While there are plenty of platinum selling artists and bands performing at Stagecoach there are
also many lesser-known gems that are deserving of our attention. I took some time to check out several
of the bands in smaller print in the line-up to decide what acts I wanted to discover this year. Below are
a few of the entertainers I personally MUST SEE.
The Haunted Windchimes (Friday)
The band’s name is quite fitting as their beautiful vocal melodies remind me of windchimes
blowing in the breeze. Chela Lujan (banjo), Inaiah Lujan (guitar), Desirae Garcia (ukulele), Mike Clark
(harmonica, guitar & mandolin) and Sean Fanning (standup bass) released their debut EP Verse/Visa in
2006. Last May they released their most recent offering, Live at the Western Jubilee.
After listening to several of their songs I have to say that I felt like I was back in North Carolina
sitting on my back porch having a pig roast hootenanny and listening to some good old fashioned knee
slapping, bluesy bluegrass, Americana folk, country music. These are some very talented musicians that
all blend their vocals together perfectly.
Honky Tonk Angels Band (Saturday)
Now we’re talking my kind of music! No matter who is playing on the main stage during their
show this is one I will not miss. After listening to 3 of their songs; “Lil Miss Nasty,” “Baby’s Gone” and
“Six Gun High” I am sold! They remind me of The Black Crowes with a twinge of vintage Steven Tyler and
a dollop of early Lynyrd Skynyrd. Can a get a woohoo!!!
Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants (Saturday)
For those who don’t know, Chris Shiflett is the guitar player for Foo Fighters. He has also
released a couple albums of his own with his rock/punk project, Jackson United. And now with his self-
titled debut release with the Dead Peasants, he is proving that he is a skillful and worthy songwriter in
his own rite.
This is also a performance I refuse to miss out on. Shiflett’s alt-country rock vibe on “Get Along”
impressed me right away making me want to listen to every song he offered on YouTube. Now I must
own the album! It is full of catchy tunes that are acoustic guitar driven while accompanied by a pedal
steel and twangy guitars. Many of the tracks reminded me of a cross between the Counting Crows and
3 Doors Down with a Wallflowery touch. All with just enough country influence to make Stagecoach a
sensible stop for them. If you aren’t going to Stagecoach…..not to worry. You can catch Chris Shiflett and
The Dead Peasants at Pappy & Harriet’s on Friday night in Pioneertown.
Katey Sagal and the Forest Rangers (Sunday)
We all know Katey Sagal as Peg Bundy from Married With Children, the voice of Leela, the one-
eyed alien on Futurama, her role on 8 Simple Rules and most recently as a Golden Globe winner for her
performance as Gemma Teller Morrow on the FX series Sons of Anarchy. Now at Stagecoach we can all
get to know her as the talented, singer-songwriter that she has also been for many years.
Sagal actually sang backup for Bob Dylan for two months when she first started singing. When
I listened to a couple of her tracks on YouTube; “To Sir With Love” and “Bird On a Wire” I was instantly
moved by her haunting voice that cuts right through you. Both songs have been featured on “Sons of
Anarchy”.
