Cross Canadian Ragweed

Most red dirt fans would agree that Cross Canadian Ragweed was one of the best bands to ever come onto the scene. Sadly, they called it quits because of their busy lives, but they did leave us with quite a bit of awesomeness to hang onto before going.

The bands name was made from a combination of the original members' names: Grady Cross, Cody Canada, Randy Ragsdale.

Originally formed in Yukon, Oklahoma, the three childhood friends abandoned their Lynard Skynard and Merle Haggard covers and started doing their own thing aquiring Jeremy Plato on bass. They ended up in Stillwater, Oklahoma getting some airplay on college radio stations, and next thing you know they had released several successful albums.







I don't even know how to put into words how much I love this band because it will just end up sounding cliche. They're pretty much as classic red dirt as you can get with a southern rock influence that made them one of a kind.

As amazing songwriters always do, they gave their crowds songs that almost everyone could relate to, whether they were heartfelt or party-all-night anthems.

In 2010, the guys had to call for a break because Randy Ragsdale really needed to be at home with his family. Instead of proceeding on without him, the group chose to split saying that they were only Ragweed with the four members and if there weren't those four, then they weren't Ragweed at all.

Since then, Cody Canada and Jeremy Plato have formed their own band called The Departed. Ragsdale is said to be touring with Stoney LaRue, while Grady Cross bought and runs the bar that was the scene of Cross Canadian Ragweed's first venue in 1994.

As much as I wish these guys were still around, I'm happy they're still doing what they want. Maybe, just maybe, someday they'll get back together, but until then I guess I'll just listen to my CCR favorites and cry lonely.

Wade Bowen

 When I went to see the Randy Rogers Band play at the state fair this summer, Wade Bowen was the opening act. I had never even heard of him, but I instantly fell in love with his music. My friends and I all agreed that he was so good we didn't know why he was opening for anyone, and even if no one else came out and played for us that night, we were just glad to have gotten to see him.

Since that night I obviously added Wade Bowen to my Grooveshark, Spotify, and every other music account I have, and haven't been able to stop listening to him all semester. I had no idea how established and well known of an artist he really is but I'm so glad I finally stumbled upon his music.

Wade is originally from Waco, Texas and started his musical career in a band called West 84. I was excited to find out that he is a fellow public relations major! Though after graduating from Texas Tech he decided to go out on his own and released the album Try Not To Listen in 2002. The album climbed to the Top Ten on the Texas music chart and he was playing over 200 shows a year.

On his latest album, The Given, Wade has a lot of sad ballads and has commented before that the sad ones are truly his passion. I can tell that this is true because of how his lyrics always hit home, plus his voice portrays the emotions just right. He is seriously an amazing songwriter. Just take a listen to "A Battle Won" or "All That's Left," and you'll feel the mood he sets, I swear.

Wade has done nothing but continue to rise to stardom, at least in the red dirt development. I think he will eventually make it onto mainstream radio, but I could be wrong. He is such an interesting artist because he seems so likable and down-to-earth, yet I get the vibe he is still on his way to something bigger.

Another interesting fact about Wade is that Cody Canada, of Cross Canadian Ragweed, is his brother-in-law. That's something I really love about this genre of music is that everyone seems to be a big family, always supporting and helping each other out. Sometimes they are quite literally family such as in this case or like how Stoney LaRue and Bo Phillip are actually brothers as well. 

If I haven't persuaded you to go listen to Wade Bowen right now then I'm very sorry for not doing my job right. I'm mostly sorry for you though because it's your loss if you don't...so go listen!

For upcoming events take a gander at the Official Wade Bowen site http://www.wadebowen.com/events.

Corey Smith

Corey Smith's rise to fame was not a traditional one. Growing up in the small town of Jefferson, Georgia, Smith only had one dream and that was to get out of his little town. He struggled to identify with any one group because he wasn’t a jock or into academics and felt like he didn’t fit in.

 It wasn’t until his senior year of high school that Smith finally discovered his calling. He picked up a guitar and played at any party that he could find. After graduation Smith went to the University of Georgia and spent a summer studying abroad in Paris, but within a few weeks Smith missed the one place he had been trying to get out of his whole life.

Smith graduated from UGA, married his college sweetheart and settled within a mile of his childhood home. He found a teaching job but continued to play shows around Georgia even selling out the Georgia Theater in 2005 where the Zac Brown Band was his opening act. In 2007, Smith decided to leave teaching behind and become a full time singer/songwriter. Like many other red dirt artists, Smith decided to remain independent instead of signing with a record label and in the past 5 years he has released 6 albums that have sold over 250,000 copies.

