Montgomery Gentry runnin’ with the bulls on new tour

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Montgomery Gentry will perform a post-rodeo concert Fe. 3-4 at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates. | KRISTIN BARLOWE PHOTO

Updated: February 2, 2012 3:00PM

Montgomery Gentry’s Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry have long been known for their down-and-dirty country music and rebel attitude. Yet, when recalling the night one of them came face to face with a bull . . . well, let’s just say their tune changes just a bit.

“We had just finished a concert at a venue that had bull riding and Eddie [Montgomery] and some of the bull riders talked me into getting on a bull,” recalled Gentry of the fateful night.

“The first time out of the shoot, I fell off immediately. The second time, after some coaching and instruction from the other riders, I stayed on a couple seconds longer, but this time I fell and ended up under the bull. I mean . . . they had to call a nurse and everything.”

And while he doubts he will attempt to ride another bull anytime soon, Gentry says the duo didn’t think twice when approached with the chance to embark on a tour with the Professional Championship Bullriders in 2012. Montgomery Gentry will join 35 of the nation’s top bull riders at the Sears Centre Feb. 3-4 for a weekend bill of music and in-the-ring excitement.

“These bull riders are like a stick of dynamite,” laughed Gentry. “It definitely takes a certain breed of person to get on a 2,000-pound animal. It makes you wonder what brings them to do it.”

Known for such chart-topping hits as “My Town,” “Hell Yeah” and “Something To Be Proud Of,” Montgomery Gentry busted onto the national music scene in 1999 with the defiant “Hillbilly Shoes.”And while they have seen their share of triumphs, the duo has also faced their fair share of challenges, including Montgomery’s cancer diagnosis and a parting of the ways with longtime record label Columbia Nashville in 2010. Yet, 2012 is looking up, as Gentry and a “100-percent cancer-free” Montgomery are riding high on the success of their new CD, “Rebels on the Run.”

“Getting to come into Chicago on this tour and getting to play some of our old and new music for our fans is just awesome,” Montgomery said. “There is just something about Chi-Town that I just love the hell out of.”

The pair’s upcoming Sears Centre appearance will include a family-friendly lineup of bucking bulls, cowgirl barrel racing and a showcase of some of the top bull riders in the country.