PHOTO GALLERY: 15th ANNUAL STAGECOACH MUSIC FESTIVAL
PHOTO GALLERY: 15th ANNUAL STAGECOACH MUSIC FESTIVAL
This past weekend after Coachella wrapped its two weekend stinct in Indio, CA. Stagecoach Music Festival rolled into town and took over to continue the party in the California desert. While the annual country music event is only one weekend, it still brought a pretty star packed lineup of country stars, icons, boundary pushers, genre blenders, and a bit of diversity. This year headliners were Luke Bryan, Kane Brown, and Chris Stapleton, each turned out incredibly massive crowds for their main stage shows. Artists and fan favorites like Breland, Jon Pardi, Elle King, Lainey Wilson, Priscilla Block, and Bailey Zimmerman also performed and had everyone singing along. Nikki Lane (A Stagecoach Veteran), along with band Old Dominion, Ryan Bingham, Keb Mo, and Valerie June, to name a few, were some who brought a more Alternative or Bluesy sound. DJs Diplo & Dillion Francis, plus Rapper Nelly brought party vibes to Stagecoach, while Rock icons ZZ Top and Bryan Adams still held their own. This year was the festival’s 15th year and anniversary.
You can view a ton of photos from the festival from incredible photographers in a slideshow gallery below courtesy of Stagecoach.
WHO: HEADLINERS: Luke Bryan, Kane Brown, and Chris Stapleton. Jon Pardi, Old Dominion, Brooks & Dunn, Riley Green, Gabby Barrett, Parker McCollum, ZZ Top, Bryan Adams, Tyler Childers, Elle King, Niko Moon, Turnpike Troubadours, Breland, Nelly, Diplo, Melissa Etheridge, Morgan Wade, Lainey Wilson, Priscilla Block, Ryan Bingham, Sammy Kershaw, Marty Stuart, Parmalee, Ian Munsick, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Bailey Zimmerman, Nate Smith, Kameron Marlowe, Luke Grimes, Jackson Dean, Nikki Lane, Valerie June, Trixie Mattel, Corey Kent, Warren Zeiders, Seaforth, Lily Rose, Sierra Ferrell, Drake Milligan, American Aquarium, Restless Road, Flamin' Groovies, The Last Bandoleros, Keb' Mo', Nick Shoulders, Jaime Wyatt.
WHAT: Stagecoach Music Festival
WHEN: April 28 - 30, 2023
WHERE: Empire Polo Fields, Indio, CA
PHOTO CREDITS: Are listed on each photo and courtesy of Stagecoach
FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS + ANDY GRAMMER BRING THE WRONG PARTY TOUR TO L.A. WITH HELP FROM BRELAND
Last Saturday, Three of what seems like the unlikeliest artists brought what was an epic dance party to The Greek Theatre. Opener Breland with Hip-Hop Country, Andy Grammer with his happy Pop, and Fitz And The Tantrums, whose soulful pop tunes have ears tuned, feet dancing since their KCRW days have endearingly collided on their The Wrong Party tour.
Michael “Fitz” Fitzpatrick of Fitz And The Tantrums
Last Saturday, Three of what seems like the unlikeliest artists brought what was an epic dance party to The Greek Theatre. Opener Breland with Hip-Hop Country, Andy Grammer with his happy Pop, and Fitz And The Tantrums, whose soulful pop tunes have ears tuned, feet dancing since their KCRW days have endearingly collided on their The Wrong Party tour. While it may, on the surface, come across like a mish-mash of Adult Alternative radio artists with popular hits. It ultimately worked for many reasons, as it was a family show. Families were out and about on this breezy Saturday evening. Also, all three acts together brought showmanship. Lastly, two performers on the lineup (Breland and Andy Grammer) have roots in the country music space.
Breland performs at The Greek Theatre
Breland was first up on the lineup. His sound has its roots in country music but was so much more. "Praise The Lord" was gospel tinged with a hipper country sound. Then songs like "Thick" and "Throw It Back" completely leaned into the Country-Rap sound. So it was no surprise that his Nelly mashup was straight fire. The New Jersey native and Gen Z artist fused Hip-Hop, Gospel, Soul, and Pop into what I could only describe as a Breland fusion. A mix of funky, bouncy, feel-good music. That easily captured the audience. An audience that was only starting to trickle in. Make no mistake, though, Breland fans were there and ready to party. His opening set was full of exuberant boundless energy and the perfect joyful vibe to start the night out. His banter between his songs was my favorite as he regaled the audience with jokes and other anecdotes from his life. Including the time Keith Urban asked him out to Nashville to write music, and he hopped on a plane and arrived the following morning.
Andy Grammer performs at The Greek Theatre
Andy Grammer was next out, opening with a spoken word poem befitting his brand of joyful uplifting pop. That poem transitioned into the song "Damn It Feels Good to Be Me". A booming pop-jazz style band backed Grammer and was complete with backup singers who also played jazz instruments like the saxophone. For some, Grammer may not be a face that is easily recognizable but with his penchant for writing memorable pop hooks and catchy melodies. There is no doubt that you have heard a song or two from him. Infectious melodies, jazzy riffs, and dance-pop synths permeated the well-paced sixteen-song set. Some highlights include the new collab, “The Wrong Party”, with Michael ‘Fitz’ Fitzpatrick of Fitz And The Tantrums, who popped out to sing it with him. Then the monogamy and relationship anthem, Honey, I’m Good. Or the soulful foot stomper, Good To Be Alive. His vocals shined throughout and soared best on the more personal numbers like “Fresh Eyes”, Joy, or later on, during the encore “Saved My Life”. The jazz-inflected “Pennies From Heaven / Stay / Fine by Me” mashup was a sweet surprise. His debut track, “Keep Your Head Up”, was another brilliant moment during his encore. Those lyrics still resonate and speak to the dreamer in all of us.