He has played over 700 shows all across the country and sold over 700,000 tickets. While some of Smiths songs may border on the inappropriate at times, he also has songs that show how devoted he is to his family and his Georgia roots. Smith says that music has been a part of his life from the beginning, first for recognition then as a sort of therapy and now it is a way to provide for his family while doing something that he loves.

In my opinion, Smith is one of the most relatable red dirt artists there is because in each of his songs there is something that strikes a chord. Whether he’s singing about the loss of a loved one, graduation and uncertainty, or just a fun song that reminds us to let loose every once in awhile, he speaks to everyone. 

After being a pretty big fan for a couple years now, I finally got to see Corey in concert this summer and he was just as awesome as I thought he would be. If you're not a Corey Smith fan feel free to check out some of his stuff and jump on the bandwagon. Don't worry, no one will judge you for being late to the party.

For more information on upcoming tour dates I would encourage you to visit Corey's website at http://www.coreysmith.com/tour.

Kevin Fowler

If you ask Kevin Fowler to describe his music he will reply with “It’s country music with a bad attitude,” and after listening to a few of Fowler's songs, you will realize that no truer words have ever been spoken.

 Fowler combines the edge and energy of classic rock and roll with the classic storytelling of country music. Kevin started playing music when his mother encouraged him to take piano lessons as a child. As a teenager Fowler rebelled against his parents classic country roots and gravitated more towards rockers such as AC/DC and KISS, and at the age of 20, Fowler realized his musical ambitions at an Aerosmith and White Snake concert at the Cotton Bowl. The energy and excitement made him realize that this was what he was meant to do.

After finishing college, Fowler made a move to Austin, Texas where he joined a hard rock band called Dangerous Toys. He quickly realized that his country tunes weren't what the band was looking for and was “encouraged” to move on. After that experience Kevin started singing his own songs and quickly gained a huge following of loyal fans. He has also caught the attention of several other artists such as country artists Montgomery Gentry and George Jones who have recorded some of his songs.

Fowlers combination of rock and roll energy and classic country sound make him one of the most unique red dirt artists on the scene today. Kevin says his main goal is to keep spreading his music without alienating the people that have gotten him to where he is today.

Upcoming Tour Dates:

Dec 12 Bayou Music Center Houston TX

Dec 15 Albert Dancehall Stonewall TX

Dec 19 Rockin Rodeo Bossier City LA

Aaron Watson

For the past 10 years, Aaron Watson has been at the forefront of Texas red dirt country going from playing gigs around the Abilene Christian University campus, to sold out crowds around the Southwest. Watson gives credit to several people for his success, but the first influences he had were his parents.

His father exposed him to everything from classic country to the Beach Boys and his mother encouraged him to sing hymns on Sundays. Watson didn’t start to experiment with songwriting until taking a beginners guitar class in college where he met his next big influence, Dan Mitchell. Mitchell taught Watson the fundamentals of guitar and helped nurture the young singer/songwriters talent.

Watson met his next influence, Larry Gatlin, in a local coffee shop. Gatlin taught him the basics of songwriting and how to be descriptive and paint a picture in someones mind in just a few minutes. Aaron took these lessons and started his own band, playing gigs around ACU and small bars in the area.

While playing in a small venue Watson caught the eye of Dr. Neal Lowry who became his co-writer and financed his first album release and tour. Aaron says that in the beginning it was all about landing that big record deal, but with ever growing popularity and the release of his tenth album under the banner of his own independent record label, he confesses that it would have to be a heck of a deal for him to even consider it.

In Watsons opinion, as long as he’s able to sing his songs and people are still listening,  then the fame will come one day. Until then Watson will continue to do what he does best and that is playing great music and selling thousands of records.

UpcomingTour Dates:

 

Dec 8-11 South Point Casino Las Vegas

Dec 12 Saddlerack Fremont CA

Dec 22 Rockin’ Ranch Lawton OK

Josh Abbott Band

The Josh Abbott Band was started in 2004 after Abbott was inspired to start writing and playing his own music at a fellow red dirt artists concert. In the beginning, the band consisted of Abbott and frat brother and banjo player Austin Davis. A year and a half later, fiddle player Preston Wait and drummer Edward Villanueva joined the band.

