Cross Canadian Ragweed | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Origin | Stillwater, Oklahoma, US |
Genres | |
Years active |
|
Labels | Smith Music Group, Universal South |
Spinoffs | Cody Canada and The Departed |
Members | Cody Canada Grady Cross Randy Ragsdale Jeremy Plato |
Past members | Matt Weidemann |
Cross Canadian Ragweed are an American country and rock band formed in Yukon, Oklahoma in 1994. The band consists of Cody Canada (lead guitar/vocals), Grady Cross (guitar), Randy Ragsdale (drums), and Jeremy Plato (bass guitar). The group released five studio albums and three live albums from 1994 until 2010. The band was at the forefront of the rise of the red dirt music scene in Oklahoma and the Texas Music scene. After almost 15 years together, the group disbanded in 2010. In September 2024, the band announced their reunion after teasing it for weeks on their social media. [2] [3]
Cross Canadian Ragweed started when Randy Ragsdale met Cody Canada, Matt Weidemann, and Grady Cross, who had also been playing together. The four had known each other since grade school and started playing together in Ragsdale's home seven nights a week under the tutelage of Ragsdale's father, Johnny, who had worked with musical artists in the area. After playing together, the band officially formed by combining a part of every band member's last name, coming up with the name Cross Canadian Ragweed. Matt Weidemann left the band, and Jeremy Plato joined the band, playing the bass guitar. After finishing high school, the band moved to the College Town of Stillwater, Oklahoma, where acts like Mike McClure's The Great Divide and singer-songwriter Jimmy LaFave had established enough of a local scene to earn Stillwater the nickname North Austin. [4]
The group had already received significant college radio airplay before it released its first album, Carney in 1998 on their own independent label. Initially, selling the band in the market it was based in, was considered by music observers to be far-fetched; however, the fan base's passion and loyalty to the band allowed them to find success in releasing that first album. Carney was well received, then the band released Live and Loud at the Wormy Dog Saloon in 1999, which was also well received, especially in the local scene.
Ragweed released its second studio album Highway 377 in 2001, though it was recorded in 1999. It propelled them into wider audience and into Texas, where Canada was born and also where the band had been touring heavily. Though not a released single, the song "Long Way Home" was featured on several Dodge Truck Commercials in both Texas and Oklahoma which added to the popularity of the band. The band paid tribute to drummer Randy Ragsdale's father Johnny, who has passed away from cancer in 1997 with the track "Johnny's Song."
In 2002 Ragweed recorded the popular live album Live and Loud at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth, Texas. The songs were mainly live versions of songs off Carney and Highway 377, with a handful of cover songs.
In 2002, the group then signed with Universal South Records and released a self-titled album also alternately known as 'The Purple Album'. It was a tribute to the band's "little sister" Mandi Ragsdale, the younger sister of the band's drummer Randy Ragsdale, who had died in an auto accident near College Station, Texas, [5] and whose favorite color was purple. The album produced charted singles "17" and the ballad "Constantly", and released a music video for the hard rock track "Don't Need You."
Ragweed's 2004 album, Soul Gravy , debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard charts. Lee Ann Womack provided background vocals on the popular single "Sick and Tired". The project also saw the re-release of the song "Alabama" (off of 2001's Highway 377) with a heavier electric sound, which appeared on the Billboard Charts as well.
In October 2005 the band released Garage, described by both the band and raters at AllMusic as the group's "grungiest album ever." Two songs, "Fighting' For" and "This Time Around" both became hits off the album. The album charted higher than any studio album the band ever released and for the first time, the band broke into rock radio airplay across the United States due to the song "Dimebag", a tribute to former Damageplan and Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, who had been killed months earlier during a concert, in addition to a heavier rock sound overall.
In late 2006, Ragweed released their third and final live album, Live and Loud At Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The band's 24 song project was well received and featured songs from their previous projects The Purple Album, Soul Gravy, and Garage. It also featured a handful of covers as well such as Neil Young's The Needle and the Damage Done and Robert Earl Keen's "Lonely Feeling."
