DON's Deal: Stagecoach Recap

How do I explain Stagecoach? It's basically Vegas meets camping meets country concert with 55,000 people spending three long days and nights rocking their boots off. The LA times put it well, saying, "Stagecoach has become enough of a cultural force that participants and fans are beginning to use it as a yardstick on their lives, like penciled growth marks scribbled on a family's kitchen wall." The time I spend here with my family and friends is priceless and I look forward to it all year long.

I can't even count the number of people who stayed or day tripped at our house; it was definitely a 24/7 party starting on Thursday afternoon.  We spent all day in the pool until we think we can possibly stand wearing clothes in the desert heat, then head across the street to the Polo Fields. 

Mmm...Coors Lights all day long

We walked through miles of RV camp sites, usually making friends along the way, and in to the jam packed concert. I was fortunate enough to have access to the front row joe fancy seats this year (thanks Jenna) and even made it on the jumbo tron shaking my thing to Blake Shelton. 

Spent half the concert here

And the other half here. Kind of different experiences.

I saw friends from work, high school, college and childhood. I lost my voice and survived primarily on English Muffins, cheese, and Coors Light. My feet were carpaccio after about 5 miles in my new boots on Friday.  I met a cowboy who was unsuccessful in convincing me to move to Steamboat, Colorado. I road my bike through so many miles of dusty fields I feel prepared for another shot at spin class. And I am pretty sure today is the worst day possible for Carrie to drop her new album because I am on a country hiatus for at least a few weeks. Give me some rap now please.

I do want to say that while the crowd feels unbelievably friendly and welcoming, there are a lot of bad apples. The arrest record was again higher than at Coachella, largely due to the fact that alcohol is allowed everywhere on site during Stagecoach (not at Coachella), and there was another attack this year on a girl at the festival. I don't want to scare anybody, but just remember to keep a buddy with you at all times, especially while out on the camp grounds.

All in all, it was another unforgettable weekend of non-stop laughing and dancing. It sold out months in advance this year so I encourage anybody interested in going to buy the tickets when they go on sale in October for 2013. You know I'll be there with boots and band-aids on. And I have a feeling Carrie Underwood may be back again too since she'll be on tour :)

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