STAGECOACH: THE FINAL DESERT EXCURSION

Stagecoach has come to an end and with it, my three-week extravaganza in the desert. Now, let’s dive into the hottest country fest of the year.

Friday dawned with Wyatt Flores making his Stagecoach debut with a standout performance. Lana Del Rey made a surprise appearance during Paul Cauthen's set, treating fans to a soulful rendition of "Unchained Melody." And Josh Ross delivered not one but two electrifying perfs, setting the stage for what’s to come from this rising star.

Headliner Eric Church took the crowd to church with his gospel-infused performance, featuring a 16-member choir on covers like “Hallelujah,” “Take Me to the River,” “Stand by Me,” “I’ll Fly Away” and yes, “Gin and Juice.” But Friday’s standout set belonged to Jelly Roll, who brought out special guests like ERNEST for “Son of a Sinner,” Maddie & Tae to sing an unreleased song, "Liar," which will undeniably be a hit, and T-Pain, who did a medley of his own hits before duetting on his and Jelly’s Amazon Music-released cover of the recently departed Toby Keith's "Should've Been a Cowboy."

And last but certainly not least: Nickelback. Venerated by many a current country artist, the rockers mounted a nostalgic set, flying through their biggest hits, then supercharging the crowd by welcoming Jelly and HARDY (see above RE: “many a current country artist”) to the Palomino stage.

Saturday delivered a lineup packed with talent, from Stephen Wilson Jr. to Tenille Townes. And right before sunset, Willie Nelson & Family launched into a classic performance featuring Waylon Payne and assaying hits like “Whiskey River,” “Highwayman,” “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die” and, of course, “On the Road Again.” Willie was joined by Jelly, ERNEST and Charley Crockett for "I'll Fly Away" and "It's Hard To Be Humble."

Later, the ubiquitous ERNEST rocked the Mane stage, while Leon Bridges packed the Palomino, receiving special guest Carin León. One of the most anticipated happenings of the weekend was Post Malone’s 45-minute set of country covers, which saw appearances by Dwight Yoakam, Brad Paisley and Sara Evans. The crowd was beyond crowded and Posty put on quite a show, including renditions of Tim McGraw's "Don't Take the Girl," John Michael Montgomery's "Be My Baby Tonight," Keith's "Who's Your Daddy" and George Strait's "Check Yes or No." To top it all off, Malone dropped an official Amazon Music Original version of Paisley’s “I’m Gonna Miss Her.”

Miranda Lambert's triumphant return to Stagecoach closed out Saturday, special guest Reba adding to the magic with a three-song finale that included "Mama's Broken Heart," "Fancy" and "Gunpowder & Lead." Lambert also teased fans with her new single, “Wranglers,” which will arrive on 5/3.

Sunday saw a stacked schedule, with standout performances from Ashley Cooke, The War and Treaty, Nate Smith, Megan Moroney, Bailey Zimmerman—who stripped down at the end of his set—and HARDY, who rocked the Mane stage with hits like “TRUCK BED,” “wait in the truck” and “GIVE HEAVEN SOME HELL.”

As for the day’s headliner, Morgan Wallen put on one of the best headlining shows I’ve seen in the last three weeks. After playing such fan favorites as “Ain’t That Some,” “One Thing at a Time” and “You Proof,” he made his way through the rapturous audience to a satellite stage for four more songs. He brought out special guests Church, HARDY, Zimmerman, ERNEST and Malone, who joined Wallen for their unreleased single, “I Had Some Help.” And finally, the country king wrapped up with “Last Night” and “The Way I Talk,” then took some time to dole out autographs to the intrepid fans up front.

On my way out, I was lucky enough to catch a bit of Wiz Khalifa, who was joined by Good Charlotte, which made for a pretty sweet stroll out of Stagecoach.

And on that note, it’s time for this reporter to hibernate for the next three days. Catch you in the desert next year.

Photos: Stagecoach