More popular than Jesus story in "The New York Times" on 5 August. Over twenty other stations followed WAQY's lead with similar announcements. Some stations in the Deep South went further, organising demonstrations with bonfires, drawing hordes of teenagers to publicly burn their Beatles records and other memorabilia. Epstein was so concerned by the reaction that he considered cancelling the group's upcoming US tour, believing they would be seriously harmed in some way. He then flew to the US and held a press conference in New York City, where he publicly criticised "Datebook", saying the magazine had taken Lennon's words out of context, and
A Little More Country Than That had "organic phrases" and a traditionally country sound. Matt Bjorke of "Roughstock" also gave the song a favorable review, saying that it was "refreshing" to hear Corbin's neotraditionalist country influences. Jonathan Keefe of "Slant Magazine" was somewhat negative, referring to the song as "a slightly more purposeful variation on an interminable series of rote lists of rural-ish points of reference that Nashville's unambitious go-to songwriters have been attempting to pass off as songs for the past few years." "A Little More Country Than That" debuted at No. 56 on the US "Billboard" Hot Country Songs chart for the chart week