Two faces of contemporary country music stood in striking relief at the third edition of Stagecoach, the country music festival held in Indio over the weekend.
On one side, topping Saturday's bill, was Brad Paisley, a self-professed music geek who has risen to the top with an estimable string of hits built on brilliant lyric twists ("I'm Gonna Miss Her [The Fishing Song]"), the occasional bawdy double-entendre ("Ticks") and even profundity ("Whiskey Lullaby").
At the other end, as Sunday's headliner, was Kenny Chesney, who sells more concert tickets year in and year out than any other pop music act, not in the least because of his let's-go-to-the-islands-get-drunk-and-forget solution for personal or societal ills.
But along with those marquee names, Stagecoach served up a wealth of stellar stylistic torchbearers (Ralph Stanley, Earl Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs, Doyle Lawson) and brash mavericks who view rules as something to be broken, not followed (Maxim Ludwig, Randy Houser, the Duhks). It also delivered a deeply satisfying walk through the history of Southern California country rock.
Paisley once scored a big hit with "Online," the story of a character bragging about how much cooler he is online than in real life. But the coolest thing about the West Virginia singer, songwriter and guitarist is that he's become one of country music's biggest stars by fully embracing his inner nerd.
It wasn't even all that inner during his headlining set at Stagecoach on Saturday night, the final stop -- a belated hiccup, almost -- on his Paisley Party Tour that formally ended in March.
A good percentage of his expanding catalog encompasses youthful awkwardness and the way it plays out in adulthood: "I'm Just a Guy," "Online" and "Letter to Me." He writes and delivers them with such unforced wit and Everyman honesty, it's understandable that he's connected with a broad swath of country fans.
But what is still a bit surprising, in a good way, is that Paisley has crafted hit after hit without sinking to lowest-common-denominator level in contrast to much of what's on country radio today. His lyrics are fresh, musically inventive, and to top it off, he's one of the most dazzling guitarists ever to come down the pike, a worthy heir to the tradition of Chet Atkins, Jimmy Bryant, Albert Lee and Vince Gill.
