Bentley.

Bentley galvanized the crowd at his Saturday concert at the Mohegan Sun Arena, fueling the night with cheerful enthusiasm and down home charisma — he just exudes good-guy-ness. (He ended the night by bringing a young girl on stage and giving her a guitar he signed, a la Keith Urban. Very cute.)

Even better, Bentley comes equipped with a can’t-miss catalog of sing-along country hits, which he performed in his wonderfully sandpaper-edged voice.

While the star impressed solo, arguably the night’s highlight was his collaboration with his two opening acts, Randy Houser and Eric Paslay. They came on stage for Bentley’s encore performance of “Sideways,” and their camaraderie and vocal teamwork was just a joy to behold on a song that’s infectious to begin with. Damn, but I wish they had done another couple of songs together.

An amazing thing about all three acts, by the way: they each noted that they had previously played the Mohegan Sun Wolf Den. Bentley, mistakenly and amusingly, referred to it as the Fox Den several times before a concertgoer corrected him. The fact that they all can play the Arena now with such command is a testament to their growth and showmanship. It clearly thrilled the trio that they were now playing “the big room.”

“This is unreal, y’all,” Bentley said.

One of Bentley’s great strengths is his ability to perform, with equal believability, emotional songs and party tunes. Call him country music’s ace utility player. So “I Hold On” was just as effective Saturday as “Drunk on a Plane.” He conveyed the appropriate angst of “Bourbon in Kentucky,” and he fired up the bluegrass of “Up on the Ridge.”

Bentley delved into a couple of covers, too, one that worked better than the other. His version of One Republic’s “Counting Stars” softened it to the point where it felt mushy — although the title did provide an excuse for projecting cool star-like lights and letting them spin across the audience. His take on Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer,” prompted by the fact that the first concert Bentley ever attended was by Bon Jovi, made more of an impact. Bentley’s “Prayer,” it must be noted, was goosed by some killer high notes by bassist Cassady Feasby.

Now, in a line-up with two opening acts, it’s usually inevitable that one of them is, well, mediocre. Not Saturday. Houser and Paslay provided a one-two punch of prime entertainment.

Houser was a sparkplug, leading his wild and wildly talented band through their country-rock — actually, the emphasis was more on rock than country. What would have made the set better, though, would have been to have Houser’s voice stronger in the sound mix.

Paslay kicked things off, and he was the stealth star of the night. His best work was a compelling version of the glorious “Less Than Whole.” Powerful performance.

k.dorsey@theday.com