Stagecoach This Weekend 5/5/07-5/6/07

This is the first year of the Stagecoach Festival. They use the same grounds as Coachella, but anybody can fork over extra cash for VIP tickets. The VIP tickets will also guarantee you a reserved seat in front of the main stage. The lineup looks solid. I’ll confess that I’m not super familiar with new country, but I recognize the names. I’m much more of an alt country / classic country and country rock fan. If I end up going I’ll probably spend most of my time at the Palomino Stage. They’re even doing a BBQ contest (and you can sample some of the ribs for $2).

They just announced set times. Here’s what I recommend….

Saturday 5/5/07:

01:45 PM: Old 97’s @ Palomino – When my friend Jerry lived in LA, he dragged me to see Rhett Miller and the Old 97’s every time they played. Rhett’s kind of a pretty boy these days, but the Old 97’s have too many great songs to resist.

02:55 PM: Chris Hillman & Herb Pederson @ Palomino – Chris Hillman is one of the key figures in the development of country-rock. He’s an original Byrd who took a bit of a backseat to Gene Clark at first, but eventually co-wrote some great songs (including seven tracks on Notorious Byrd Brothers – a great record). After that they brought in Gram Parsons and made Sweetheart of the Rodeo – maybe the most important country-rock album ever. Parsons left and Hillman joined him in the Flying Burrito Brothers. You really need to own their first two albums. Hillman later recorded a couple of records with Herb Pederson and then they formed a successful band called the Desert Rose Band. Pederson has played on so many great records it’s pretty ridiculous.

03:40 PM: Richie Furay / Hillman & Pederson @ Palomino – Richie Furay was one of the founding members of Buffalo Springfield (along with Neil Young and Stephen Stills). After they broke up he formed Poco. He left Poco and formed the Souther, Hillman, Furay band. These guys are all legends.

04:50 PM: Nickel Creek @ Appaloosa Stage – Nickel Creek’s a modern bluegrass band. They’re still pretty young, but they were super young when they formed. They’ve been known to cover Pavement. I’ve seen two of the memebers (The Watkins) perform at Largo and the whole band at the Hollywood Bowl. Raul Malo (the Mavericks) is playing at the same time on the Palomino stage.

06:00 PM: Lucinda Williams @ Palomino – She’s just an incredibly talented woman with a great voice and tons of great songs. She’s over 50 and still looks damn good.

07:15 PM: Willie Nelson @ Palomino – Legend. I saw him at the Bowl last year. It’s really hard not to have a giant smile on your face when Willie’s up there singing. His albums from the early-to-mid 1970s are fantastic. Alan Jackson goes on at 8:00 PM on the Mane stage.

08:35 PM: Robert Earl Keen @ Palomino – When I lived in Austin, people would go apeshit when he played. I’ve honestly never listened to him, but I’m a little curious.

09:45 PM: Neko Case @ Palomino – I really enjoy her work with the New Pornographers. Her solo stuff is rootsier and critics love it. She had the #8 album on the Village Voice’s Pazz & Jop poll in 2006. George Strait goes on at 9:30 on the Mane Stage. Strait’s a huge seller, but kept much closer to classic country than a lot of his contemporaries.

Sunday 5/6/07:
03:35 PM: John Doe @ Palomino – Founder of X performing his solo material.

04:40 PM: Alejandro Escovedo @ Palomino – Another talented guy who’s a bit of an institution in Austin. There was a tribute to him a few years ago where artists like Lucinda Williams, Lenny Kaye, Steve Earle, Calexico, John Cale, Ian McLagan the Jayhawks, M Ward and Son Volt covered his music. High praise indeed. 4:55 PM Ramblin’ Jack Elliott goes on at 4:55PM on the Mustang (he performed with Dylan).

05:55 PM: Kris Kristofferson @ Palomino – Prolific songwriter and Rhodes Scholar who got into acting through Dennis Hopper and has been in films directed by Peckinpah, Scorsese, Streisand and Sayles. Janice Joplin made his song, “Me and Bobby McGhee” even more famous. Johnny Cash did an amazing job with “Sunday Morning Coming Down.” His first six albums are all pretty damn good. Garrison Keiller goes on at 6:20 on the Mustang Stage.

07:15 PM: Emmylou Harris @ Palomino – She didn’t write a lot of her own songs, but she knows how to choose them. Chris Hillman discovered her and Gram Parsons gave her, her break when he brought her to California to sing with him on his solo records. Unfortunately Parsons OD’ed, but even today you get the feeling that Emmylou loved him very deeply. She co-wrote the absolutely stunning, “Boulder to Birmingham” as a tribute to him. It’s the kind of song that can make a jaded, grown man weep even though he’s heard it a thousand times. “I would walk all the way from Boulder to Birmingham/ If I thought I could see, I could see your face.” Asleep at the Wheel goes on at 7:40 on the Mustang Stage. Brooks and Dunn take the Mane Stage at 8:00.
08:40 PM: Drive-By Truckers @ Palomino – I’m not super familiar with these dudes, but I’ve always been curious. They wrote a rock opera loosely based on Lynyrd Skynyrd. Ricky Scaggs plays around the same time on the Appaloosa Stage. Kenny Chesney takes the Mane Stage at 9:30.

Two Day Passes: $165
Two Day VIP Passes: $391

You can still find hotels (try the Extended Stay) in Palm Springs.