Grizzled Kris Kristofferson played solo, protested war (the crowd knew which one) and shared some of his classics, including вЂњHelp Me Make It Through the Night.вЂќ The eclectic Americana ranged from the twang reverb of Junior Brown to the cello-accented mood pieces of Alejandro Escovedo. Emmylou Harris was ever elegant, her angelic voice guiding the decades-old вЂњIn My DreamsвЂќ and spry for вЂњRed Dirt Girl.вЂќ Those highlights Sunday included the Drive-by Truckers, who have a greater kinship with Merle and Willie than the big names, with their tough yet literate songs that have an eye for detail and ear for everyday language. Some of the richest music at the festival drew much smaller audiences on the secondary Palomino Stage. The dayвЂ™s real charmer was Miranda Lambert, mixing lively songs from her just-released album вЂњCrazy Ex-GirlfriendвЂќ with renditions of the BandвЂ™s вЂњUp on Cripple Creek,вЂќ CreedenceвЂ™s вЂњTravelinвЂ™ Band,вЂќ and Steve EarleвЂ™s вЂњHillbilly Highway.вЂќ Another Band cover, вЂњOphelia,вЂќ came from Eric Church, whose overall good-olвЂ™-boy posturing was a bit forced. The Mane Stage on Saturday also featured Sara Evans, who vacillated between her processed country-pop sounds and more down-home styling. Far better was Mellencamp-like (down to the fiddle and scratchy voice) Pat Green who followed him, linking the emotional heartland power of his own вЂњWave on WaveвЂќ to a coda of U2вЂ™s вЂњWith or Without You.вЂќ ItвЂ™s no secret that country fans of the past 10 to 15 years also are classic rockers, but redneck-proud Jason AldeanвЂ™s attempt at a Guns NвЂ™ Roses medley wasnвЂ™t even up to bar band snuff. Sugarland, on tour with Chesney and B&D, were slick but peppy, thanks to singer Jennifer NettlesвЂ™ exuberant vocals and the hooks found in вЂњSettlinвЂ™ вЂќ and вЂњCounty Line.вЂќ While Gary Allan was hit-and-miss, offering new tunes from his upcoming album, his finest moment came with the heartbreaking вЂњBest I Ever Had,вЂќ written about his wifeвЂ™s suicide three years ago, a song that stands above most of countryвЂ™s starry-eyed love treacle. JacksonвЂ™s shorter, one-hour set was more effective, leading off with his signature anthem вЂњGone CountryвЂќ and featuring spry, upbeat and midtempo two-steppers that included his version of вЂњSummertime BluesвЂќ as well as his own вЂњDonвЂ™t Rock the Jukebox.вЂќ Although never known as a talker, even he was loose, commenting how the crowd had obviously taken the theme of his happy hour anthem вЂњItвЂ™s Five OвЂ™Clock SomewhereвЂќ to heart all day. StraitвЂ™s Saturday show was perhaps too ballad-heavy for a festival crowd, especially at the end of a long day, but such songs as the wistful вЂњAmarillo by MorningвЂќ and sly вЂњThe FiremanвЂќ endure, along with his country swing nods to Bob Wills.

George Strait and Alan Jackson have always been class acts, both now elder statesman of country, respecting tradition while building their own legacies. ItвЂ™s also confounding: His voice is not distinctive and neither is the music - a bland pop-rock concoction, with the minimal country ingredients.Д«rooks & Dunn came off as more dynamic with their rock-the-honky-tonk style, reeling out hit after hit including the swaggering вЂњYou CanвЂ™t Take the Honky Tonk Out of the Girl,вЂќ a bluesy stomp through their line dance вЂњBoot ScootinвЂ™ BoogieвЂќ and the Drifters-styled вЂњNeon Moon,вЂќ one of their few ballads.

The beer-drinking, tropical drink-sipping good-time attitude found in such hits as вЂњLiving in Fast Forward,вЂќ and вЂњSummertimeвЂќ has made Chesney a contemporary Jimmy Buffett of sorts (though the catalogвЂ™s nowhere near as varied and fun). The term no-brainer applies in more ways than one, though the lowest-common-denominator approach has been a thunderous success at the box office. Sure, he has some songs where he plays the sensitive guy, but heвЂ™s not a big thinker. Sunday headliner Kenny Chesney is on his Flip Flop Summer Tour, which has started the party season early, and the crowd was all for it.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - It was craft versus showbiz at the inaugural Stagecoach festival, held Saturday and Sunday in Indio, Calif., the site of the Coachella rock extravaganza the weekend before.ДЇor the audience, the calculated formulas that rule country airwaves won hands down, though the opportunity was there to experience much more than just chart-busting acts.

Wave on wave line dance