The 10th annual Stagecoach – California’s Country
Music Festival boasts another high octane lineup. All the headliners have
served that duty in the past. Eric Church (whose “Mr. Misunderstood” was
among the best country albums last year) battled heavy winds onstage in 2014;
the same year Luke Bryan closed the proceedings. Carrie Underwood’s last appearance
at Empire Polo Field in Indio (just outside of Palm Springs) was 2011.
While similar music events around America have either gone
on hiatus or fallen by the wayside, Stagecoach is still going strong, drawing a
varied mix of concertgoers that ranges from children to grandparents.
For those who need a break from listening to the 77 acts and
DJs on four stages, attractions include the Honky Tonk Dance Hall, Half-Pint
Hootenanny (for the kids), Toyota Thrill Ride & Drive and the always popular
BBQ Championships (Texas style, chili).
Beyond the big names, Stagecoach will welcome respected old
timers (Billy Joe Shaver, Johnny Lee), young bucks (Sam Hunt, Chris Young),
rising newcomers (The Deslondes, RaeLynn), old school rockers (John Fogerty,
Doobie Brothers, Marshall Tucker Band) and more.
Read on for my “can’t miss” recommendations…
APRIL 29
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| photo by Drew A. Kelley |
Eric Paslay
Latest album: “Eric Paslay” (EMI Nashville)
Best known songs: “Friday
Night,” “She Don’t Love You,” “Song About a Girl”
Backstory: When Paslay played the Shipkicker Festival in
Long Beach, Calif. last year, he nearly stole the show with strong renditions
of songs from his solid self-titled debut, as well as Tom Petty and Stones
covers. The Texas native has a stellar resume, having co-penned #1 hits for Eli
Young Band, Jake Owen, Love & Theft and Rascal Flatts. His words have also
graced releases by Lady Antebellum, Hunter Hayes and Charles Kelley (“The
Driver,” also featuring Dierks Bentley). Paslay’s second album “Dressed in
Black,” featuring recent single “High Class,” is due this summer.
Kristian Bush
Latest album: “Southern Gravity” (Streamsound)
Best known song: “Trailer Hitch”
Backstory: Jennifer Nettles gets the lion’s share of
attention in Sugarland, but her musical partner Bush co-wrote, sang and played on
most of their hits. Before that, he landed some minor Adult Alternative radio hits with
folk/rock duo Billy Pilgrim. The singer/guitarist exudes a
laid-back and playful country/rock sound on his earthy 2015 debut album, with
assists from brother Brandon (Train) on piano and Travis McNabb (Sugarland, Better
Than Ezra) on drums. Currently, Bush is working on a follow-up effort and can
be heard singing the theme song to TLC reality show “Say Yes to the Dress.”
Marty Stuart
Latest album: “Saturday Night/Sunday Morning” (Superlatone/Thirty
Tigers)
Best known songs: “Hillbilly Rock,” “Little Things,” “Tempted,”
“Burn Me Down”
Backstory: The five-time Grammy winner and accomplished
photographer cut his musical teeth as a member of bluegrass master Lester Flatt’s
band while still a teenager. During the early ‘80s, Stuart backed Johnny Cash
on tour. His solo career really took off in the ‘90s with nine top 20 country
singles. Two of those (“The Whiskey Ain’t Workin,’” “This One’s Gonna Hurt You”)
were duets with Travis Tritt. In 2008, The Marty Stuart Show, a musical variety
program on RFD-TV in the vein of Hee-Haw, was launched. “Saturday Night/Sunday
Morning,” 2014’s double disc set with longtime backing group The Fabulous
Superlatives, features Hank Williams, Bill Monroe and George Jones covers, traditional country numbers
and honky tonk originals. Spiritual selections make up the second disc. Guests include Mavis Staples and Tommy Emmanuel.
