Chesney, McEntire lead the Stagecoach parade

The Stagecoach country music festival returns for its third year next spring with a lineup topped by Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley and Kid Rock among dozens of country, bluegrass, folk and roots-rock performers who will rendezvous in Indio, Calif., once again.

Chesney, who was one of the headliners for Stagecoach’s inaugural outing, is returning, while McEntire, Paisley and Kid Rock will be making their debuts at the festival.

The event expanded from two days in 2007 to three days last year. The third day was added to make room for the Eagles.

Total attendance nearly doubled, from 55,000 in 2007 to 120,000 last year, according to officials for the event’s promoters, Goldenvoice and AEG Live.

It’s back to two days this year -- April 25 and 26 at the Empire Polo Field -- with an initial roster that also includes the Charlie Daniels Band, Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, Ricky Skaggs, Miranda Lambert, Chris Cagle and former Hootie & the Blowfish frontman-turned-country-singer Darius Rucker.

Veteran Southland country-rock band Poco is scheduled to appear at Stagecoach 2009, but officials haven’t announced who’ll be in this edition of the group that helped pave the way for the Eagles.

The original lineup in 1968 included former Buffalo Springfield members Richie Furay and Jim Messina along with Rusty Young, George Grantham and future Eagles bassist-singer-songwriter Randy Meisner.

When Meisner quit the group shortly after it got started, he was replaced by another future Eagle, Timothy B. Schmit.

The fest’s mix of veterans and newcomers, commercial and critical favorites also features Dale Watson, James Intveld, Jerry Jeff Walker, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Hot Club of Cowtown, the Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band and the Duhks.

More acts will be added in coming months.

Tickets go on sale Nov. 14 at Ticketmaster. Information is available at the Stagecoach website. Two-day passes will start at $99.

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