Who’s Cryin’ Out Loud?

As you make your way into Countryfest on Saturday, you'll be serenaded by 'GNA's 2014 house band, Cryin' Out Loud.

They won our Battle of the Band Competition this year, and as a reward, we are having them open the show on Saturday!

If you haven't had the pleasure of hearing the high-energy, super group yet, this is your chance!

Lead by Gregg Simmons and Kimberley Wilder on vocals, the band comes at you with all your favorite country songs, plus pop hits and party favorites! Gregg and Kim are joined by Dave Laurey on saxophone, Tim Keenan on Bass. Adam York with Keyboards and Sax, Brian Thornton on drums, Jim Mahoney on lead guitar and Joe Gaetano trumpet.

We had a chance to catch up with Gregg and ask him a few questions -

1. Describe the experience when you played Countryfest with the band Loose Cannon in 2009?

We played Country Fest in July 2009 as the first Female Fronted Modern Country Cover Band with a 3 piece horn section. There wasn't a band like ours regionally. We had just gotten back from performing in Oshkosh Wisconsin at Country USA so we were riding the wave of playing a big main stage in front of thousands of fans. Coming into Country Fest in Altamont two weeks later, we felt "road tested" and confident. This would be our second time sharing the stage with Montgomery Gentry who was a headliner at CUSA as well. Seeing those custom busses pull up and being told our version of .38 Special's Hold On Loosely was incredible by Heidi Newfield were awesome memories, as well as hangin' with Eddie and T-Roy again. It was cool that he remembered us from Wisconsin, especially because I asked him to sing a tune with us there. He chose to ride his Harley instead! He was polite about it though!

2. Out of this year's line-up, who is your favorite Countryfest act?

Montgomery Gentry to me is the first real Rockin' Country Band that got me started schooling myself on Country music as a whole. I'm a Hair Metal guy first and a Skynyrd guy second, and when I saw the chain link mic stand of T-Roy Gentry and saw the smash hit "Gone" video, I said this is a straight up Southern Rock Classic Rock tune, I was hooked. Then I went backwards to the True Outlaws of Country to really hone in on Country music roots and fell in love with all of it. We incorporate "Gone" in our Cryin' Out Loud Playlist today. So Montgomery Gentry to me is my favorite.This will be our 3rd performance with Montgomery Gentry. I have to tell you though, we met Jake Owen in Wisconsin as well and he was on the undercard in 2009. Funny how only five years later the rolls are reversed. Jake to us was a stand up guy, he walked about 200 feet to greet us when I yelled his name while he was playing guitar for the baby of Karen and Jimi from Little Big Town. Super nice guy that Jake Owen is.

3. Earlier in the year, one of your former band mates was on The Voice. How did you feel about Dani Moz's run on the show?

We were proud of her accomplishment. We supported her and did as much PR as we could to help her. She played in our band as a green 21 year old with no band experience. I know she learned a lot from us. She asked us to back her for a couple performances this Summer but unfortunately we had to decline. I still say, if she went Country, she would have been in the Final 4. Danielle will be successful no matter what field she's in. She is driven for sure.

4. What does Cryin' Out Loud have in store for us at Countryfest 2014?

I can tell you this. Our job is to get the party started. We are a warm up act, but as you know, we don't do anything warm. We will be a frieght train of fun for the thousands in attendance. This year at Cfest, we will do what no other local opener has ever done. We are all about creating moments. We won the Battle Competition as the Official House Band of WGNA correct? Well , House Bands play all different kinds of music, soooo we will mix some Pop with an 80's Classic sing along tune, then "kick 'em in the teeth" as they say, with our brand of Rockin Country covers followed by a classic rock close out. We have 40 minutes to prove to the people that never witnessed the Cryin' Out Loud Variety Show that we are the real deal. We hope we see new fans at our shows this Summer after Saturday's Party Party Party! God Bless Y'all and Thank You for the opportunity!

Follow the band at www.facebook.com/cryinoutloudlive and www.cryinoutloudlive.com and don't miss them on your way in on Saturday!

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Photos Courtesy of Mike Carey Photography