It’s not unanimous, of course, but it’s safe to say that when it comes to the Coachella Valley Firebirds hockey players and the music you might hear coming from their locker room, there’s a good chance that it’s going to be country.
A large number of Firebirds vibe with country music and with Stagecoach, one of the largest country music festivals in the United States, coming to the Coachella Valley this weekend, it made sense to pick the brains of some of the Firebirds players, and see why the love country music so much.
Tyson Jugnauth, who was just named to the AHL’s all-rookie team, said country music is all he listens to.
“(I love) Cody Johnson, who’s at Stagecoach this year, Zach Bryan, Morgan Wallen — yeah, I’d love to go to Stagecoach,” Jugnauth said. “And I would probably try on Sunday if we don’t have a game.”
And that’s the problem. The playoff schedule-makers didn’t help out the country music-loving Firebirds at all. Stagecoach is a three-day music festival hosted at the Empire Polo Club from Friday, April 25 through Sunday, April 26. The Firebirds are in the first round of the AHL playoffs and will face Bakersfield at home on Saturday, and then could play again on Sunday.
In a perfect world, the team will sweep the series in two games and then have Sunday off. That might allow some of the players to see some country on Sunday when Post Malone headlines and Brooks and Dunn supply a little old-school feel.
The guy with the most country music street cred inside Acrisure Arena is one of the newest Firebirds, Cooper Marody, who was acquired via trade in the last two months of the season. Country music is a passion for Marody who plays guitar and has written and performed country songs in the past.
“I do play guitar, and some friends and I write songs and what not, it’s something I enjoy doing in the summer months a little bit,” said the 29-year-old from Brighton, Michigan.
But what is it about country music that draws Marody? He gave a heartfelt answer.
“I think there’s some really genuine storytellng in a lot of the songs,” Marody said, listing Sam Hunt, Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen among his faves. “I think a lot of the artists write their own songs, and it comes from their own personal experience and I really enjoy that. In the past, I’ve found songs I relate to and they kind of give you … they kind of put you into those emotions, good or bad, and that’s something I think is special about country music.”
Head coach Derek Laxdal said country music may not be his first choice, but he’s starting to turn the corner on it.
“Country music has really grown on me, my wife’s gotten me onto it a bit. I’m a really big Lainey Wilson fan,” he said. Wilson is the Saturday night headliner at Stagecoach, the same night the Firebirds play at Acrisure Arena.
That just goes to show the depth of entertainment options in the desert, a fact not lost on Laxdal. But even with his favorite country artist on stage, he isn’t forgetting his priorities.
“The events that go on here in the Coachella Valley are incredible, you got two weeks of Coachella, now Stagecoach and for anyone that lives in this area or visits this area, you see all the options and the pride and passion for these events that people have. … And then obviously, you’ve got the biggest event of the week, our games on Saturday and Sunday.”
To purchase tickets to the Firebirds games, click here.
To purchase tickets to Stagecoach, click here.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Firebirds share country music connection amid playoffs, Stagecoach
Reporting by Shad Powers, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
