Forget The Headliners, The 2015 Stagecoach Lineup is a Great Study in Who to Watch in Country
The Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California just announced their 2016 lineup, and like every year, it’s a good barometer and case study into the artist trends occurring in country music, both popular and independent. A cousin of the massive all-genre Coachella Festival, which usually transpires the following weekend, Stagecoach is a big mainstream festival, yet is operated by AEG as opposed to LiveNation. It was founded on a strong philosophy of cross pollination of artists and influences, and focusing not just on the big names and under cards of America’s major labels, but the big names and up-and-comers in the independent space.
Some independent country fans love to harp on whose name is in the biggest font in the headliner positions, but the names Stagecoach invites each year to fill out the roster gives you great hope for the future of country, and tells you who to look out for in the coming months and years, this year especially.
On the 2016 Stagecoach lineup we see country legends like Marty Stuart, Emmylou Harris, and Billy Joe Shaver.
Their Texas country representation this year is ridiculous, with Robert Earl Keen, Cody Jinks, Aaron Watson, The Turnpike Troubadours, Jason Boland and the Stragglers, and Jamestown Revival.
Great traditional artists like Dale Watson, Whitey Morgan, Chris Stapleton, Luke Bell (LUKE BELL!), The Malpass Brothers, Emi Sunshine, and Mo Pitney made the list.
And Americana is well represented with Langhorne Slim and the Law, Sam Outlaw, Amanda Shires, The Deslodes, and William Elliot Whitmore.
And that’s just the start. The most fun part about studying the Stagecoach lineup is discovering someone you didn’t know about before. Even if you can’t make it to Indio April 29th through May 1st, just dissecting the poster is a great way to get turned on to some great music, and to see who is coming up in country. So let your eyes gloss over Luke Bryan and Sam Hunt, and focus on the names who just received a boost for being right beside them.
October 5, 2015 @ 11:02 am
Eric Church name is in this big font on the top and Cody Jinks is on the bottom with tiny font, along with others which is just sad. But hey, politics mean everything now a days 🙁
October 5, 2015 @ 11:09 am
The simple fact is Eric Church draws probably draws 25 to 50 times the fans Cody Jinks does. We can all complain and say how that’s garbage, but that’s the economic realities, and Stagecoach would have to be idiots to reverse the names. If we want to see Cody Jinks at the top, then we’ve got to push him there. Sturgill Simpson played last year, and his names was near the bottom. If he plays next year, he might a headliner. And part of what helped Sturgill get where he is today was his appearances at Stagecoach and Coachella.
October 5, 2015 @ 12:20 pm
My comment wasn’t meant to be taken too literal, I don’t know if I sounded like I’m whining on it. But it is definitely a good thing that Eric Church and Carrie Underwood are above Sam Hunt or Band Perry.
I just gotta keep on suggesting the good singers to others and hopefully get them as headliners some day.
October 5, 2015 @ 7:56 pm
Cody Jinks put on one of the most powerful shows I’ve ever seen (opening for Whitey) but then again I haven’t seen Turnpike Troubadours yet!
October 5, 2015 @ 11:03 am
Jamestown revival is “Texas Country”? I saw them headline when I went to see Nikki Lane about a year or so ago, and got more of a Dawes/Eagles-LA “country” vibe off them.
October 5, 2015 @ 11:10 am
They are part of the Texas country scene, yes. As we all know, Texas country is less about a sound, and more about who you know.
October 5, 2015 @ 11:41 am
Jamestown Revival is awesome. Great song writing, great sound and they are fantastic live.
October 5, 2015 @ 12:18 pm
I agree. Really enjoy them. Not country in the traditional sense, but great music.
October 5, 2015 @ 11:56 am
For the past few years, Stagecoach has been televised on AXS TV. Hopefully it will be this year. Coverage is usually 7-8 hours daily. Great exposure for a lot of these artists whose sets would normally not be televised. Unfortunately my cable provider dropped the channel from its lineup.
