Montgomery Gentry Raves About Antelope County Hospitality

While Montgomery Gentry kept the crowd rocking Friday night at the Antelope County Fair, it was Troy Gentry who raved about the locals prior to their concert.

Gentry, a Kentucky native, told the Antelope County News he takes dumbbells on the road to work out, but on Friday he opted for a run through Neligh and was able to see the town first hand.

"It's quiet and quaint. The hospitality around here as we've been around all day has been fabulous," Gentry said. "People couldn't do enough for us. Every time we turned around, people were asking what they could do for us, so it's been wonderful being here today."

Gentry jogged through Riverside Park, under the bridge and through various neighborhoods before making his way back to one of the duo's three buses parked in front of the grandstands. 

"That's what I love about playing small towns," Gentry said, referring to Antelope County's hospitality. "That's a common thread we come across in playing small towns - local hospitality. Everybody gets along, everybody knows everybody. They can't do enough for us as we come in and play."

The band put on a high-energy performance at the 101st Antelope County Fair as Gentry played guitar and Montgomery kept a mic stand in hand and often did his trademark stand twirl as he worked the crowd. 

"It's high energy. It's not a choreographed show. We react to the crowd, so our show is based upon how rowdy and how much the crowd wants to get into the show," he said. "They're the fuel for the show. It's like pouring gasoline on a fire. The more they want to get into it and more fun they want to have, the more fun we have on stage."

Gentry said in the past, they used to throw out a lot of audibles, but Eddie is a creature of habit and likes routine. For the most part, the award-winning duo sticks to their set list.

The band performed their biggest hits on Friday, including "Back When I Knew It All," "My Town," "Gone," "Something To Be Proud Of" and "Hillbilly Shoes." But they also added a trio of new numbers from their latest project, "Folks Like Us," which was released June 9.

They performed the debut single "Headlights," along with the title track "Folks Like Us" and "Hillbilly Hippies." The latter song was one few fans were familiar with, but Gentry said it's one they'll enjoy quickly.

"It's a fun song. It's kinda like 'Hillbilly Shoes' to me. It's one of those infectious kind of songs that as soon as you hear it's one of those head-boppers and you want to get into it. The lyrics are really catchy and easy to sing," he said.

Next up for Montgomery Gentry was Jackson County Fair in Maquoketa, Iowa. The duo was to play the Iowa Fair on Saturday, Aug. 1.