Touring behind its latest album Mission California, Cross Canadian Ragweed will make its first appearance in Starkville in almost five years at the State Theatre Wednesday night. The perennial road band is known for its hard-line approach to songwriting and music. Ragweed, as the band is known to fans, is also the de facto goodwill ambassador for the red dirt music scene that the band brought to national attention, opening doors for dozens of its Oklahoma and Texas brethren to step into the spotlight.
Friends since childhood, frontman Cody Canada, bassist Jeremy Plato, drummer Randy Ragsdale and guitarist Grady Cross have been performing together since high school.
The band name also comes from a combination of Cross’, Canada’s and Ragsdale’s last names.
There are two constants in Cross Canadian Ragweed: touring and fun. The band stays on the road playing more than 250 dates a year.
“[Touring] is just fun, we’re working on 14 years on the road,” Canada said. “We love each other in the band, and we’re all brothers. If we weren’t a band, we’d probably all be in a bar drinking and hanging every weekend.”
It’s that endless approach to touring that has made the band an underground success. Chances are that most people will not hear a Cross Canadian Ragweed song on the radio, but night after night the band packs out venues across the country. Most fans discover them through their shows and through friends.
“My roommate is a fan of theirs, and I’ve heard a lot of their songs through him,” said senior biochemistry major Colby Amis. “If I don’t have a test, I’m going to go see them.”
Despite the band’s unerring drive to perform, there are some days that are non-negotiable when it comes to time off. For a band known for its hard playing and even harder partying, the time off might seem like a stark contrast to their hard rocking ways.
“We get out there and blow it out on the road, but we set aside all of our kids’ birthdays, two weeks in the summer and Christmas to be off the road,” Canada said.
The high energy of the band was an immediate draw for State Theatre manager Emilio Garma.
“They are an amazing band and they haven’t been here in a while. We knew that’s one band we wanted to get here,” Garma said. “We’re thinking this will be one of the biggest crowds we’ve had for a band.”
“I’m sure this concert is going to be exciting at the Theatre,” said junior interior design major Kelly Clayton.
No two nights with the band are the same. Each night the band plays not only the fan favorites, but delves deep into its catalog.
Touring with Texan Robert Earl Keen, the band learned that just because a song is popular it may not be a great song ,and just because a song is great it might not be popular.
“We had been touring with Robert Earl a while opening gigs for him. After a while I noticed that he wouldn’t play the same songs every night,” Canada said. “There would be three or four nights in a row that I wouldn’t hear one of his hits. He just played what he wanted.”
The draw to many is that unapologetic approach to music that the band has.
Songs about the good times, loving and leaving are just some of what the band performs, but it is the sound of something new that draws some to the music.
“I really like that genre of music they play it’s real. It’s a lot better than mainstream country like what you hear on the radio,” said junior history major John Harrelson.
After playing dates that have taken the band throughout the south including a recent performance in Nashville the band is looking forward to playing in Starkville after such a long hiatus.
“We’re glad to be getting back to Mississippi. Mississippi has been good to us,” said Canada.
Opening for Cross Canadian Ragweed Wednesday night will be Georgia rockers Blackberry Smoke.
Tickets are available in advance at www.statetheaterstarkville.com.