October 5, 2015 @ 12:07 pm
Woooo
October 5, 2015 @ 1:25 pm
I wonder what Emmylou think about her name being near Sma Hunt. Like if that was the order in which they played she went then Sam Hunt went after her… It would feel like such a jarring shift in tone. Like at a dance club when they’ve been doing some solid 70s soul groove then out of nowhere “Pour Some Sugar On Me” shows up as requested by some college girls.
But I more interested in what the aftermath will look like. Will there rape, pillage, theft, trashing the venue, drunkenness and arrests?
I guess it really show how many of these artists are in it for the music and the job of being a musician because they will play a festival with headlining acts like this. Kudos to them for putting in the work.
October 5, 2015 @ 2:09 pm
I don’t think Emmylou Harris has any idea who Sam Hunt is.
This isn’t the first year of Stagecoach. They’ve been doing this since 2007, and offering similar lineups each year. Honestly, the Stageocah lineup is one of my highlights of the year. To see artists like Luke Bell and Whitey Morgan on the same poster as Luke Bryan is a major victory in my opinion, and I feel like this year’s lineup is by far the best yet. Look at Sam Hunt on Friday—he’s the odd man out.
October 5, 2015 @ 2:15 pm
The good news is that you can leave early each night and get home after seeing all of the best artists perform.
October 5, 2015 @ 3:02 pm
Is it okay to be sick of Emi Sunshine? Child singers are the worst, especially when they bill themselves as “traditional” country artists. Just awful, though I suppose a half-million Facebook fans can’t be wrong.
October 5, 2015 @ 3:20 pm
I have taken a “wait and see” attitude with Emi Sunshine from the very beginning. Yes, I think she’s cool and talented, but so often these child prodigies do not develop into meaningful artists later in life. At some point the charm goes away and they have to show some originality and expression. My hope is that Emi will do this, and then I will be the first to sing her praises. But this is not Vaudeville. All that said, I was really happy to see her on this lineup because it proves that the booking agents for Stagecoach are digging and really trying to find who is hot out there.
October 5, 2015 @ 7:03 pm
I think EmiSunshine is fantastic! Can’t get enough of her, actually. Ask Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, Mel Tillis, Willie Nelson ( who had her open for him twice last summer), Tim McGraw, EmmyliunHarris, Tanya Tucker, Jim Lauderdake, Larry Gatlin, for example. They have all loved her and support her. Maybe people were sick of Dolly Parton when she was a child singer? A reason you may be “sick of hearing ” about her is that she has gathered those half a million fans and they talk about her. I am glad you recognized that a half a million likes probably means something!
October 5, 2015 @ 8:42 pm
Diane and other EmiSunshine defenders,
There’s a lot I could say here, but I’m going to try to keep this short.
First, I was very happy to see Emi Sunshine make the list of Stagecoach performers. That is why I mentioned her specifically in this article. I have been following her for years, and I feel like this is the type of real world exposure she needs.
However, as Jim McGuinness alluded to with his comment, there is a hype machine that precedes her, and doesn’t do her any favors, to the point where he and others have soured on her. For example: One person left a comment on an article saying they were sick of hearing about Emi Sunshine. So what’s the response? A link to the article gets posted on her Facebook page, and then this comments section is bombarded with people saying how she is the best thing ever, naming off all the country stars who endorse her, how many times she’s played the Opry, what awards she’s won, etc. etc. Someone below even posted a comment with 22 videos in it. 22 of them! This is the response to someone who said they were sick of her. Why is he sick of her? Because everywhere you go, people are hounding you about Emi Sunshine.
I like Emi Sunshine. I’m a fan of hers. And I hope she becomes the next big thing and helps to save country music. But the simple fact is some girl who learns to play guitar at 20 while in grad school is more likely to develop into an adult talent than a girl who new all of her bar chords by 9-years-old. Why? Because the 20-year-old has experienced life, which is the seminal key to all great art. Everywhere Emi goes, people are telling her how amazing she is, and with my own two eyes, I’ve seen this formula spell disaster for one music prodigy after another.
