Stage 2024: Ashlee Simpson Joins Diplo’s Honkytonk for Emo Nite at Empire Polo Club

On Friday, April 24, 2026, the Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio, California, hosted a nostalgic fusion of country and early 2000s emo when Emo Nite took over Diplo’s Honky Tonk stage. The event brought together pop-punk icons Ashlee Simpson and 3OH!3 for a high-energy set that blended Warped Tour-era hits with the festival’s signature country dance culture.

The performance began with Emo Nite founders Morgan Reed and T.J. Petracca setting the tone with a remix of Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar We’re Going Down,” followed by a series of reimagined tracks from bands including Panic! At the Disco, All-American Rejects, Paramore, and My Chemical Romance. Crowd favorites from the early 2000s such as The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” and Blink-182’s “All the Small Things” were also featured, along with a nostalgic spin on Justin Bieber’s “Baby.”

When 3OH!3 took the stage, the duo embraced the theme by dressing as Woody from Toy Story, performing fan favorites like “My First Kiss.” Their set culminated in a crowd-participation moment during their controversial hit “Don’t Trust Me,” where attendees sang along to the lyric: “You tell your boyfriend, if he says he’s got beef/That I’m a vegetarian and I ain’t fucking scared of him!” while jumping in unison under the stage’s large tent, many wearing cowboy boots as a nod to the festival’s aesthetic.

Ashlee Simpson closed the set in a fringe leather jacket, delivering live renditions of “La La” and “Pieces of Me” from her 2001 debut album *Autobiography*. Her appearance marked a highlight of the night, drawing strong reactions from fans who grew up with her early 2000s pop-rock hits. The performance was widely noted as one of the most talked-about moments of the festival’s first day.

The collaboration between Emo Nite and Stagecoach underscored the festival’s ongoing effort to blend genres, following previous years’ EDM-influenced programming at Diplo’s Honky Tonk stage. In 2024, the same venue featured artists like The Chainsmokers, Dillon Francis, Ship Wreck, Cheat Codes, and Marshmello, demonstrating a consistent pattern of integrating electronic and pop acts into the traditionally country-focused event.

As reported by the Los Angeles Times and confirmed through multiple entertainment outlets, the Emo Nite performance stood out as a defining moment of Stagecoach 2026’s opening day, successfully merging emo nostalgia with the festival’s live music and dance traditions.