Stagecoach rolls into town

Some of country and western's top stars and legends descended upon the Southern California dessert for the third annual Stagecoach festival.

The event is held at The Empire Polo Club, a sprawling facility located in the middle of the Coachella Valley.

Consisting of three stages, the festival provides a variety of music, a BBQ competition, art exhibits, mechanical bulls and plenty of food and beverage vendors to accommodate everyone's taste.

The Mustang stage was predominantly blue-grass and folk music, while the Palomino stage was chock-full of western music legends.The Mane stage offered a full line-up of today's hottest country stars.

Day one consisted of an entertaining mix of styles. The Mustang stage had acts ranging from the Nashville newgrass sextet The Infamous Stringdusters to the lengendary bluegrass/banjo master Earl Scruggs.

The Palomino Stage was highlighted with performances from Kevin Costner and his band Modern West, The Reverend Horton Heat and Lynn Anderson. The highlight at the Palomino stage was an amazing performance by the Charlie Daniels Band, for 72yrs old he can rock.

The Mane Stage opened up with a set from Danielle Peck followed by a Hootie-heavy Darius Rucker performance. One of the shining moments of the day was Little Big Town. With the crowd warmed up and the dessert sun retired for the night, Reba McIntyre took the stage. She worked her way through what appeared to be a well scripted set.

The day closed with the rapid fire guitar-licks of Brad Paisley. He masterfully worked the crowd through all his hits, as he brought his Paisley Party Tour to the Coachella valley with full force.

James Intveld opened the second days events with a show on the Palomino stage. The Southern California-born rockabilly brought the early comers to their feet, singing along to many of the songs off his "Have Faith" album. The Canadian quintet The Duhks rounded out a solid lineup.

On the Mane stage Randy Houser opened, followed by an amazing performance from the Zac Brown Band. Up next was Lady Antebellum who put on a very energetic and fun set. Then came the fiery attitude of Miranda Lambert, who belted out crowd favorites including "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend."

As Kid Rock's intro rolled, the entire facility came to life dancing and screaming. It was amazing to watch 50-year-old women dancing in the aisles screaming along to every word of "American Bad Ass."

Kenny Chesney took over to close out the night. Chesney put on a great show, but the crowd seemed worn out from Kid Rock's set.

While the night ended a bit anti-climatic, the festival was an overall good time.