Stagecoach 2015: Which acts to watch at the annual festival

Stagecoach Festival: Country Music Fans Gather in Southern California for Annual Outdoor Event

Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton are headlining the ninth annual country music festival. Other performers include Dierks Bentley, the Band Perry and veteran Merle Haggard.

Tim McGraw was the headliner for the first day of this year's Stagecoach Country Music Festival on April 24, 2015. In this file photo McGraw performs onstage during the iHeartRadio Album Release Party with Tim McGraw at the iHeartRadio Theater on October 15, 2014 in Burbank, California. 

Country music is steeped in American history, often accompanied by string instruments like banjos, guitars and fiddles.

But just like many musical genres, country music has evolved and fused with other popular music to now include alt-country, newgrass and just about anything twangy in between.Country music is steeped in American history, often accompanied by string instruments like banjos, guitars and fiddles.


To get ready for the eigth annual Stagecoach Country Music Festival, the three-day country music celebration this weekend at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, brush up on some of country music’s most popular subgenres:

(Click on performer names to listen to songs and watch music videos)

COUNTRY

A type of music that has roots in folk and started in the South, typically played with string instruments. If you like this music, be sure to check out these acts:

• Oklahoma’s Blake Shelton, also mentor on NBC’s “The Voice” (April 26)

• Nashville’s David Fanning (April 25)

• Texas’ Eli Young Band (April 25)

• Louisiana’s Tim McGraw (April 24)

• Tempe’s Dierks Bentley (April 25)

• Texas’ Miranda Lambert (April 25)

• Mobile, Ala.’s The Band Perry (April 26)

• Greenville, N.C.’s Parmalee (April 24)

• Florida’s Jake Owen (April 24)

• Georgia’s Kip Moore (April 24)

• Texas’ Kacey Musgraves (April 24)

• Maryland’s Brothers Osborne (April 24)

• Kansas’ Logan Mize (April 24)

• Nashville’s Cam (April 24)

• West Palm Beach, Fla.’s Cassadee Pope, winner of the third season of “The Voice” (April 25)

• “Nashville” television stars Charles Esten, Clare Bowen, & Chris Carmack (April 25)

• Louisiana’s Mickey Gilley (April 25)

• Texas’ Mac Davis (April 25)

• Nashville’s John & Jacob (April 25)

• Nashville’s Sara Evans (April 26)

• Oak Ridge, Tenn.’s The Oak Ridge Boys (April 26)

• Kansas’ Jerrod Niemann (April 26)

• Nashville’s Frankie Ballard (April 26)

• Muskogee, Okla.’s The Swon Brothers, finalists of season four of “The Voice” (April 26)

• Texas and Oklahoma’s Maddie & Tae (April 26)

• Missouri’s Chris Janson (April 26)

• Miami, Okla.’s Keith Anderson (April 26)

• Nashville’s Clare Dunn (April 25)

• Fort Worth, Texas’ Jason Eady (April 26)

BLUEGRASS

Music from this subgenre is played on string instruments and is a type of traditional American roots music. If you like this kind of music, check out:

•North Carolina’s Balsam Range (April 24)

• Colorado’s Hot Rize (April 26)

• Raleigh’s Chatham County Line (April 26)

• Boston’s Della Mae (April 25)

OUTLAW COUNTRY

A subgenre of country music that began in the 1960’s and reverted back to a rawer, honky tonk sound. If you like this sound, check out:

• Bakersfield’s Merle Haggard (April 24)

• New York’s Steve Earle (April 24)

• South Carolina’s Nikki Lane (April 25)

ALTERNATIVE COUNTRY

A blend of different musical styles such as rock or pop, even punk, with country. Check out these acts:

• Toronto, Canada’s Lindi Ortega has an old timey country, roots, rock, blusey soul sound (April 24)

• San Mateo’s Pegi Young & The Survivors is a blend of folk rock andcountry music (April 24)

• Columbus’ Lydia Loveless has a country, rock and folk sound (April 24)

• Oklahoma’s Parker Millsap mixes rock, country and blues (April 24)

• Nashville’s Caitlin Rose performs country and pop (April 25)

• Dallas’ Andrew Combs music is where country rock meets garage punk (April 26)

• Kentucky’s Sturgill Simpson plays a mix of neotraditional country, roots, country blues and soul (April 24)

• Brooklyn’s The Lone Bellow performs indie folk and country (April 24)

• Santa Cruz’s The Devil Makes Three melds bluegrass, folk and country (April 25)

• Nashville’s The Cadillac Three plays radio-ready country anthems, hard-and-heavy rock and traditional Southern folk (April 25)

• Welland, Ontario’s Daniel Romano includes honky tonk in his music (April 25)

AMERICANA

A genre of music with roots in blues, country, folk, bluegrass and roots-rock. Check out these acts:

• Michigan’s Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys (April 24)

• Albuquerque’s The Handsome Family (April 24)

• Tulsa’s John Moreland (April 25)

• Knoxville’s Logan Brill (April 26)

• Missouri’s Ben Miller Band (April 26)

• Nashville’s Luke Amelang (April 26)

NEWGRASS

New or progressive bluegrass with electric instruments. If you like this fusion of music, check out:

• Illinois’ Old Salt Union (April 25)

INDIE FOLK

A fusion of folk and classic country. Check out these acts:

• Vermont’s indie folk Anaïs Mitchell (April 25)

1960’S ROCK

• English act Eric Burdon and The Animals (April 26)

BLUES ROCK

Rock styles mixed with blues. If you like this mix, check out:

• Houston’s ZZ Top (April 25)

• Delaware’s George Thorogood and The Destroyers (April 26)

• Savannah’s Gregg Allman (April 25)

SOUTHERN ROCK

Rock ‘n’ roll from the Southern U.S. Check out:

• Tampa’s Outlaws (April 26)

WESTERN SWING

Country music subgenre influenced by jazz. Check out these acts:

• Nashville’s The Time Jumpers featuring Vince Gill & Kenny Sears (April 24)

• Fort Worth, Texas’ The Quebe Sisters Band (April 25)

For set times, click here and for more on the acts at the Stagecoach Country Music Festival, visit www.stagecoachfestival.com