Cross Canadian Ragweed recorded Mission California , their fourth studio album, at the end of March 2007. The namesake of the album was due to the recording taking place in San Diego, California. The band spent 25 days in the studio; the first 5 cutting 15 tracks, the next 20 polishing each. Lee Ann Womack once again laid down background vocals on 4 of the tracks to include the Chris Knight cover "Cry Lonely." Mission California was released on October 2, 2007. AllMusic reviewed the Album and found that the project was "name appropriately, the band sounds much more a progressive West Coast sound in many of the tracks and less rural rock."
The band's tenth and final album, Happiness and All the Other Things was released on August 31, 2009, commemorating the band's 15th Anniversary. It featured 12 new studio tracks and three live tracks. Recorded in California, this album includes a track entitled "51 Pieces", which Canada penned with Micky Braun. The song was based on an incident where Ohio State police ransacked the band's bus after a stop in Cleveland at the House of Blues. It also featured "Blue Bonnets" which is dedicated to Cody's oldest son Dierks. Happiness and All the Other Things was officially dedicated to the late Randall Locke (Willie Nelson's long-time stage manager) who suddenly died on May 6, 2009. Other popular tracks were "To Find My Love", "Burn Like The Sun", and "Kick In The Head."
In May 2010, Cross Canadian Ragweed announced a hiatus from touring. In a band press release, Ragsdale explained, "Right now, I need to be at home for my family, particularly my son JC, who has autism. He's 10 years old now and still struggling in his development. I feel the only way I can help him is to be more hands on and close to home." Despite Ragsdale wanting to "get another drummer and press on," Canada stated "We’ve always said from the start, we’re Ragweed as the four of us, or not Ragweed at all." [6] In September 2010, Canada officially announced the band was calling it quits by announcing their "Last Call Show" in October 2010 at Joe's Bar in Chicago, IL, stating "as far as that’s concerned, Oct 24 is the last one, the last gig." [7]
Since Cross Canadian Ragweed, Canada and Plato formed The Departed with fellow Yukon-native Dave Bowen (drums), Seth James (guitar), and Steve Littleton (keyboards), releasing their debut album "This Is Indian Land" in June 2011. [8] Ragsdale and Cross both returned to Yukon. Ragsdale played with Stoney LaRue until 2013 and now works in the oil and natural gas industry, while Cross purchased and operates the bar that was the very first venue Cross Canadian Ragweed performed in 1994. [9] [10]
In 2019 Grady Cross and Randy Ragsdale joined singer-songwriter Jason Young to form the band Cross Rags and Young.
The band announced their reunion in September 2024, announcing a show alongside Jason Boland & The Stragglers, Turnpike Troubadours, Stoney LaRue, and The Great Divide. The show was originally scheduled to take place on April 12, 2025 at Boone Pickens Stadium. [11] Due to pre-sale ticket demand a second show was added for April 11, 2025. [12] After the two shows sold out on Monday, October 7, 2024, two more shows were added later that day for the Thursday before and the Sunday after. After tickets sold out on Tuesday, October 8, 2024 a grand total of 180,764 tickets were reported sold for the weekend of April 10-13, 2025.
The band was influenced by grunge, alternative rock of the 1990s along with early southern rock acts as well as outlaw country. Canada said that rock bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, AC/DC, and Soundgarden all were a part of the influence on the band's sound as well as country music influences Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, and Robert Earl Keen, in addition to southern rockers Marshall Tucker Band, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, among others. Due to their unique sound, the band often had a hard time getting radio airplay on either mainstream rock or country stations.
The band frequently played with other stars of the Red Dirt and Texas Music scene including Stoney Larue, Jason Boland & The Stragglers, Micky & The Motorcars, Reckless Kelly, (Canada's brother-in-law) Wade Bowen, No Justice, Johnny Cooper, Seth James, and Brandon Rhyder.
