HARDY rocks out as the headlining act on Saturday, July 13, at Country Concert 2024 at Hickory Hill Lakes in Fort Loramie.
Anthony Levy | For Aim Media
HARDY rocks out as the headlining act on Saturday, July 13, at Country Concert 2024 at Hickory Hill Lakes in Fort Loramie.
Anthony Levy | For Aim Media
Bailey Zimmerman performs on the main stage Saturday, July 13, at Country Concert 2024 at Hickory Hill Lakes in Fort Loramie.
Anthony Levy | For Aim Media
Bailey Zimmerman performs on the main stage Saturday, July 13, at Country Concert 2024 at Hickory Hill Lakes in Fort Loramie.
Anthony Levy | For Aim Media
Clint Black plays the harmonica on one of his ’90s hit songs on the main stage on Saturday, July 13, at Country Concert.
Anthony Levy | For Aim Media
Clint Black plays his hits from the ‘90s on the main stage on Saturday, July 13, at Country Concert.
Anthony Levy | For Aim Media
Warren Zeiders charms fans on the main stage on Saturday, July 13, at Country Concert.
Anthony Levy | For Aim Media
Warren Zeiders takes the main stage on Saturday, July 13, at Country Concert.
Anthony Levy | For Aim Media
Former Shelby County Sheriff John Lenhart, right, chats with Ty Lotz, of Lima, who was volunteering to greet guests entering the fan’s main stage seating area, left, on Saturday evening, at the Country Concert.
Sheryl Roadcap | Aim Media
A large crowd gathers early Saturday afternoon to hear Warren Zeiders play on the main stage on Saturday, July 13, at Country Concert.
Sheryl Roadcap | Aim Media
Rayne Johnson performs in the Dr. Pepper VIP stage on Saturday, July 13, at Country Concert.
Sheryl Roadcap | Aim Media
By Sheryl Roadcap
FORT LORAMIE — HARDY brought the house down with a highly energetic and “rock star” light, smoke and pyrotechnics show closing out Country Concert 2024 at Hickory Hill Lakes in Fort Loramie on Saturday night, July 13.
At times prompting the audience to jump to his music, causing a wave-life look of a sea of fans moving up and down, HARDY did not disappoint. Headlining the evening, he followed Bailey Zimmerman, Clint Black, Warren Zeiders and Sara Evans on main stage Saturday.
Fans made the drive from across the country, other parts of Ohio, and of course Fort Loramie’s own back yard to attend.
Jackson County residents Keegan Lambert, Wellstown, and his friend Robert Bryant, of Jackson, drove two and half hours to see HARDY and Bailey Zimmerman.
“We saw them both before and if you ever saw HARDY perform — so, when I saw HARDY was on the like up, I said ‘OK, we are coming back,’” Lambert said of his second time at Country Concert. “It has been good music and a great time.”
Bryan Penny, of Piqua, who has been coming to Country Concert for over 20 years, was also looking forward to seeing HARDY perform later in the evening, as well as Zeiders. He and several other friends camped there the entire weekend.
“It’s just one big party,” said his friend, Matt Kiser, of Fort Loramie.
“And everyone’s been getting along,” Penny added of how the weekend had been going up to the beginning of Saturday’s show.
Andrea Vandervort, of West Milton, annually attends Country Concert with a huge group of rotating friends each year for more than 20 years. She said they had a great time despite the heat in the upper 80s Saturday.
“It has been one of the hottest (years) ever,” Vandervort said. “They used to (in years past) have a water spritzer to run under and cool off. I wonder where that went?”
Former Shelby County Sheriff John Lenhart, and now law enforcement liaison for Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber, was in attendance the entire weekend. He said it had been “uneventful” at the beginning of Saturday evening. Although now out of law enforcement, he said he works for Hickory Hills in public relations sharing observations. He also noted the concert was live-streamed this year.
“I’ve been here (at Country Concert) since it started (in 1981). You see the same people (fans) every year,” Lenhart said. “This is like a well-oiled machine, but like any organization, if there are things that needs improved upon, and I see it, I will share that information. But it has been uneventful (this year). And when you have this many people, there may be something here or there. but overall there has been little to no problems.”
For all things Country Concert, and to find future announcements about the 2025 lineup and dates of the show which are yet to be announced, visit its website at https://www.countryconcert.com.