I hope that Emi will be a different story. I am rooting for her. But instead of attacking folks who say they’re “sick” of hearing about her with reams of accolades and multitudes of video links, I think you would be better off to listen.
October 5, 2015 @ 7:10 pm
Wait and see isn’t bad….go to see her if you haven’t. People above my pay grade named her 2014 Rising Legend. (National Traditional Music Association). She has impressed all the country stars she has played with. Over 10 appearances on the Grand Old Opry in a year isn’t;’t too shabby. If you haven’t seen her in person, be sure to see her at Stagecoach….you won’t be disappointed. Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, Marty Stuart and others she has performed with weren’t disappointed.
October 6, 2015 @ 11:47 am
Lol Trigger gave you the “redlight” to maybe tone down the laundry list bio posts and you just give him more!
October 5, 2015 @ 6:42 pm
EmiSunshine is constantly producing new music. She writes her own songs and is developing her picking skills. She employs several people. She may not be your cup of tea but you have to admit she had real talent. I’ve seen her and her band five times and already have tickets to two more shows, I can attest to seeing her grow as an artist. Each show she was better than the last. Heck she opened for Willie Nelson in Vegas twice and got standing ovations each time. She has done the opry over ten times now and already booked for another show. This kittle girl started play in the streets, churches, peoples living rooms, on the he top of flatbed trailers and other places. She isn’t a novelty act.
October 5, 2015 @ 7:05 pm
What are you talking about!? Have you even been to one of her shows!? So is Marty Stuart wrong when he said she’s the future of country music? Who cares about main stream or Traditional. The songs they write are way better!!!!
October 6, 2015 @ 3:14 pm
You can be sick of her all you want, that’s your choice and option but she is farthest from a traditional country artist and she sings say way more genres of music then just country. Like her motto says… Old timey music turned upside down!
October 5, 2015 @ 3:26 pm
Back in 2009 — has it really been that long? — Poco reunited for an appearance at Stagecoach, with Richie Furay, Jimmy Messina, Rusty Young, Paul Cotton, George Grantham and Timothy B. Schmidt all together on stage. Would have really enjoyed seeing that … the YouTube clips don’t do it justice.
October 5, 2015 @ 3:43 pm
I see the excitement about Luke Bell being on the poster, and rightfully so! The boy lives and breathes the music he sings. I’ve had the privilege of catching his show several times around town here in Nashville, and even a few Sunday nights at Santa’s Pub. FYI, Trigger: Luke Bell spent several weeks this Summer opening for Dwight Yoakam and Hank, Jr. Talk about your exposure! It just gives me hope to see artists of that caliber, getting the recognition they rightfully deserve for making real, pure Country Music.
October 5, 2015 @ 3:56 pm
I checked on ticket prices and they were pretty hefty about $800 if I remember correctly for the three day ticket. Not VIP or anything. It wouldn’t be a reality for me most likely with the cost of a flight, rental car etc. that’s a darn bargain though compared to what they charge for coachella. I remember watching some of it on axs-tv last year and watching Kacey musgraves. I do like the lineup though and the variety.
October 5, 2015 @ 4:34 pm
Let’s be honest, I’ll give just about any one of these singers a chance with the exception of Sam Hunt, Old Dominion, Dustin Lynch, and A Thousand Horses. Everyone else that I’ve heard of has perhaps one decent song by them, and that’s a good reason to attend the event.
Edit: I guess I overlooked Luke Bryan. I wouldn’t want to see him in concert even if he has an occasionally decent song.
October 5, 2015 @ 5:18 pm
Wow, looks like the organizers of Stagecoach Fest nail it again. Great lineup. I bet guys like Chris Stapleton and Whitey Morgan are gonna blow people away.
