By Lisa Morgan
Once again, Stagecoach is descending upon our desert with a diverse mix of country music, old
and new providing three days of country music gluttony. The mix of artists includes those popular to
today’s commercial country radio, those that are only heard on independent stations, as well as those
representing the very foundation and core of country music are sure to please every country music fan
on the planet.
The standard assortment of popular country headliners such as Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum,
Dierks Bentley and Darius Rucker are well known beyond the borders of their country genre and
consistently deliver fun filled, dynamic shows. But as a country music enthusiast myself, I implore you
who are fortunate to attend, to make it a point to experience the patriarchs and matriarchs of the genre
while you have the chance. Country music would not be what it is today without the likes of Charley
Pride, Don Williams, Marty Stuart, The Charlie Daniels Band and, of course, country music’s rebellious
son, Hank Williams Jr. Mysteriously and quietly, Tanya Tucker’s name, originally part of the showcase,
is no more and one can only speculate as to why. You would cause yourself a great injustice and would
not legitimately be able to call yourself a fan of the genre without at least showing these iconic artists
their due respect. Other artists following in these giant footsteps, who have left their own indelible mark
on the face of country music over the last couple of decades, are Trace Adkins, Rodney Atkins, Dwight
Yoakam, Suzy Bogguss, Phil Vassar and Lone Star, just to name a few.
Jeff Bridges and The Abiders won the respect of all of Nashville, not to mention the music world
with his delivery of soulful, roots genuine country music. His leading role in the Oscar winning movie
“Crazy Heart” wherein he performed every song earned him that respect, a respect that continued
to grow with his continued touring and song writing with his band The Abiders. In my opinion, this is
not an actor, portraying a role; this is a man with a genuine love affair with the music who delivers it
authentically and honestly. His album, “Jeff Bridges” will be out August 16 th. One can only hope that
there will be an artist signing opportunity with this talented artist and actor.
Zac Brown Band is guaranteed to deliver the most in musicality alone. Zac basically puts on
an acoustic guitar clinic every time he plays. Combine that with the musical depth of his band and his
songs, and you have the essence of all that is pure and holy in country music. Southern Ground is Zac’s
own record label wherein he gives talented songwriters a voice. This young, genre-stretching label is
based in Atlanta, Georgia and “though distinctive in style, all of its label-mates are joined by a common
thread of passion, not only for music, but a unique way of creating it”. Such artists on Zac’s Southern
Ground Records are Blackberry Smoke, Sonia Leigh, and Levi Lowery among others, all of which fit this
description to a tee. (Zac could have named this label “Badasses” in my opinion and they are all sure to
make their mark in the country music world).
Old Crow Medicine Show is another show I highly recommend. They got their start busking
on street corners in New York state and up through Canada, winning audiences along the way.
Eventually they found themselves in Boone, North Carolina where they caught the attention of folk icon
Doc Watson. He immediately invited the band to play at his MerleFest, helping to launch their career.
Shortly thereafter the band relocated to Nashville for a residency at the Grand Ole Opry, where they
entertained the crowd between shows. Fifteen years later, the band has gone on to tour the world,
sell over 800,000 albums, become frequent guests on A Prairie Home Companion, playing renowned
festivals like Bonnaroo, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival and our very own Coachella. In November
of 2011 Old Crow’s classic single, “Wagon Wheel”, received the RIAA’s Gold certification for selling
over 500,000 copies. In 2011, they toured with Mumford and Sons, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic
Zeros. The magic of this musical excursion across America was captured in the Emmet Malloy directed
documentary, Big Easy Express. In 2013 Old Crow Medicine Show, along with Mumford & Sons and
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, won the Grammy Award for “Best Long Form Music Video”.
Keep an eye on our website, cochellavalleyweekly.com for more artist interviews, pictures and updates
regarding Stagecoach. And remember, if those boots weren’t made for walkin’, don’t wear ‘em.
