Coachella Expands To Three Days, Country Fest To Follow

[carrie721]

yay!

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003410555

The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival will expand to a three-day event for the first time in 2007 when it overtakes the Empire Polo Field in Indio, Calif. on April 27-29. The following weekend (May 5-6), Coachella promoters Goldenvoice will launch an as-yet-unnamed country music festival at the same venue, featuring George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Sugarland and Willie Nelson.

According to a spokesperson, the new event will sport four performance stages: the main stage, an "outlaw" stage, a bluegrass stage and a "storytelling" area, the latter of which will feature appearances by "Prairie Home Companion" creator Garrison Keillor and Texas poet laureate Red Steagall.

Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Nickel Creek, Ricky Skaggs, Earl Scruggs and Sparrow Quarter featuring Bela Fleck will also perform at the inaugural festival.

Ironically, while country music is a consistently strong seller in southern California, the area's lone country station, KZLA, abandoned the format in favor of a pop playlist earlier this year.

The expansion comes eight years into Coachella's existence, during which time the event has become the premiere yearly musical destination for thousands of fans around the world. The lineup for the 2007 edition of Coachella will not be announced until late January or early February, but Mexican duo Rodrigo y Gabriela recently confirmed to Billboard.com they would be participating.

[goldustsongbird]

yay!

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003410555

You goin'?

[carrie721]

You goin'?

if i can get the money together! :D

[goldustsongbird]

if i can get the money together! :D

Sweet. I'm not. s'far as I know.

[carrie721]

Sweet. I'm not. s'far as I know.

but what if i kidnap you?

i don't want to go to actual coachella, just the country thing. so bring your cowboy hat.

[Rickypt]

The country festival is on my birthday and I am going! Lucinda, Emmylou, Willie, Nickel Creek!!:blob2:

[Rickypt]

i don't want to go to actual coachella, just the country thing. so bring your cowboy hat.

Save your pennies, Carrie....let's go to this thing. Maybe Dolly will be there!

This isn't one of those camping festivals, though, is it? Are there hotels in the area?

[goldustsongbird]

but what if i kidnap you?

i don't want to go to actual coachella, just the country thing. so bring your cowboy hat.

CowGIRL hat, thank you very much! :mad: :blob1: I'll bring the chaps, too.

[carrie721]

The country festival is on my birthday and I am going! Lucinda, Emmylou, Willie, Nickel Creek!!:blob2:

i'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Save your pennies, Carrie....let's go to this thing. Maybe Dolly will be there!

This isn't one of those camping festivals, though, is it? Are there hotels in the area?

dolly and emmylou and nickel creek and willie and lucinda???? i would PLOTZ!!

you can camp, but there are hotels. book wayyyyy in advance, tho!

CowGIRL hat, thank you very much! :mad: :blob1: I'll bring the chaps, too.

assless chaps? :cool:

[Rickypt]

you can camp

I don't camp.

Off to research hotels....

[carrie721]

I don't camp.

Off to research hotels....

i believe the coachella website offers hotel suggestions.

i may have to camp out of financial necessity ... :laugh:

[goldustsongbird]

assless chaps? :cool:

Are there other kinds?

[carrie721]

Are there other kinds?

not in my life!

[Rickypt]

i believe the coachella website offers hotel suggestions.

i may have to camp out of financial necessity ... :laugh:

$59/night at Motel 6 in Indio. Good enough for me.

[carrie721]

$59/night at Motel 6 in Indio. Good enough for me.

that sounds pretty good ... my issue with a hotel would be transportation. time for some research!

[Rickypt]

that sounds pretty good ... my issue with a hotel would be transportation. time for some research!

I'll have a rental car and will drive you.

[carrie721]

I'll have a rental car and will drive you.

you're a sweetie! that sounds great. i can't wait for tix to go on sale!

[Rickypt]

i can't wait for tix to go on sale!

I can, 'cuz I don't have any $$!! :laugh:

I think there's a good chance Dolly will play this gig. She is supposed to tour next spring and she loves these big festivals.

[DavidMn]

I like the names being bantied about. Sounds like quite an interesting collection of talent.:nod:

[carrie721]

from http://www.pe.com/lifestyles/stories/PE_Fea_Daily_D_stagecoach09.2462fba.html

The inaugural country and bluegrass festival taking place the weekend after the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is officially called Stagecoach.

The two-day event will take place over four stages on May 5 and 6 at the Empire Polo Field in Indio.

The festival has already confirmed George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Sugarland, Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Nickel Creek, Ricky Skaggs, Earl Scruggs, Sparrow Quarter featuring Bela Fleck, "Prairie Home Companion" creator Garrison Keillor and Texas poet laureate Red Steagall. It promises to come out of the gate as the nation's premier live country music event on the strength of its immense range.

Dates for tickets to go on sale have not yet been announced.

[Rickypt]

from http://www.pe.com/lifestyles/stories/PE_Fea_Daily_D_stagecoach09.2462fba.html

Awesome. you still thinking of going, carrie?

[carrie721]

Awesome. you still thinking of going, carrie?

yep, still considering it. i have lots of stuff up in the air right now, though, way more than i did when it was first announced. we shall see. :blob2:

[Rickypt]

yep, still considering it. i have lots of stuff up in the air right now, though, way more than i did when it was first announced. we shall see. :blob2:

Let me know if you decide to go. Right now, I'm thinking it needs another one or two of my favorites (like Dolly) for me to make the trip. I don't care about the headliners, like George Strait and Kenny Chesney. And Emmylou, Lucinda, Willie, come to Bay Area often. I'm not sure. But if you go....then I'm interested so we could hang.:nod: