Eric Church performs on the Mane Stage on Friday, April 25, 2014, at the Stagecoach Country Music Festival. (Charlotte Bray/Freelance Photographer)
The 2014 Stagecoach Country Music Festival kicked off with a full day of country fun under the sun and later in the day, clouds, as mild temperatures kept the sold out crowd happy.
Eric Church: Stagecoach was only the second U.S. tour date for Church on his new tour supporting new album “The Outsiders” and it was his first time headlining the event. He played the very first Stagecoach back in 2007 on the Mane Stage in an early afternoon slot.
He also knew the reputation of the sold-out Stagecoach crowd.
“I have seen how drunk you people have been today,” he said early in the set.
He encouraged the wild behavior of the fans.
“I expect nothing less and I have a very high bar for what this show is going to be,” he said from the stage.
Church started off with “That’s Damn Rock & Roll,” off the new record before going into his catalog, with “Cold One,” crowd favorite “Give Me Back My Hometown,” “Guys Like Me” and “Sinners Like Me” early in the set.
His set wasn’t flashy, but was representative of Church, who puts a premium on songwriting and musicianship.
See photos of Eric Church at Stagecoach 2014.
The Wild Feathers: The Wild Feathers might be the most rocking band at Stagecoach. This Nashville group got the party started in the Palomino Tent on Friday. I would love to see them do Coachella next year, not unlike how Trampled By Turtles did it in the past.
Read more about The Wild Feathers. See photos of The Wild Feathers at Stagecoach.
Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers: I fell in love with this group’s creative covers in their “Van Sessions” videos, but they brought plenty of energy with their originals today. However, their cover of “You’re No Good” by Linda Ronstandt was spot on today.
See photos of Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers.
Shelby Lynne: The last time Lynne played Stagecoach, she wasn’t pleased to be on the main stage playing for an empty pit of VIPs. On Friday she had a fantastic set on the Palomino stage with a wide-ranging set that even included some gospel and backup singer Maxine Waters, from the Oscar-winning documentary “20 Feet from Stardom.”
The Wailin’ Jennys: The harmonies were lovely from this group, plus they had the best apology of the day–saying sorry to the people at the Mustang stage who thought they were coming to see Waylon Jennings.
Katey Sagal and the Forest Rangers: After filling up the Mustang Stage last year, the group, led by the actress and singer which is essentially the house band for “Sons of Anarchy,” on which Sagal is the star, drew a large crowd to the Palomino Stage. People cried “GEMMA!” At Sagal, after her character on the show.
Lynyrd Skynyrd: The legendary Southern rock band was the only one to really bring a massive crowd away from the Mane Stage, and people started running to them. There were a lot of American flag bandannas in this crowd. The band played its biggest hits–including “What’s Your Name?” “Simple Man” and “Tuesday’s Gone.”
The massive Palomino stage, which is the largest outside of the mane Stage, was overflowing with fans. The band’s set ended with “Gimme Three Steps” and “Sweet Home Alabama.”
Want more Stagecoach photos, updates and stories? Visit the iGuide Stagecoach special section. Also, check out The Best of Stagecoach 2014.