Entertainment

Kenny Chesney, Tracy Lawrence among tonight's Country Concert acts

Day two's Main Stage lineup kicks off at 4 p.m. today with Lady Antebellum

By Carol Simmons

Staff Writer

Friday, July 11, 2008

FT. LORAMIE, Shelby County — The grumbling of diesel engines, the hum of electric generators and the clattering of golf carts on gravel drives were the main sounds Friday morning, July 11, as day began on the show grounds at this year's Country Concert at Hickory Hill Lakes.

The four-day event continues today following an energy-soaked opening night show Thursday that featured performances by Heidi Newfield, festival favorite Neal McCoy and headliner Travis Tritt, who topped off the night with a fiery two-hour-plus set.

Today's Main Stage lineup of national acts begins at 4 p.m. with the emerging trio Lady Antebellum.

Semis with musical and stage equipment for Tracy Lawrence, who has an 8 p.m. set, and tonight's headliner, Kenny Chesney, were pulling into the concert grounds early this morning. They drove by several hundred die-hard fans who had sat out all night by the show ground entrance gates, waiting for the 8 a.m. opening in order to make a mad dash for choice seats.

The seat run was the only commotion of the morning, and it was brief, said representatives of the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, which has a mobile unit on site.

About 77,000 people are expected to attend this weekend's event, which features performances by more than 20 national acts.

The Sheriff's Office, along with the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Ohio Investigative Unit, a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, are working together to enforce state liquor laws, including those involving underage drinking.

Last year, state agents arrested 137 people for underage drinking during the weekend event, according to Julie Hinds, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Investigative Unit, which reported 132 arrests in 2006, and 117 in 2005.

According to Hinds, undercover agents are stepping up enforcement throughout the surrounding area, while the Highway Patrol "will be aggressively looking for drunk drivers along the highways."

Lt. Tim O'Leary of the Shelby County Sheriff's Office reported two arrests on site Thursday night. "It will get busier tonight and tomorrow," he said. "But it's not bad. It's a friendly crowd."

Contact the reporter at (937) 225-7309 or csimmons@DaytonDailyNews.com.