 The band started out playing open mic nights around their hometown of Lubbock, Texas. The band recorded their first demo, Taste, in 2007 and after that things really started to take off for the Josh Abbott Band. They started touring around Texas, sometimes playing for less than 100 people a night. Abbott was more concerned with building a strong fan base than with getting a record deal, so to boost attendance they would give away tickets, CD's, or t-shirts. Once he even went as far as buying drinks for the entire crowd at one of their shows.

Since those days, The Josh Abbott band has solidified itself as one of the premier independent red dirt bands. The independent release of their album She’s Like Texas went to number 28 on the national country charts. Abbott says that in the coming years he wants to continue to solidify his band as one of the most successful independent country bands of its era, and with the release of their new album Small Town Family Dream, that just might happen.

I think one of the best things about The Josh Abbott Band is that they are more traditional red dirt country than most. To put it simply, they always keep it real.

Upcoming Tour Dates:

Dec. 7 Silver Saloon Terrell, Texas

Dec 8 Diamond Ballroom Oklahoma City

Dec 28 Midnight Rodeo San Angelo, Texas

Whiskey Myers

Whiskey Myers is a red dirt country band originally from Tyler, Texas. They are also a southern rock band and a pop-rock band that sometimes play rockabilly, but mostly they stick to their red dirt roots.

The band is made up of Cody Cannon, Cody Tate, John Jeffers, Gary Brown and Jeff Hogg. Cannon and Jeffers grew up together in Texas and Jeffers father taught them their first guitar chords. Cannon, Jeffers, and Tate formed the band Lucky Southern after Cannon and Tate started working together at a sporting goods store. 

The band moved to Tyler, Texas where Hogg joined the group after watching one of their acoustic shows and they asked someone from the crowd to sit in on drums. Needing only a bass player to fill out the band, Cannon brought in his cousin Gary Brown to fill the role.

The band shared a house in Tyler and played for college kids and whoever else wanted to listen. It was around this time that the band changed their name to Whiskey Myers. They say there is quite a good story behind the chosen name but won’t tell it. Whiskey Myers then started playing live shows and quickly became one of the hottest bands in Texas, opening for the likes of Eli Young Band and sharing the stage with Marshall Tucker Band, Cross Canadian Ragweed, and Randy Rogers Band.

Whiskey Myers isn't really your traditional red dirt country band considering their sound ranges anywhere from classic country to southern and more modern hard rock. That being said, they still keep their roots red dirt which is why I love them. I like that they are versitale and can branch out into different types of music all while making their sound even more unique.

Even though Whiskey Myers hasn’t been on the red dirt scene long, they have quickly become one of the top red dirt bands. With an ever evolving sound, it will be exciting to see what happens with them in the coming years.

Upcoming Tour Dates:

Dec 7 The Blue Light Lubbock Texas

Dec 8 Texas Music Theater San Marcos Texas

Dec 20 Rockin’ Rodeo Midland Texas

Casey Donahew Band

Casey Donahew was born in Burleson, Texas in 1977. He grew up being very active in the Texas rodeo scene, especially around Fort Worth. Even today he still loves riding and team roping. When it comes to music, if you have ever heard Casey perform then you might think it all comes naturally for him, but in fact it came to him very gradually.

Casey had his first guitar given to him by his grandpa at a fairly young age, but it wasn't until he went off to college that he really even focused on learning to play and songwriting. He was a big fan of 80's and 90's country music because of its storytelling and when a guy from Oklahoma by the name of Garth Brooks came onto the scene, Casey was enamored.

Transferring from Texas A&M to Arlington, Casey started to hit a lot of shows with his future wife Melinda. They would go see Randy Rogers Band, Cross Canadian Ragweed, and other up and coming acts along with another person who had a huge influence on Casey, which was Pat Green.

Getting the itch to play some of his own stuff, Casey started playing local bars like the Thirsty Armadillo in Ft. Worth, and then eventually he was selling out the bigger venues. Since then, the band has had four major albums with the latest one Double-Wide Dream going to #10 on US Country.

Now that I've given a little background on the band, I can proceed onto the reasons why I love them so much. I have only gotten the chance to see them play one time in Fayetteville, Arkansas, but that was enough. Hearing them on the radio or on a CD does them no justice until you have experienced one of their shows. Yes, the crowd was ridiculously rowdy and out of hand, but in spite of all the drunkenness around me, the amazing thing was that practically every single person there knew every song, word for word, line by line. They're just that good.