The band played with country music star Dierks Bentley numerous times. Bentley referenced the band in his song "Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)", singing that "Ragweed's rockin' on the radio".
Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Doumit comes to bat to their song "Alabama".
"Cry Lonely" is a playable track in Rock Band Country Track Pack .
The song "Boys from Oklahoma" plays as the credits roll in the movie Leaves of Grass starring Edward Norton and Susan Sarandon. [13] The film is a Stoner Comedy set in Oklahoma.
"Anywhere But Here" is played during the Season 2 Episode 6 of the NBC television series Grimm .
Current members
| Former members
|
Timeline
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Country [14] | US [15] | ||||||||
Carney |
| — | — | ||||||
Highway 377 |
| - | - | ||||||
Cross Canadian Ragweed |
| 70 | — | ||||||
Soul Gravy |
| 5 | 51 | ||||||
Garage |
| 6 | 37 | ||||||
Mission California |
| 6 | 30 | ||||||
Happiness and All the Other Things |
| 10 | 33 | ||||||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Country [14] | US [15] | US Indie [16] | |||||||
Live and Loud at the Wormy Dog Saloon |
| — | — | — | |||||
Live and Loud at Billy Bob's Texas |
| — | — | 43 | |||||
Back to Tulsa - Live and Loud at Cain's Ballroom |
| 27 | 120 | — | |||||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Year | Single | Peak positions | Album |
---|---|---|---|
US Country [17] | |||
2002 | "17" | 57 | Cross Canadian Ragweed |
2003 | "Don't Need You" [18] | — | |
"Anywhere But Here" [19] | — | ||
"Constantly" | 57 | ||
2004 | "Sick and Tired" | 46 | Soul Gravy |
"Alabama" | 46 | ||
2005 | "Fightin' For" | 39 | Garage |
2006 | "This Time Around" | 43 | |
"Late Last Night" | — | ||
2007 | "I Believe You" | — | Mission California |
2008 | "Cry Lonely" | 59 | |
2009 | "Kick in the Head" | — | Happiness and All the Other Things |
"To Find My Love" | — | ||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart |
Year | Video | Director |
---|---|---|
2001 | "Look at Me" | Darren Cameron |
2002 | "Don't Need You" | Roger Pistole |
"17" | ||
2003 | "Constantly" | |
2004 | "Sick and Tired" (with Lee Ann Womack) | Eric Welch |
"Alabama" | Stephen Shepherd | |
2005 | "Fightin' For" | Trey Fanjoy |
2006 | "Late Last Night" | Rob Dennis |
2008 | "I Believe You" | |
While the music of Oklahoma is relatively young, Oklahoma has been a state for just over 100 years, and it has a rich history and many fine and influential musicians.
The Tulsa sound is a popular musical style that originated in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the second half of the twentieth century. It is a mix of blues, blues rock, country, rock and roll and swamp pop sounds of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Artists considered to have pioneered the Tulsa sound include J. J. Cale, Leon Russell, Roger Tillison and Elvin Bishop. After 1980, Gus Hardin (country), and Jeff Carson (country) released roots music albums. Although Dwight Twilley is from Tulsa, his power pop style bears no resemblance to the Tulsa sound; likewise, David Gates' most recognized songs were mostly in the soft rock genre.
Jason Boland & The Stragglers is an American Red Dirt/Texas Country band featuring Harrah, Oklahoma, native Jason Boland, Grant Tracy (bass), and Nick Gedra.
Red dirt is a genre of country music that gets its name from the color of soil found in Oklahoma. Many red dirt acts got their start in bars surrounding Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, a city considered to be the center of red dirt music. The genre also extends to music made south of the Red River in Texas. Outlaw country legends Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson have been associated with the distinctive Texas sound, while the late Oklahoma singer-songwriter Bob Childers is widely recognized as the Father of Oklahoma red dirt music. At one time, the distinction between the two genres was sonically obvious, but by 2008, that gap had diminished.
