Stagecoach Country Music Festival

So you know when you are watching the food channel and you see the BBQ cook-offs and food competitions between different mom and pop shops and small businesses? I happen to have woken up in the middle of a dream this morning and landed myself right on the food channel. This place is BBQ city!!! I thought Coachella offered interesting food choices but Stagecoach was SO much more about culture than music.

First of all, I couldn't stand country music prior to this experience. According to one Stagecoach regular who made it a point to count the African Americans in attendance, I was #26 on Saturday around 7-8 pm lol. Besides that, I apparently quadruple my attractiveness in the 28-48 years old age group. I have worked Coachella and Stagecoach for 2 years and conclude that Stagecoach is JUST as fun as Coachella amongst a far more mature crowd and far more rich culture. This all goes to say that I was SHOCKED at how much fun I had during Stagecoach.

I did get a picture with Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum which was cool. I have a thing for exceptional vocalists with an ear for harmonies and acoustic instruments, haha. The campgrounds were so much cooler because they were PACKED with RV's instead of the giant car and tent museum at Coachella. These people partied 4 times harder in EXTREMELY hot weather and showed me a side of country music fans I didn't think existed. Thank you Stagecoach for opening my eyes.

I will be back next year for this!

Best way to go is VIP seats. Meal, beer and wine included.

This was the 2nd time I've been dragged to this event in a span of just 364 days.
It's been over a week now & I'm still recuperating...and my liver is happy I'm giving it a much needed break. I'm not much for country music but the wifey is. However, it certainly is growing on me.

I don't remember much from last year's Stagecoach fest, but this year's highlights included: Dierks Bently, Jeff Bridges & the Abiders, Toby Keith, Phil Vassar, Nick 13, Thompson Square, ZBB & Darius Rucker (Hootie!). Honorable mention goes to Ashton Kutcher storming past us as he was pushed aside by security in the VIP lounge. That's right bitches. V.I.P.! My wife spoils me so. Sorry General Admission peeps, but if you've ever had the pleasure of being in a tented lounge, stage right of Manestage, directly in front of the beer gardens in 110º heat, you'll never wanna go back. Our VIP passes also afforded us the pleasure of having reserved seats in front of the stage if we decided we wanted to see certain bands.

Our BBQ team (name not mentioned to protect the guilty) competed in the KCBS BBQ contest. I didn't assist the team until the last day of competition. Congratulations go out to them for "placing" high in pork & top 10 overall "pitted" against 29 other teams including the likes of Meat Inc. & Smoking Triggers. BBQ competitors were able to sell 3oz. of their food for $3.00

Okay, let's get down to the nitty gritty info, do's & don'ts & some new rules that will most likely be enforced next year as there was a significant drop in arrests than the year prior.
*BRING CASH - ATM's provided in venue.
*Pedi-cab is $10 per person. $15 pp on Sunday. FYI - (depending on where you parked) general parking to venue entrance could be as far as a 1.5 mile walk. We never used it...that's just taking beers away from me.
*YOU CAN drink any beverage of your choice from your car to venue entrance where you'll be asked to finish & dispose before entry.
*YOU CAN bike your way towards the entrance & lock up your rides to the chain-link just before the entrance, but be forewarned, it's a bitch getting out with the crowds @ the end of each night. HEY STAGECOACH how about a secured valet bike-check area? I know it's too much to ask, but it'd be nice to see a random suggestion come to fruition...especially when we plan on biking our way in next year.
*chairs, chair-bags, backpacks, nap-sacks, persons will be searched: NO liquid filled containers allowed. EMPTY Nalgene/water bottles allowed & water fill-up stations scattered within the venue.
*Stagecoach Wristbands will randomly be "yanked" on by security to ensure you're not "sharing" it. (Witnessed a man ejected for wristband that was "taped" together).
*If you're not wearing campsite wristband, plan on not hanging out with your friends in that area (this really sucked as we had many friends in the camping area & even our VIP media credentials couldn't get us in).
*don't forget your ID (21 & over) for your "drink" wristband (different one each day). - If you risk using a fake ID, be prepared to watch it get confiscated (I witnessed a girl that didn't know any of the info listed on the ID [zip, birth date, middle initial "zodiac sign"] & therefore confiscated).
*General Admission set-up: "Reserve" your spot by placing your blanket & chairs where you plan on being the duration of the day/night & hope that you can find it again upon your return. I have yet to hear of stolen blankets or chairs.
*The venue map listed "micro-brew" beer stands. There was NO micro-brew/craft beer anywhere on the premises. Bud, Bud Light & Shock Top are NOT microbrews. Sorry Stagecoach, this was a big letdown.
*Beers $7 for 9 oz; $9 for 12oz; liquor/wine varied $10-$12. (I have to thank our BBQ team for keeping a reserved case of "coldies" & our VIP "connections" that helped defer money from leaving my wallet at an alarming rate).
*THREE stages: Mane; Mustang & Palomino. Unfortunately, most "liked" bands overlapped in scheduling, making you run from stage to stage, sometimes leaving near the end of a band's set to make the start of another band. FYI: It's approx 1/2 mile from Palomino to Mane Stage
*NOTE: day 1 you'll notice all the boots, come day 2 & 3 it's sneakers & flipflops...you'll be doing a shitload of walking. TRUST.
*GET YOUR FREEBIES: a quick registry under the Toyota "World of Wonders" tent nets you cool silkscreened posters, bandanas dipped in ice-cold water, crafts booths & fun'n'games.
*BRING sunscreen: 89º, 96º & 110° respectively - If you're not under the cool zone in the VIP lounge; you'll be seeking shade with 60,000 others in either the Mustang or Palomino stages, the Terrace tent or the smaller cool zone tent by the Stagecoach BBQ area.
*Sorry Coachella peeps, the women of Stagecoach are easier on the eyes. TRUST.
*Last but never the least...HYDRATE. Get'er done.

Is it weird that I'm already looking forward to next year's fest?

Ya'll been informed. Yeehaw!?