This band is crazy fun and every song is memorable in one way or another. Casey, like most songwriters, gets all of his lyrics from real life experience, the good bad and ugly, which is what makes it so relatable. One of my favorite quotes from Casey is: "Once you get your heart broken for the first time, you've got a lot to say, I guess."

I highly recommend anyone go see Casey Donahew Band perform somewhere, or if you've never heard of them to just check out some of their stuff. They're a lot of fun and I know you won't regret it. Even if it's not quite your style of music, you may just get a laugh or two out of some of their more comical songs.

For upcoming tour dates visit http://www.caseydonahewband.com/index.php?pg=calendar.

Randy Rogers Band

I am so excited to write this blog on one of my favorite bands, the Randy Rogers Band! I just hope I can do them justice because they are simply amazing.

First of all, Randy Rogers was raised in Cleburne, Texas. Music always being a big part of his life, his great grandma taught him how to play piano by the age of six and by eleven he was already writing his own songs and learning guitar.

After he was in a backing band for a while, Randy decided he would rather front his own group and so he formed a band with some of his friends from college. These really good friends would include Geoffrey Hill on guitar, Jon Richardson on bass, Brady Black on the fiddle, and Les Lawless playing the drums.


The band works hard touring and it definitely shows. They put on excellent shows night after night, building up their fan base everytime they perform. In 2007 alone, they grossed $2.5 million touring for the year even though they were still just becoming established. They were also ranked one of the Top Ten Must See Artists in the summer of that year by Rolling Stone magazine...oh yeah did I mention U2 and the Stones were on that list as well? If that doesn't explain how awesome these guys are, then just listen to any one of their songs. I dare you.


They, like most artists, take their real life experiences of heartache, pain, good times, or bad and turn them into an art. They are so authentic, talented, and fun I am positve that no one can recreate their sound. For example, in one of their latest songs, "Fuzzy," the band uses cooking utensils and wrenches to add a different texture to the sound.

Their creativity and original sound is what makes them great along with how they excel on stage. I got the chance to see them play at the Missouri State Fair this August and had the time of my life. I even ran into some of the guys from the band on the Midway afterwards which obviously made my night, and they were extremely friendly and down to earth guys who didn't mind talking to me at all. And while they are all very skilled I have to admit I am fascinated by Brady Black's talent on the fiddle. He is electric on stage and he definitely knows his stuff, I think he is seriously one to watch.

I highly recommend anyone go see them at least once, even if you aren't a fan of country music I think you would still enjoy listening to them and at least could appreciate their talent. For a complete list of tour dates you can visit http://www.randyrogersband.com/tour/.

Stoney LaRue

Stoney LaRue Phillips was born in Taft, Texas in 1979. He grew up in Oklahoma and I think it is safe to say he was probably always surrounded by music considering his dad played bass guitar. Mostly listening to country and southern rock all his life is what, in my opinion, shaped his unique style and sound.

As red dirt country started to gain popularity, mostly in Oklahoma and Texas, Stoney had moved to the college town of Stillwater, Oklahoma and began playing in honky-tonks and bars. Something most people don't know is that he became friends and roommates with other red dirt stars, Cody Canada of Cross Canadian Ragweed and Jason Boland of Jason Boland and the Stragglers. They lived in the infamous "Yellow House," where the three would play for various musicians from around town and have late night jam sessions.

In 2002, Stoney decided to form a band which was called Stoney LaRue and the Organic Boogie Band. They released the album Downtown, which became popular enough for him to live on the road playing hundreds of shows a year. After releasing his second album, The Red Dirt Album, his career really took off and people started to notice him for his songwriting talents as well.


Since then, Stoney has released four albums, but has spent most of his time on tour. His newest album, Velvet, seems to be a pretty big hit and even landed on the Billboard Country Albums Chart Top 20. Many of his fans see him as the guy who will be able to keep the tradition of red dirt bands alive, and he shows no sign of slowing down yet.

Stoney isn't the only talented one in his family, his brother, Bo Phillips, just released his own album Fishin' With Grandpa which includes the hit new single "Red Dirt Girl," that is definitely worth a listen.

For information on upcoming tour dates for Stoney LaRue, you can visit http://stoneylaruecom.dot5hosting.com/?page_id=5. Be sure and check him out when he comes to a town near you, I know I'll be there!

Blame it on Waylon

Waylon Albright “Shooter” Jennings was born on May 19, 1979, the only child of country music icons Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter. Shooter spent his first few years of life in a crib on his parents’ tour bus always surrounded by the likes of Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson.

