Kenny Chesney drove the Stagecoach home Sunday after a successful two-day journey at the Empire Polo Club in Indio.

Chesney, who closed the first Stagecoach Country Music Festival in 2007, set the mood for a hit-filled set with “Live Those Songs Again.” Wearing his traditional cowboy hat and sleeveless t-shirt, he was backed by a guitar-driven band supplemented by a punchy horn section. The huge crowd sang along to such hits as “She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy.”

Attendance figures won't be released until today at the earliest, but they're expected to break last year's record of 40,000 people per day. Promoter Paul Tollett, whose Goldenvoice company sold 160,000 tickets across three days for last weekend's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, said simply, “I have had a fun two weeks. The weather was perfect.”

Stagecoach continued to build on its brand as possibly the most diverse country music festival in North America. For the first time, the diversity spilled over onto the Mane Stage, where the radio-friendly contemporary country artists usually hold court.

At the small Mustang Stage, where much of the more esoteric country was played, cowboy storyteller Waddie Mitchell introduced the headlining Western swing trio, Hot Club of Cowtown, and said, “Where is everybody?”

Actually, a sea of people was gathering at the Mane Stage for another act outside of the contemporary country mainstream. Rap-rocker Kid Rock drew a huge audience and quickly satisfied it with hits that had country crossover appeal, such as last year's pop smash, “All Summer Long,” which samples a healthy portion of the Lynyrd Skynyrd's Southern rock standard, “Sweet Home Alabama.”

Rock started his set the way he usually begins his concerts, with his 1990s hit, “Son of Detroit.” But the song gave him cred with this young country audience with his assertion that “I'm a long-haired redneck son of Detroit.” Later in the set, he had the crowd singing along with the Allman Brothers hit, “Rambling Man.”

His hit, “(I wanna be a) Cowboy” didn't damage his appeal, either.

Another returnee from the 2007 festival, Miranda Lambert, and Lady Antebellum preceded Rock on the Mane Stage, but the event of the festival was the first ever reunion of country rock pioneers Poco, featuring founders Richie Furay and Jim Messina, and former member and current Eagle, Timothy B. Schmit.

“They were awesome,” said Nicole Chapman of Indian Wells. “I was so impressed with their voices. The harmony was awesome.”

One of the original rambling men of folk and country, Jerry Jeff Walker, and another pioneer of the country rock movement, the Pure Prairie League, also showed their historical importance on the Palomino Stage, while The Knitters showed the same irreverence as their punk alter-egos, X.

Bluegrass veterans Peter Rowan, Ricky Scaggs and Ralph Stanley performed three generations of bluegrass music on the Mustang Stage.

“I don't usually run around as much to the sets,” said desert resident Tina Godeke. “We're loving it.”

Stagecoach doesn't have the star power of Coachella, but actors from the ABC soap operas “All My Children,” “One Life to Live” and “General Hospital” participated in meet-and-greets at an ABC Daytime-Soapnet tent and walked around the VIP tent having their pictures taken.

Arrests remained low. Indio Police spokesman Ben Guitron said four arrests were made Sunday - two for fighting and two alcohol related.