The best, worst and windiest moments of Stagecoach Day 2

Day two of Stagecoach was a wild ride! We spent most of the day trying to keep our hats from flying off in the strong winds. Before the festival was briefly shut down and evacuated due to the weather, we enjoyed performances by artists like Bush and Teddy Swims, and even watched Guy Fieri cook. After the wind caused delays and unfortunately canceled sets by Journey and Riley Green, fans who came back were treated to an amazing performance by Lainey Wilson, who powered through the conditions, and a fun set with Pitbull at Diplo’s Honky Tonk. Despite the unexpected chaos, the festival vibes stayed positive. Here’s a recap of the highlights, lowlights, and windiest moments from day two.

Food lessons from the Guy Fieri fever dream

Stagecoach is famous for bringing together unexpected combinations of artists, like the recent show with Ashlee Simpson and Emo Nite. But Saturday’s lineup – featuring Guy Fieri alongside Wynonna Judd, Billy Bob Thornton, and both Gavin Rossdale and Gavin Adcock – was so bizarre it felt unreal. I can assure you, though, it actually happened!

Guy Fieri pointed out that everyone enjoys food, calling it ‘the common denominator.’ He said this while speaking to a crowd that included a dedicated fan who dressed exactly like him – complete with a fake beard and a bowling shirt covered in flames.

“Flavortownnnnn!” Judd exclaimed as she stepped onto the stage at Guy’s Stagecoach Smokehouse.

“Just so you know, we could do our own cooking show,” Fieri said as he introduced her.

I have to say, the pairing of celebrities with chefs was a really smart move. They teamed up each star with a fantastic culinary talent – we’re talking names like Eric Greenspan, Mark Murphy, Aaron May, and even Guy Fieri’s son, Hunter. It made for some interesting and often hilarious kitchen dynamics!

Thornton cooked salmon and fried okra alongside Hunter Fieri, serving it with spicy hummus. The actor, known for his role in “Landman,” revealed the secret to great fried okra is using cornmeal. He also talked about his go-to chili recipe, emphasizing that it’s flavorful, but not just spicy for the sake of heat.

“Calabrian chili has a flavor,” Thornton said.

He also told the crowd of a new delicacy he discovered: white grapes dipped in spicy Dijon mustard.

“It blew my mind,” Thornton said.

Adcock, meanwhile made a giant prime rib sandwich and beer-battered onion rings.

“I’m a big beef guy,” Adcock said.

During the festival, Bush singer Gavin Rossdale did something new for Stagecoach: he prepared a smoked chicken dish with Asian flavors. He quickly fried the chicken after coating it, and served it with two sauces – a Japanese rice wine and a sweet sauce – which Fieri noted was a first for the event.

Guy Fieri described Gavin Rossdale as a true food lover, noting that even though he’s pairing Rossdale with a professional chef for their show, Rossdale is already a skilled cook.

Okay, here’s a fun idea: a reboot of “The Odd Couple” starring Gavin Rossdale and Paul Adcock, with Guy Fieri as their hilarious next-door neighbor. I need to get this pitch to Paramount+ immediately!

Does Teddy Swims just live here now?

After performing at both Coachella weekends and then Stagecoach on Saturday, Teddy Swims, the soulful singer with many tattoos, brought out David Lee Roth again to perform Van Halen’s classic song “Jump.” It’s a song from the 80s that they seem determined to make popular with a new generation. Has anyone checked on his home, wherever it is besides Indio?

Theo Von crowd surfs, Sydney Sweeney tosses out lingerie and Shaboozey parties in Diplo’s Honky Tonk

One of the most surprising moments at Saturday’s Stagecoach festival was seeing actors Billy Bob Thornton and Wynonna Judd, along with musicians Gavin Rossdale and Gavin Adcock, cooking alongside Guy Fieri at the Stagecoach Smokehouse. Almost as memorable was Diplo’s performance at the Honky Tonk earlier that evening.

The show, already featuring Diplo alongside comedian Theo Von and Barstool Sports’ Caleb Pressley, also included some surprise appearances. Actress Sydney Sweeney made a memorable moment by throwing panties from her own lingerie line, Syrn, into the audience. She also has a temporary Syrn pop-up shop set up at the festival.

I was completely blown away at the show – not only did Zendaya show up, but Shaboozey, the artist behind “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”, was there too! He didn’t actually perform, but it was still amazing to see him. Apparently, like Timothée Chalamet, he’s got a pop-up saloon experience at the festival to promote his new album, “The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales.” It’s a really cool way to connect with fans.

Just when you thought things couldn’t get stranger, Von decided to crowd-surf! Stay true to yourself, Stagecoach. (VF)

Catching up with Bush’s blustery Saturday evening set

Right before we received the evacuation order Friday night, I was planning to write about George W. Bush’s first performance at the Stagecoach festival on the Mustang Stage.

Despite the increasingly cold weather and strong winds, Gavin Rossdale and his band seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves during their 50-minute performance. They played a set full of popular songs, starting with “Machinehead,” including favorites like “Everything Zen,” “Swallowed,” and “Glycerine,” and finishing with the audience singing along to “Comedown.”

The wind advisory and short-lived postponement nearly blew the fest away

Strong winds forced organizers to postpone Saturday’s Stagecoach Festival and evacuate the grounds. A message displayed on the main stage instructed attendees to leave quickly and calmly, stating the festival was postponed until further notice.

The Stagecoach festival briefly paused Saturday night due to high winds. Around 8:42 p.m., festival organizers announced via the app that things would restart soon, explaining they were making sure the site was safe. The gates reopened just before 9 p.m. However, the performances of Journey (Mustang Stage) and Riley Green (Mane Stage) were canceled. Lainey Wilson, the headliner for the Mane Stage, began her set an hour late, at 10:30 p.m. (VF/MW)

Okay, so Stagecoach was wild! There was a bit of a delay – the wind was really kicking up – but when Lainey Wilson finally hit the stage, she brought it. She opened with “Can’t Sit Still” and “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” back-to-back, and seriously, those songs just show you why she’s become such a huge star coming out of Nashville over the last decade. It’s that really great, driving country-rock sound, and she just nailed it.

She asked the crowd if they were ready to sing along, noticing it was smaller than expected—some fans had left before the festival announced it would continue. But those who remained seemed eager to join in and sing loudly.

The one item on Pitbull’s Stagecoach agenda

Pitbull took the stage at Stagecoach an hour behind schedule Saturday night. High winds had caused a temporary evacuation earlier in the evening, but the delay didn’t dampen his energy or the excitement for his performance.

“We came here to do one thing and one thing only,” he said from the stage early in the set.

The one thing? Party.

The show kicked off with a high-energy intro featuring Mr. Worldwide’s DJ and band, who played covers of classic songs like Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and the Beastie Boys’ “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!).” Then, Mr. Worldwide himself took the stage with six dancers, launching into his hit song “Don’t Stop the Party” and immediately getting the crowd going.

Following his song, he expressed gratitude to the Stagecoach audience for remaining and acknowledged several Goldenvoice team members, specifically mentioning Stagecoach booker Stacy Vee. He also gave a shout-out to Lainey Wilson, who had just finished her performance as the headliner on the Mane Stage.

After expressing his thanks, he immediately launched into performances of “Hey Baby (Drop It to the Floor)” and “Hotel Room Service.”

Later in the performance, Lil Jon came on stage to perform “Jumpin” with Pitbull. Pitbull and the audience showed their appreciation, and the two then performed “Damn I Love Miami.”

I’m starting a petition to ask Stagecoach to book Pitbull annually, and I also want to see him perform at Coachella!

2026-04-27 00:02