Kickin’ It Country comes to the Altamont Fairgrounds Saturday

PHOTOGRAPHER: Brian McElhiney

This weekend a new festival will attempt to challenge WGNA-FM’s Countryfest as the dominant country music festival in the region.

The first Kickin’ It Country festival, hosted by 104.9-FM, The Cat, will take place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Altamont Fairgrounds — Countryfest’s stomping grounds for many years before it moved to the Times Union Center this year.

Montgomery Gentry headlines the festival, with Craig Morgan and Steel Magnolia also performing. Local acts Chelsea Cavanaugh and Skeeter Creek open the show.

Both Montgomery Gentry and Morgan are veterans of Countryfest — Gentry headlined that festival in 2009, while Morgan was part of the 2004 edition. Cavanaugh also performed at this year’s Countryfest.

Kickin’ It Country

When: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday

Where: Altamont Fairgrounds, Route 146, Altamont

How Much: $25 in advance, $35 at gate. Kids 10 and under free

More Info: www.1049thecat.com, or area Hannaford stores

Eddie Montgomery, brother of country star John Michael Montgomery, and Troy Gentry first hit radio with their 1999 debut “Tattoos & Scars.” Since then, the duo has released seven more studio albums and scored over 20 charting singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, including No. 1 hits “If You Ever Stop Loving Me,” “Something to Be Proud Of” and “Lucky Man.” Their latest, 2011’s “Rebels on the Run,” is their first for Average Joe’s Entertainment — their previous albums were all on the Columbia Nashville label.

In February, U.S. Army veteran Morgan released his first studio album in four years, “This Ole Boy,” featuring the single of the same name. The Tennessee native first surfaced with in 2000 with a self-titled album, and has since become known for his singles “Almost Home,” “That’s What I Love About Sunday” and “Redneck Yacht Club,” among others.

Steel Magnolia, a duo featuring romantic couple Meghan Linsey and Joshua Scott Jones, first came to prominence as the winners of the second season of Country Music Television reality show “Can You Duet.” Their self-titled debut was released in January of 2011, and was preceded by three singles, including the No. 4 hit “Keep on Lovin’ You.”