The Best Stagecoach Performances From Past Years
We are less than seven months away from country music's biggest festival! While we wish time could go by faster, it's always fun to reminisce on the festival's history while we wait. With that, here's some of our favorite Stagecoach performances from past years!
Lynyrd Skynyrd
The timeless country-rock band delivered an amazing set at the Palomino stage. They got the crowd on their feet with classics such as "Free Bird" and "Sweet Home Alabama." Their 2019 Stagecoach set served as one of the closing moments of the legends' decades-long career, as they embarked on their Farewell Tour that year. This is an iconic performance we'll never grow tired of watching over and over again.
Carrie Underwood
The eight-time Grammy winner pulled out all the stops during her headlining Stagecoach 2022 set. It included the bold, energetic "Last Name" and "Undo It," as well as the emotional "Cry Pretty." Her bedazzled jean jacket matched the title of her then-upcoming album, Denim & Rhinestones. Her stage presence and powerhouse vocals are unmatched. Last but not least, she surprised fans by inviting Axel Rose (Guns N' Roses Frontman) to sing the band's hits, "Paradise City" and "Sweet Child Of Mine," with her. The superstar boasts an almost 20-year long career, and always manages to outdo herself every time. Teach us your ways, Carrie.
Keith Urban
The "Wasted Time" singer played his headlining Stagecoach 2018 right after releasing his acclaimed album, Graffiti U. He performed some now-iconic songs, such as "Parallel Line" and "Coming Home," live for the first time. Urban stunned with hits like "Somewhere In My Car" and "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16," and surprised fans with a rendition of "Fast As You" by Dwight Yoakam, which he sang with Brothers Osborne. Complete with lots of dust and the full moon serving as Urban's natural spotlight, this Stagecoach moment is one to remember.
Kelsea Ballerini
It makes us emotional to reflect on how far Ballerini has come in her eventful musical journey. Four years ago, this "legend" (see what we did there) was opening for Keith Urban during his Graffiti U tour, headlining her own sold-out Unapologetically tour, and performing on Stagecoach's Mane Stage right before the headlining Florida Georgia Line. Opening with one of her earliest hits, "Peter Pan," Ballerini stole festivalgoers' hearts throughout her set. We're in love with her flawless voice, charismatic stage presence, transparent songwriting, and infectious smile. As this queen just released her sensational fourth studio album, "SUBJECT TO CHANGE," we hope she gets the opportunity to headline Stagecoach 2023! Please, join us in manifesting it.
Maren Morris
Of course, we close this list with the other queen of country music. Taking the Mane Stage right before headliner Thomas Rhett, this trailblazer's legendary performance at the 2022 festival is a true highlight of the festival's 16-year history. Her Stagecoach set shortly followed the release of Humble Quest, her newest record filled with eleven of our favorite tunes. Some of our favorite moments from it included "All My Favorite People" with her husband Ryan Hurd, a show-stopping rendition of "Nervous," and her closing with "The Bones," which the entire crowd screamed along to. In-person attendees and livestream watchers alike couldn't get enough of her set, and there wasn't a single dry eye by the end of it. No words could do justice to how phenomenal it was; you just had to be there.