DeKalb’s favorite annual festival, Corn Fest, is set to make its return from Aug. 27 to Aug. 29 with returning bands such as Hi Infidelity, Back Country Roads and headliner Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry. 

Hi Infidelity

80s cover band Hi Infidelity is set to hit the Corn Fest Sound Stage at 9 p.m. on Aug. 28. Hi Infidelity is based out of Chicago with five members and covers bands like REO Speedwagon, Journey, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and more, according to Hi Infidelity’s website. 

“Hi Infidelity is more than a cover band,” lead vocalist Dave Mikulskis said. “We try to make it feel like they’re listening to the original artists even though we don’t look like them, act like them, but we try to sound like them as much as we can.” 

One of Hi Infidelity’s biggest goals with their live performances is to make people forget whatever trouble an individual might have going on in their lives and to enjoy live music and hopefully smile, Mikulskis said. 

Back Country Roads

Country cover band Back Country Roads will hit the Sound Stage at 2 p.m. on Aug. 29. Back Country Roads is a six-piece band from the Northern Illinois area that consists of two lead singers, two guitars, bass guitar and drums with four band members that also sing harmonies, according to the band’s The Bash profile. 

“We’re the local band; all of us grew up in the area,” said Kyle Miller, male lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist of Back Country Roads. “We love country music. We try to do it true and traditional to what country music should sound like.”  

Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry

Eddie Montgomery, of award-winning country music duo Montgomery Gentry, is the headliner of Corn Fest and is slated to perform at 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 29. Montgomery Gentry officially formed in 1999, creating sounds that resemble an edgy, Southern-rock sound, according to a 2018  interview with Rolling Stone. Eddie Montgomery has resumed solo show efforts since the death of bandmate Troy Gentry in 2017. 

Much like Corn Fest itself, Hi Infidelity and Back Country Roads have found themselves playing to all age-groupings ranging from young kids, young adults entering college, people who have just retired and those who have been retired for 20 or more years, Miller said. 

Admission into Corn Fest is free and additional passes for the Sound Stage can be bought for single day passes at $10 or a weekend pass for $25 until Aug. 27 at the Corn Fest Sound Stage website. Corn Fest is located in downtown DeKalb on Lincoln Highway between First and Fourth Street and Grove and Locust Street.

“We hope to see everyone out there, I know last summer festivals were canceled with the pandemic and everything, so it’ll be exciting to see everyone back out this summer in person,” said Cortney Miller, lead female vocalist of Back Country Roads  “We’re really looking forward to that social interaction and to see everyone at Corn Fest this year.”