Also noteworthy: Emmylou
Harris
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Sam Palladio
Latest album: “The Music of Nashville: Original Soundtrack,
Season 4, Vol. 1” (Big Machine)
Best known songs: “If I Didn’t Know Better,” “Fade into You”
(with Clare Bowen)
Backstory: The
British
actor/singer used to front the band Salt Water Thief and was in the
West End musical Dreamboats and Petticoats. He started portraying
aspiring musician Gunnar Scott on “Nashville” when the ABC-TV drama
debuted in 2012. Alongside Clare
Bowen as off-and-on girlfriend Scarlett O’Connor in fictional duo The
Exes,
their songs smolder with sensuality, often recalling The Civil Wars. A
James
Taylor fan, Palladio got a tweet of approval from the man himself when a
show
episode earlier this month gave a shout out.
Lee Ann Womack
Latest album: “The Way I’m Livin’” (Sugar Hill)
Best known songs: “I Hope You Dance,” “A Little Past Little
Rock,” “The Fool,” “Ashes By Now,” “I May Hate Myself in the Morning”
Backstory: Since starting her career in the late ‘90s,
Womack has amassed a pair of gold and platinum albums, nearly a dozen top 20
country singles and multiple awards (two well-deserved CMAs were for 2005’s “There’s
More Where That Came From”). With a traditional country sound that has
occasionally veered into pop, she’s been compared to Dolly Parton and Tammy
Wynette. On 2014’s “The Way I’m Livin’” –
Womack’s first effort in six years – her song choices often contain spiritual-tinged
lyrics, comforting arrangements and a solid take on Neil Young’s “Harvest” nugget,
“Out on the Weekend.”
Rodney Crowell
Latest album: “Tarpaper Sky” (New West)
Best known songs: “I Couldn’t Leave You If I Tried,” “After
All This Time,” “Above and Beyond,” “She’s Crazy for Leaving,” “If Looks Could
Kill,” “Shame on the Moon”
Backstory: If someone
did a Six Degrees of Separation game using Crowell, he’d connect with several
Stagecoach acts. He first gained prominence during the mid-1970s as part of Emmylou
Harris’ Hot Band; then the singer/guitarist launched a solo career and married
Roseanne Cash. 1988’s Grammy-winning “Diamonds & Dirt” spawned five No. 1
country singles. Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Bob Seger, Womack and countless others have all had
major success with Crowell tunes. A creative streak that began in 2011 with the memoir
“Chinaberry Sidewalks” was followed by four more albums (two with Harris). Vince
Gill and Chely Wright provide harmonies on “Tarpaper Sky.”
Also noteworthy: Sam
Outlaw, John Fogerty
MAY 1
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| photo by Drew A. Kelley |
Dustin Lynch
Latest album: “Where It’s At” (Broken Bow)
Best known songs: “Cowboys and Angels,” “Where It’s At,” “Hell
of a Night”
Backstory: The first
time I saw Lynch live was opening for Keith Urban at the Hollywood Bowl. He had
no trouble working that large stage like a pro. Lynch went on to open for Luke
Bryan and Little Big Town. His fun sets usually give a tip of the cowboy hat to
influences; both expected (Garth Brooks) and unpredictable (The Weeknd).
Old Dominion
Latest album: “Meat and Candy” (RCA)
Best known song: “Break Up With Him,” “Snapback”
Backstory: With ties
to Virginia, Old Dominion members have co-written songs for The Band Perry,
Tyler Farr, Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney and others. They opened for the latter
on a stadium tour last year and put out an impressively catchy debut album.
A Thousand Horses
Latest album: “Southernality” (Republic Nashville)
Best known song: “Smoke”
Backstory: Although
the band emerged with its eponymous major label debut CD in 2010, it didn’t
gain much traction. Five years later, they returned with a winsome Black
Crowes-meets-Tom Petty-and-Oasis-type sound and found favor at country radio
for the Dave Cobb-produced “Southernality.” They’ve toured with Darius
Rucker and Greg Allman.
Also noteworthy: Johnny
Lee, The Doobie Brothers
My article originally appeared at www.musicnewsnashville.com
