STAGECOACH 2009

More than 100,000 people turn out for California's largest county music festival

In only its third outing, this year’s ABC DAYTIME AND SOAPNET PRESENT STAGECOACH: CALIFORNIA’S COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL POWERED BY TOYOTA has joined the ranks of major U.S. festivals after attracting more than 50,000 music fans a day on Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA. Featuring some of the top talent in the country music world today, the festival included headliners Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney, Reba and Kid Rock and more than 30 acts.

This year’s Stagecoach was praised onstage by Saturday night headliner Paisley as “the greatest festival in the history of music.” Cowboy storyteller Waddie Mitchell also shared his feelings about STAGECOACH: “It's amazing what those young people (at the Goldenvoice promotion company) can do…I'm not sure if it's not the best [festival] I've ever been to as far as being organized as treating the artists well.”

The annual outing also set a STAGECOACH record for the number of onsite overnighters; more than 2,500 RVs and 3,000 tent campers set up mini villages adjacent to the festival grounds.

To quote the LA Times...

“Two faces of contemporary country music stood in striking relief at the third edition of Stagecoach, the country music festival held in Indio over the weekend. On one side, topping Saturday's bill, was Brad Paisley, a self-professed music geek…at the other end, as Sunday's headliner, was Kenny Chesney, who sells more concert tickets year in and year out…But along with those marquee names, Stagecoach served up a wealth of stellar stylistic torchbearers (Ralph Stanley, Earl Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs, Doyle Lawson) and brash mavericks who view rules as something to be broken, not followed (Maxim Ludwig, Randy Houser, the Duhks). It also delivered a deeply satisfying walk through the history of Southern California country rock.”