DATE: APRIL 17, 2007
FROM: MARCEE RONDAN/KRISTINE ASHTON-MAGNUSON/
MITCH SCHNEIDER/TODD BRODGINSKI
ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL JOIN LINE-UP FOR INAUGURAL
STAGECOACH:
CALIFORNIA’S TWO-DAY COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL
SET FOR SATURDAY, MAY 5 AND SUNDAY, MAY 6
AT THE EMPIRE POLO FIELD
IN INDIO, CA
Asleep at the Wheel have been added to the line-up for this year’s inaugural STAGECOACH— California’s country music festival set for Saturday, May 5 and Sunday, May 6 in Indio, CA. The Grammy Award winners join a roster featuring the biggest names in country music today: George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, Sara Evans, Sugarland, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, Pat Green, Lucinda Williams, Kris Kristofferson, Nickel Creek, Raul Malo and Ricky Skaggs, among others (full updated list below).
In efforts to create a family friendly weekend for all, festival organizers have expanded the on site activities:
“HALF-PINT HOOTENANNY”: Since children under the age of 10 are admitted free, festival organizers are creating a “Kids Activity Area” with entertainment–both musical and otherwise–geared specifically to them.
Musical performances will include Buck Howdy (www.buckhowdy.com), The BummKinn Band (www.bummkinnband.com), Farmer Jason (www.farmerjason.com), and The Hollow Trees (www.thehollowtrees.com).
Other entertainment will include the Bon Family and California All-Star Cloggers who will perform their high-energy, fast-paced variety show and teach some western dance steps; Will Rogers tribute performer, Robert Basgall, and Cowboy Hotshot McGee will host the staged entertainment and show off their gun spinning, whips and trick-roping talents; Hoedown Haybale Maze; Lazy “J” Lasso (kiddie steer roping); Cactus Hat Toss; Hillbilly Horseshoe Toss; “Better-than-OK” Corral (cork guns with targets); Dude ‘em Up Dress ‘Em Up Parlor; a Reading Round-up area with scheduled story-times.
Calico Ghost Town, the historic silver mining town and part of the San Bernadino County Regional Parks, will be providing Calico gunfighters as strolling entertainment and site décor to capture the feeling of the Old West. Additionally, community service organizations from the region including the Girl Scouts (San Gorgonio Council) and the Boy Scouts (Sunrise Council) will be on-site with special booths for face painting and other kid-friendly fun.
“People’s Choice Rib Burn”: This massive cook-off will take place both days from the time the gates open until they’re out of ribs. Concert attendees will purchase rib sample tickets for $2 per ticket in the BBQ competition area, enabling them the chance to sample some of 1200 lbs. of ribs being prepared each day. Tasters will exchange a ticket for a sample rib from any of the competing teams from all over Southern California and Arizona. The winner of the people’s choice award is the team with the most tickets at the end of each day.
“Western Art”: A wide variety of country music memorabilia, antique cowboy gear, rawhide sculptures, western heritage installations and Americana folk arts will all be on display throughout the grounds.
“Themed Activities”: Look for hayrides, saddle making, blacksmiths, rodeo gear, lasso and trail boss seminars, line and square dancing demonstrations and other exhibitions between musical sets.
STAGECOACH will feature artist performances in four distinct performance areas–MANE STAGE (main stage), the PALOMINO STAGE (an alt-country stage), the APPALOOSA STAGE (a bluegrass stage) and the MUSTANG STAGE (a storytelling area)– making for two jam-packed days of entertainment. It all takes place at the breathtakingly beautiful Empire Polo Field, the same site as the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival which is being held the week before.
Tickets for STAGECOACH are on sale now via TicketMaster charge-by-phone lines at (213) 480-3232 and at all TicketMaster retail ticket centers or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
The STAGECOACH line-up (as of April 16) is as follows:
Saturday, May 5, 2007: George Strait, Alan Jackson, Sara Evans, Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, Jamie O’Neal, Jason Michael Carroll, Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams, Raul Malo, Neko Case, Old 97’s, Robert Earl Keen, Richie Furay, Chris Hillman & Herb Pederson, David Serby, Earl Scruggs, Nickel Creek, Yonder Mountain String Band, The Grascals, John Cowan Band, Old School Freight Train, Riders in the Sky, Red Steagall, Waddie Mitchell, Sons of the San Joaquin, Cowboy Nation.
Sunday, May 6, 2007: Kenny Chesney, Brooks & Dunn, Sugarland, Gary Allan, Pat Green, Jason Aldean, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson, Junior Brown, Drive by Truckers, Alejandro Escovedo, John Doe, Railbenders, Ricky Skaggs, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, Marty Stuart, The Del McCoury Band, The Flatlanders (Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Joe Ely, Butch Hancock) Abigail Washburn with the Sparrow Quartet featuring Ben Sollee, Casey Driessen and Bela Fleck, Asleep at the Wheel, Garrison Keillor, Baxter Black, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Don Edwards, Cowboy Celtic, and Roger Alan Wade.
STAGECOACH is produced by Goldenvoice, The Messina Group and Moore Entertainment Group. For up-to-the-minute information on STAGECOACH visit www.stagecoachfestival.com.
Press Contacts:
MSO: 818-380-0400
Marcee Rondan marcee@msopr.com ext. 248
Kristine Ashton-Magnuson kashton@msopr.com ext. 233
Todd Brodginski toddb@msopr.com ext. 239
Mitch Schneider mschneider@msopr.com ext. 235
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ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL JOIN LINE-UP FOR INAUGURAL STAGECOACH: CALIFORNIA’S TWO-DAY COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL SET FOR SATURDAY, MAY 5 AND SUNDAY, MAY 6 AT THE EMPIRE POLO FIELD IN INDIO, CA