Stagecoach 2022: Ingrid Andress, Ryan Griffin, Walker County kick things off in the desert

Music fans braved the heat — which hit the upper 90s by early afternoon — to get up close and personal with the opening acts during the first day of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio on Friday.

The three-day fest kicked off with a slew of performers taking the smaller stages and drawing enthusiastic crowds, some who shared that they’ve been holding on to their Stagecoach wristbands since 2019, hoping that the event would make a mighty comeback after being shut down for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sister duo Walker County got fans dancing over at the SiriusXM Spotlight Stage and impressed with a cover of Heart’s “Alone.” Over on the Horseshoe Stage, located inside singer-songwriter Nikki Lane’s curated Stage Stop Marketplace, Austin, Texas-based singer-songwriter Jonathan Terrell performed for guests as they shopped for vintage wares and sipped on colorful cocktails in the shade. Inside the Bud Light Seltzer Sessions activation, where there was plenty of shade and samples of flavored seltzer, fans got short sets by Reyna Roberts and Laci Kaye Booth, both of whom are playing the SiriusXM Spotlight stage on Saturday.

Country music trio Midland were making their mark all over the venue ahead of their evening Mane Stage turn. The guys were spotted doing a barbecue demo with restaurateur and TV personality Guy Fieri inside the Stagecoach Smokehouse and were heading to hang out with fans during a special happy hour at the JuneShine Oasis.

Patrons packed into the Palomino to see The Cactus Blossoms and stood in the blazing sun to sing along with Ryan Griffin on the SiriusXM Spotlight stage on his hit, “Salt, Lime & Tequila.” The good time vibes kept going with the Mane Stage opener, singer-songwriter Ingrid Andress, who flashed a wide grin as the crowd roared back the lyrics to her song, “Wishful Drinking.”

“That was lovely you guys, thank you for singing with me,” she said before letting the crowd know she was going to slow things down a bit and asked, “Where are all my sad girls at?” She jumped on the keyboard to perform her balled “More Hearts Than Mine,” which sparked an even louder sing-along.

The party is in full swing out in the desert and the festival is also celebrating Willie Nelson’s 89th birthday, which is Friday, by playing his songs in between sets and fans were spotted raising their cold cups of beer and toasting the country legend. There’s a lot more festival to come tonight with sets by Thomas Rhett, Maren Morris, Ryan Hurd, Jordan Davis, Tanya Tucker, The Marcus King Band, Neal McCoy and singer-songwriter Breland will be hosting the official day one after party, Late Night in Palomino. The Stagecoach Country Music Festival continues in Indio April 30 and May 1.