Cross Canadian Ragweed is the debut studio album for the country rock band Cross Canadian Ragweed. It includes the singles "17" and "Constantly." The Alternate name for the album is "The Purple Album". The color was chosen in honor of Mandy Ragsdale, the younger sister of the band's drummer, Randy Ragsdale. Mandy died in a car accident near College Station, Texas and the album was dedicated to her. It was also the band's first album on the Universal South record label.
Soul Gravy is the second studio album by the American rock/alternative country band Cross Canadian Ragweed, released in 2004 on Universal South Records. It features the singles "Sick and Tired" and "Alabama", both of which charted on the Hot Country Songs charts.
Garage is the third studio album by American country rock group Cross Canadian Ragweed. A limited release special edition included a bonus DVD containing six videos, one chronicling the band's 10th anniversary. The album includes the singles "Fightin' For" and "This Time Around", both of which charted on Hot Country Songs. The album also produced the song "Dimebag", a tribute to former Damageplan guitarist Darrell Abbott, who had been killed during a performance earlier in the year. The single, along with "Fighting For" both saw air time on classic rock stations in both Texas and Oklahoma. Lead singer Cody Canada agreed, saying that Garage was "our grungiest album so far......we named it Garage because we wanted to make a record that sounded like a garage rock band."
Back to Tulsa – Live and Loud at Cain's Ballroom is the third live album by American rock band Cross Canadian Ragweed. It was released on October 31, 2006, as a double CD/DVD combo. It was recorded during two dates at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, Oklahoma in July, 2006.
Texas country music is a subgenre of country music from Texas. Texas country is a style of Western music and is often associated with other distinct neighboring styles, including Red Dirt from Oklahoma, the New Mexico music of New Mexico, and Tejano in Texas, all of which have influenced one another over the years, and are popular throughout Texas, the Midwest, the Southwest, and other parts of the Western United States. Texas Country is known for fusing neotraditional country with the outspoken, care-free views of outlaw country. Texas Country blends these sub-genres with a "common working man" theme and witty undertones, these often combine with a stripped down music sound.
"Take It to the Limit" is a song by Eagles from their fourth album One of These Nights from which it was issued as the last third single on November 15, 1975. It reached No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and was also Eagles' greatest success to that point in the United Kingdom, going to No. 12 on the charts. Billboard ranked it as the No. 25 song for 1976.
Mission California is Cross Canadian Ragweed's fourth studio album. It was released on October 2, 2007. The band spent 25 days in the studio; the first 5 cutting 15 tracks, the next 20 polishing each. It was recorded in San Diego, California. Lee Ann Womack laid down background vocals on 4 of the tracks to include the Chris Knight cover "Cry Lonely."
Stoney LaRue is an American Texas country/Red dirt artist.
Cody Jay Canada is an American rock/alt-country musician who currently is the lead singer and lead guitarist of the rock bands Cody Canada and The Departed since 2011 and Cross Canadian Ragweed from 1994 to 2010, and again since 2024.
No Justice is a red dirt/Texas country band which was originally from Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Rollercoaster is the second album released by the Randy Rogers Band, an American country music group. The first single, "Tonight's Not The Night", peaked at #43 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.
Live Oak Decline is an alternative rock band from Austin, Texas.
Paul Wade Bowen is an American Texas Country/Red Dirt singer from Waco, Texas, United States.
Mike McClure is an American singer, songwriter, and producer from Tecumseh, Oklahoma. He is currently the frontman for the Mike McClure Band. McClure is a founding member of The Great Divide, and was a member until he and the band parted ways in 2002. The Mike McClure Band consists of McClure, and Caleb Shirtum (bass).
Cody Canada and The Departed is an American rock band. The band was formed in 2011 by Cody Canada, the former lead vocalist and guitarist for Cross Canadian Ragweed after that band broke up in 2010. The band currently consists of Canada, Jeremy Plato, Peyton Glasco, and Eric Hansen (drums).
Brandon Dean Jenkins was an American singer-songwriter and philanthropist. He was part of the Red Dirt music genre.