Noelle Scaggs of Fitz And The Tantrums performs at The Greek Theatre
Lastly, Fitz And The Tantrums closed out the night and the L.A. stop of The Wrong Party tour. Although far removed from their KRCW days where blue-eyed soul and a vintage sound dominated their music. Their evolution to Alterna-Pop heavy hitters makes this band so great, reminding us that a dream and hard work will ultimately pay off. The band fronted by two singers, the aforementioned Michael 'Fitz' Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs plus their insane chemistry. The Greek Theatre showcased their exuberant blend of soulful dance pop and was the perfect way to cap off what was an eclectic dance party in the canyons of L.A. The band opened with “OCD” into a “Don’t Gotta Work It Out”, a Fitz classic and staple. Songs like “Complicated” got the party moving with its R&B bounce before moving into synth-laden “Out Of My League”. Other highlights from the band include their new cut “Sway”, the soul-inflected “MoneyGrabber”, and the skittering pop of “123456”. Fitz and The Tantrums continued the trend of incredible musicianship and professionalism that night. They closed out their eighteen-song set with an encore that included hits, “HandClap” and “The Walker”. “The Wrong Party” tour offered fans and music lovers a night of fun, dancing, and lighthearted escapism in its purest form. It was a bubbly hip-pop disco party accentuated by an incredible light show. Fun for all too, as you’re never late to this party.
NINA NESBITT // A CONCERT REVIEW + GALLERY
Scottish Singer-Songwriter Nina Nesbitt played to a packed house at The Roxy on Sunset last night (March 19th, 2019). Hitting Southern California on her “The Sun Will Come Up” tour with openers Sophie Rose and Plested, the love was loud and clear for her in West Hollywood ...
Sophie Rose started the night out leaning towards a more Pop Rock style of songs that were carried by her heartfelt songwriting and airy vocals. She is definitely one to watch, she mentioned that Taylor Swift has playlisted one of her songs. Plested was next and it was him and a guitar, his unique voice brought a soulful quality to his indie guitar music.
Nina came onstage to loud cheers and many in the crowd wearing the merch that they had just bought. From the start of the first note and line her fans were singing along, and dancing, many with their camera phones up not wanting to miss anything for prosperity. Running through such songs as
“Sacred”, “These Are The Moments I'm Missing”, “Colder”, “Psychopath”, (where she brought out Charlotte Lawrence and Sophie Rose), “Empire”, and “Somebody Special”. Nina then came back on for an encore of “The Sun Will Come Up” and “Loyal” (which was an absolute crowd sing-along favorite). The biggest surprise though was Nina (excuse me Nina Nesbitch) covering Britney Spears “Toxic”, while she and her Keyboardist repped two fan-made "Nina Nesbitch" hats from fans in the audience. The entire show was fresh, fun and all about the music and vocals from start to finish. If you haven't seen Nina live or heard her current album “The Sun Will Come Up, the Seasons Will Change” please do so, you'll thank me. Check out my photos from the concert below and to learn more about each artist ...
Nina Nesbitt Official - http://www.ninanesbittmusic.com/
Stream “The Sun Will Come Up, the Seasons Will Change” - https://nn.lnk.to/TSWCUTw
Plested Offficial - http://www.plestedmusic.com/
Sophie Rose Official - http://sophierose.com/
Until then,
Brittney x
YOU ME AT SIX // A CONCERT REVIEW + GALLERY
British band You Me At Six (Josh Franceschi, Max Helyer, Chris Miller, Matt Barnes, Dan Flint) made a triumphant return to Los Angeles on Monday night with a packed show full of their biggest fans in Los Angeles. The band has been playing shows across the U.S. on their 'Back Again' tour with Synth Pop band machineheart and Alt-Pop trio DREAMERS as openers. You Me At Six rocked the venue charging through a set of 18 songs ...
Los Angeles based Synth-Pop band machineheart started out the night in dreamy fashion, bringing beautiful harmonies and gorgeous melodies from lead singer Stevie Scott. The band itself was in sync and their vibe was a great way to kick off the night. Alternative Pop band DREAMERS were next and the band walked out onto the stage to a massive amount of cheers as their fans had shown up to support. The band played a fast-paced and fierce six-song set (as did machineheart) which featured some fun Alternative Rock dance numbers.
You Me At Six hit the stage at around 9:45 pm coming out on stage to an already very excited and loud crowd. The crowd stayed like that the entire night. The band tore through 18 tracks from 5 albums, playing through such songs as "Reckless', "Loverboy', to "Night People', "IOU', and "Bite My Tongue' and many more (full set list pictured above). The band also performed a four-song encore coming back onstage to a crowd of fans chanting "You Me At Six!', featuring "Room to Breathe', "No One Does It Better', "Straight to My Head' and "Underdog'. You Me At Six had every single fan in the room matching their same high energy, happy and excited to see their favorite band. All singing along word for word, dancing having a great time. It was fun to see a band that was not only in sync with each other but was clearly having a ton of fun on stage. You Me At Six, lead singer Josh Franceschi made sure to interact with the crowd physically but through banter as well, yet he didn't over do it. The show overall from openers to headliner was an exciting, high energy show (on a Monday night no less) filled with an engaged audience and lots of good music. See my photos from the show below ...
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Until then,
Brittney x