By the way, I remember hearing a rumour a while back about the folks responsible for Bonnarroo looking into the possibility of starting a country festival out in Manchester, that would basically be their version of this festival. If that ever materializes, and I hope it does, I hope AC Entertainment would take a similar tack in booking artists as Stagecoach does. If they did so, their festival would instantly become a much better option for real country fans in Middle Tennessee and surrounding regions than the rigidly corporate-controlled CMA Fest. And the more festivals that take the egalitarian approach to booking artists, the better for independent music. Stagecoach Fest is the model to follow.
October 5, 2015 @ 5:20 pm
Also, speaking of festivals, I wanted to say that I heard good reports about the Pilgrimage Festival that took place in Franklin (just outside of Nashville) last weekend. I wasn’t in attendance, but I heard that the crowds really poured in for Chris Stapleton’s set. I heard good things about Willie’s set as well. Unlike some of the other recent festivals in the region that have fizzled out, I feel pretty confident that Pilgrimage Fest will be back around next year.
October 5, 2015 @ 5:46 pm
I’ve been attending stagecoach for the last 6 years and plan to do so for the foreseeable future. I saw sturgill simpson last year and he had the side stage so packed with people it filled up the entire tent and then some. that being said I am excited for the opportunity to see Luke bell, whitey Morgan and chris Stapleton. also unrelated but I’m seeing the turnpike troubadours for the first time this Wednesday at the el Rey theater in LA and couldn’t be more excited!
October 5, 2015 @ 6:10 pm
If I were half as talented as Mr. Stuart, I’d be a hundred times more talented than Sam Hunt, and if anybody were to ever bill him over me I’d never do business with that person again. He should respect himself more than this, He has a freaking TV show, a decades long career and a ton of talent, he shouldn’t have to play second to anybody not named Colm Wilkinson or Elvis Presley… Sam Hunt will be gone by 2018, but Marty will still be here, doing the same thing.
October 5, 2015 @ 7:55 pm
Sam Hunt is a significantly bigger draw than Marty Stuart. That is why his name is larger. It is dry statistics. Marty wants to opportunity to play in front of large crowds and to make new fans, and including Sam Hunt on the bill facilitates that. Or he can go play a club for 1/3’rd of the money to people who already know him, and preach to a choir. The Stagecoach model has helped launch the careers of artists. I have seen it happen. It has been seminal to some artists putting together a sustainable career. And it’s because they book headliners like Sam Hunt. Pragmatism will save country music.
October 6, 2015 @ 2:56 pm
Irrelevant. Mr. Stuart by rights should be almost a household name, and Sam Hunt should be cleaning dumpsters or busing tables. Marty deserves to be respected, and dry statistics or not this is about honor and respect. I may love Mr. Stuart, but I’d be a liar if I said I’d ever go and see him if he were billed under Sam Hunt. I’d go and see him in his own theatre, taping his TV show, where he is afforded the respect he deserves.
October 6, 2015 @ 3:04 pm
Fuzzy,
Obviously, I totally agree. But “should” and “is” are two different things.
October 5, 2015 @ 6:24 pm
THANKS FOR THIS ARTICLE on Stagecoach. Love EmiSunshine and the Rain…Check her video’s out. She just turned 11.
THE TODAY SHOW:
http://youtu.be/LWQnl9kJDnQ…
MAMA’S GIRL: written by Emi, Alisha Hamilton & Chelie Rose.
https://www.facebook.com/douglas.draper.10/videos/977630812260291/?pnref=story
WHEN THE STAR’S COME OUT: Chris Stapleton Cover.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=252&v=RoZK3nu-t5c
RIPPLE: Grateful Dead Cover.
NORA JEAN: written by emi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iSSQut50E4
WEST TEXAS HIGHWAY: written by emi and Alsha Hamilton.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me84bLyXeyQ
I AM ABLE: Written by emi, her newest song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbM9bgwNC6k
EMI SOLO: MATHEW 24:
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1017874124892788&set=vb.460368170643389&type=2&theater
Emi”™s Grand Ole Opry Debut:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvD2AJLVsao
Emi’s Grand Ole Opry: 2nd Show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEs82zeUYBk
Emi’s Grand Ole Opry: 3rd Show singing Danny Ray Written by Emi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoGQFtCT_jQ
Emi’s Grand Ole Opry: 7th Show
https://youtu.be/gdrfpRY8uGw
LITTLE BLACK BIRD: written by emi
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=751897828157087&set=vb.460368170643389&type=3&permPage=1
I’M SO LONESOME I COULD CRY: Cover of Hank Williams
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1026411140705753&pnref=story
COAT OF MANY COLORS: Cover of Dolly Parton
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1026864393993761&set=vb.460368170643389&type=3&permPage=1
I AINT FAMOUS: written by emi
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1027009210645946&set=vb.460368170643389&type=3&permPage=1
HORRIBLE HIGHWAY: written by emi
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=848034718543397&set=vb.460368170643389&type=3&permPage=1
LITTLE WEEPING WILLOW TREE: written by emi
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=865967750083427&set=vb.460368170643389&type=3&permPage=1
CREOLE BOY’S: written by emi
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1016340845046116&theater
COAL MINER’S DAUGHTER: Cover of Loretta Lynn who later posted a photo of herself watching emi sing.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1045061028840764&set=vb.460368170643389&type=2&theater
SUGAREE: Cover of Grateful Dead
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1043331019013765&set=vb.460368170643389&type=2&theater
FALL ON THE ROCK: Cover
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAmdotPkU0E
KEEP YOUR LAMP TRIMMED: Cover of Grateful Dead
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=718499794830224&theater
October 5, 2015 @ 7:12 pm
EmiSunshine “Ripple” Grateful dead cover:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzco_mqeRB8
October 6, 2015 @ 11:54 am
The only question to Bruce is: Family or Red Light?
October 6, 2015 @ 3:09 pm
Actually bruce is just a huge super fan along with myself and many others and we like to spread the sunshine love that we all experience with her music 🙂
October 6, 2015 @ 11:16 pm
The fact that you basically admitted you know who Bruce is is very telling…
October 6, 2015 @ 7:59 am
I think its weird The Marshall Tucker band is so low on the lineup. I’d think they’re at least as big of a draw as The Doobie Brothers if not more.
October 6, 2015 @ 8:35 am
Actually, I think the Doobies are currently a much bigger draw. Here in the DC area, I have seen the Marshall Tucker Band on the Birchmere’s schedule (capacity – 500), whereas I think the Doobies can play the bigger outdoor amphitheatre type venues.
October 6, 2015 @ 8:24 am
Loved your article…but the REAL one to watch for sure is the true Daughter of Bluegrass, Miss Emi Sunshine!! With almost half mil followers, she is doing something no one else can…she is truly re-igniting the country music scene!
October 6, 2015 @ 9:54 am
Luke Bell FTW!!!
Was just listening to his album on a road trip last week, wondering what he was up to.
Sweet.
October 6, 2015 @ 3:06 pm
emisunshine is the future of music!! She is amazing and I don’t care about if she has life experience or not, i only go by how the music makes me feel and she gives me chills almost anytime she opens her mouth to sing. I am so glad to see she and her band the rain will be a part of this!
October 6, 2015 @ 10:33 pm
Holy shit! That is all.
October 7, 2015 @ 8:46 am
Lucero and SUSTO!!
October 7, 2015 @ 12:47 pm
I’m just glad audiences will be exposed to good artists like REK and the troubadours etc… The average Luke Bryan fan would never see the Emmylou’s and Marty Stuart’s of the world so lineup’s like this are very good for independent music.