Growing up around so much talent and music must have left a big impression on Shooter because by the time he was 5 he could play drums, and by age 8 he was learning how to play piano. Around the age of 14 he sometimes even played percussion in his dad’s band. By high school, Shooter was performing in a band put together for a talent show, and in 1996 Waylon and Shooter created an album together though it was never released. Since then, Shooter has been associated with a punk rock band called Stargunn though he eventually left that group to figure out where he really wanted to be. He now works mainly on country, or alternative country, if you will. Some people might recognize him for playing the role of his father in the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line.

So why am I giving you the rundown on Shooter Jennings you might ask? Well besides the fact that I love his style of music and basically everything he stands for, he is a very big name in outlaw country which is what this blog is about, after all. Shooter can be associated with red dirt country as well as southern, country, hard, and psychedelic rock. In my opinion, he pretty much does whatever he wants all the while remaining true to himself which I fully respect.  

Shooter has a unique style and sound that like most outlaw or red dirt country is highly underrated. What I admire so much about him though is that he refuses to go with the grain and do what is popular. He is more concerned about taking a stance and advancing his music rather than just going with the mainstream flow of things looking for fame and stardom.

                        

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly on March 23, 2009 Shooter said, “I consider myself as much a rock ‘n roll artist as I do a country artist, in the sense that all that music is really not that different.” In that interview he goes on to talk about what a shame it is that that type of music is so often overlooked.

I myself got the chance to attend his concert two weeks ago where he played before Jamey Johnson http://www.jameyjohnson.com/. Those two are, in my eyes, two of the best songwriters of this generation. Not only are their voices and instrumentals great, but I found myself getting lost in their lyrics as they performed. After the show, I stuck around and had the opportunity to meet Shooter and ask him what he’s been up to lately in the red dirt scene. He told me that he’s actually been down in Austin, TX writing and spending a lot of time in the studio helping Jason Boland out as he works on a new album. Shooter seemed pretty excited about it and mentioned that a lot of it was kind of controversial, but still had a good classic country sound.


As for upcoming tour dates and new releases, “The Other Life” will be released January 29, 2013 on Black Country Rock/Entertainment One Records. His next big concert is this weekend where he will be playing in Reno, NV with Lynyrd Skynyrd on September 29, 2012. For a full list of upcoming tour dates you can visit http://www.blackcountryrock.org/shooterjennings/.

I really hope to see Shooter again soon and can’t wait to see what he has come up with on his new album. Meeting Shooter was so exciting for me because he seemed like such a laid back guy that could have shot the breeze with me all night long. I don’t know about you but I love meeting people like that; do any of you have memorable concert moments that you’d like to share?

References:

Bierly, M. (2009, March 23). PopWatch. Retrieved September 2012, 2012, from entertainmentweekly.com: http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/03/23/shooter-jenning/

CMT. (2009, October 18). Retrieved September 26, 2012, from http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/jennings__shooter/bio.jhtml

Shooter Jennings. (n.d.). Retrieved September 26, 2012, from Black Country Rock: http://www.blackcountryrock.org/shooterjennings/

Red Dirt Background

The purpose of this blog is to give a little insight on a lesser known side of the music world known as Red Dirt country. Other closely related styles are Texas and Outlaw country, however, Red Dirt is a style of country all it's own. It is very different from the mainstream music coming out of Nashville that gets played on the radio fifteen times a day. Some say it's country with an attitude, others say it's a sound that closes the gap between rock and country. Outlaw country artists Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings are associated with this genre along with many other influential people.

Now that you know a little about the background I can tell you that in my future blogs I plan to talk about today's red dirt bands that keep this folk style alive. I will be featuring a different group in each post, whether they're brand new, up and comers, or pretty well known. Some of these artists will include The Turnpike Troubadours http://youtu.be/Fs-hY6PFJYo, Reckless Kelly http://youtu.be/R49zEpTtjAo, Cross Canadian Ragweed http://youtu.be/tgN1pwmuRyU, and Waylon's son, Shooter Jennings http://youtu.be/CJwCwGDqiWg. I'll keep you informed of upcoming concerts, how the tours are going, and even a little background on the bands each week.

Even if you aren't a huge fan of country music, hopefully I can open your eyes to a different style of music that plays by its own rules. Thanks so much for following my blog and be sure to keep up with me on twitter at @adnewlee. You can also feel free to join me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/449683798409271/