The Stagecoach Country Music Festival continued at the Empire Polo Club in Indio on Saturday, April 27. Here’s a quick look at some of the notable sets from day two of the three-day festival, including Miranda Lambert, Willie Nelson, Leon Bridges and special guests like Carin León and Jelly Roll:
Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert was slated to go on at 9:30 p.m., yet she didn’t begin until about 20 minutes later. That didn’t stop the country star from coming out and delivering hits such as “If I Was a Cowboy,” “Vice” and “All Kinds of Kinds.”
The last three songs of her set featured music from some of country’s most prominent women including “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” a cover by Elle King and an appearance by “bossy red head” Reba McEntire. The two closed out the performance with their collaborative track “Mama’s Broken Heart” and a cover of McEntire’s “Fancy.”
— Charlie Vargas
Willie Nelson performs with special guest Ernest, Jelly Roll and Charlie Crockett during the second day of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio on Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Willie Nelson and Family
The legendary Willie Nelson made his Stagecoach performance a family affair and a bit of a celebration, considering his 91st birthday is only just a few short days away.
Nelson and his family played classics like “Bloody Mary Morning,” “I Never Cared For You” and ” On The Road Again.” He didn’t interact with the crowd, but the performance did all the talking.
Nelson also brought out Ernest, Charley Crockett and Jelly Roll to join in for “I’ll Fly Away” and “It’s Hard to be Humble,” where the trio took on backing vocals for the band.
— Holly Alvarado
Country music fans pack the Empire Polo Club during the second day of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio on Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Leon Bridges
Leon Bridges performed to a packed crowd at the Palomino, so much so that there was even a large cluster of fans watching on the monitor to the left of the stage.
His soft hymns of “Coming Home,” “River,” and “Beyond” played concurrently to the sunset at the festival while couples slow danced. Bridges also brought out Mexican singer Carin León who performed yesterday night, for their latest collaboration, “It Was Always You (Siempre Fuiste Tú).”
By the last few songs, a massive exodus of people made their way to Post Malone‘s set at the Mane Stage, leaving only the most dedicated and enthralled Bridges fans singing along.
— Charlie Vargas
Diplo
Diplo closed out Saturday night with Late Night in the Palomino with a high energy set that kept festivalgoers dancing into the night.
A packed crowd danced as the Grammy-winning DJ and producer played a mix of classic electropop, rap and EDM remixes of country music. (Toby Keith’s “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” was mixed with Calvin Harris’ “Feel So Close,” for example.)
The Stagecoach-regular brought out plenty of guest performers to accompany the bops, too: Shaboozie, Elle King and HARDY all performed alongside Diplo. Guy Fieri also made an appearance on the stage, accompanying Diplo behind the board.
— Dorothy Elder
Country artist and actor Luke Grimes performs to an overflow crowd on the Palomino stage crowd during the second day of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio on Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Luke Grimes
The Palomino was jam-packed with fans excited to hear Luke Grimes, the “No Horse To Ride” singer and “Yellowstone” actor, who performed in the late afternoon on Saturday.
Grimes’ unique vocals deliver a blend of raspiness, twang and melodic satisfaction. He brought a unique vibe to the country music festival when he covered Nirvana’s “All Apologies.”
Songs like “Playin’ On The Tracks” allowed for Grimes to highlight his vocal talents, while also emphasizing the skills of his band, which rocked throughout the set with elongated guitar solos and rhythmic percussion.
— Dorothy Elder
Maddie & Tae
Country music duo Maddie & Tae, who first crossed paths in their teenage years and have maintained a strong partnership as songwriters for over a decade, are no strangers to the Mane Stage. With three appearances at Stagecoach under their belts and a spontaneous performance Friday night during Jelly Roll’s set, it’s safe to say the duo are seasoned Indio performers.
“Me and Maddie have been friends for over fifteen years, so we’ve shared plenty of summers together, and to celebrate that bond, we’ve got a brand-new single we’re excited to share with all of you, because there’s no room for a sad girl summer here,” Maddie yelled to the crowd as the band transitioned into “Sad Girl Summer.” Though it’s only April, the desert heat makes it feel like the peak of summer already.
The duo ended it with fan favorites “Friends Don’t” and “Die From A Broken Heart,” which attendees could hear the entirety of the front-row crowd singing word for word.
— Holly Alvarado
Trampled By Turtles performs on the Palomino Stage during the Stagecoach Country Music Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., on Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Photo by Jennifer Cappuccio Maher, Contributing Photographer)
Trampled by Turtles
Trampled by Turtles, gave festivalgoers much-needed shade under the Palomino as the afternoon was back to the usual hot weather common every year at the event.
The 6-piece band ferociously played their violins, banjos, guitars and several other string instruments for songs such as “Annihilate” and “The Darkness and the Light,” which had crowds jumping up and down and cheering every time they increased their tempo.
The bluegrass/folk-country group didn’t just stick to their fast-paced catalog, performing more mellow jams such as “Whiskey” and “Alone” showing off their succinct harmonies.
— Charlie Vargas
Post Malone performs on the Mane Stage during the Stagecoach Country Music Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., on Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Photo by Jennifer Cappuccio Maher, Contributing Photographer)
Post Malone
Straying from his usual pop and rap performances, Post Malone delivered a Saturday night performance on the Mane Stage made up exclusively of country music covers.
As Post Malone opened with Tyler Childers’ “Whitehouse Road,” it seemed as if the entire festival was at the stage, ready to watch.
To an overflowing crowd, the Grammy-nominated artist performed songs by Toby Keith, George Strait, Alan Jackson and more. He also brought out special guests Dwight Yoakam, Brad Paisley and Sara Evans.
— Dorothy Elder
Tenille Townes
For 40 minutes straight, the Nashville-based country singer-songwriter was on full guitar shredding duties.
While firmly rooted in country, she infuses a rebellious rock ‘n’ roll vibe into her performance. Townes even treated the audience to a bluesy rendition of The Beatles’ “Come Together,” showcasing her versatile soprano range.
— Holly Alvarado
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