Cross Canadian Ragweed Reunites!

By next April 2025, it will be 15 years ago that Cross Canadian Ragweed (CCR) was no more, crushing thousands upon thousands of their fans. But here they are back in where it all began for the brilliant Red Dirt artists, in Okie at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. 

Why Are They Called Cross Canadian Ragweed?

The American Red Dirt alt/country/rock band Cross Canadian Ragweed band is named after the last names of the band’s original members Cody Canada, Grady Cross, Randy Ragsdale, and Matt Weidemann. CCR came together in the town of Stillwater, Oklahoma. The name has nothing to do with Canada, the country. 

The Cross Canadian Ragweed name is a tribute to its original members, Cody Canada, lead vocals and guitar, Grady Cross on guitar, Randy Ragsdale on drums, and Matt Weidemann (the weed part of the name) on bass. Jeremy Plato replaced Weidemann in 1998.

When Was the Last Cross Canadian Ragweed Concert?

According to available information, Joe’s Bar on Weed Street in Chicago provided the venue for the last Cross Canadian Ragweed concert in October 2010. Cody Canada officially announced Cross Canadian Ragweed’s split in September 2010. 

Canada announced their “Last Call Show” would be at Joe’s Bar in Chicago, Illinois and stated, “as far as that’s concerned, Oct 24 is the last one, the last gig.” Joe’s on Weed St. is a 20,000-square-foot warehouse-style venue located near Lincoln Park in Chicago. 

How Old Is Cross Canadian Ragweed?

The topsoil that blankets about half of Oklahoma’s earth is called “port soil”. This dirt is dark brown to dark reddish brown in color. The red dirt of Oklahoma in present in at least 33 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties. It is only natural that the Red Dirt genre arose out of Okie. Red dirt blends rock, jam, and alt-country sounds.

Cross Canadian Ragweed formed in 1994. They released five studio albums and three live albums between 1994 and 2010. CCR quickly became a leader in the ascent of Red Dirt becoming a recognized genre that had been left undiscovered by musical radar in the music industry for years. 

These Red Dirt Okie boys who are CCR met in grade school. They practiced seven nights a week under the mentorship of Randy Ragsdale’s father, Johnny Ragsdale, for years and years. 

What Happened to Cross Canadian Ragweed?

CCR bitterly parted ways in 2010, partly because of internal tensions, cited as personal, and Randy Ragsdale’s family responsibilities. As of October 1, 2024, Rolling Stone reported, “Frontman Cody Canada swore they’d never, ever regroup. (and quoting Canada’s interview) ‘I’m sitting right here with a mouthful of my words.’” 

Cody Canada and bassist Jeremy Plato took off with Cody Canada and the Departed after the CCR split. They have toured under the Departed name since and rerecorded CCR’s hit album, Soul Gravy, under Departed in 2022. The Departed continued to perform CCR songs on tour. 

From all the press released over social media, it appears that Cross Canadian Ragweed is exceptionally pumped up for their April 2025 reunion concert at Boone Pickens Stadium on the campus of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. 

In October 2024, Cody Canada also told Rolling Stone about their reunion, “I can’t wait to do this. I want to make people happy, and I want people to walk away feeling like it was 15 years ago.” CCR is super active on their Facebook page, and probably other platforms. We did not need to search widely to find out how super this sellout CCR concert is so fantastic for the band and fans. 

What and Where Is the Cross Canadian Ragweed Reunion Concert: 

This highly anticipated CCR event has already sold out their first four dates at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater. CCR started out booking two dates, and lightning quick, they had to add two more in front and behind those dates. Amazing! CCR sold out four dates within a few days of their official announcement of their April 2025 dates in Stillwater.

Rolling Stone recently cited that it is unlikely that Red Dirt will continue as a genre. At Texas Outside, we beg to differ. Red Dirt is here to stay. Cross Canadian Ragweed’s artistry is here to stay. Our regional trailblazing musical artists in Texas and Oklahoma and their styles will always reign over Billboard.

Loving our regional artists in Texas and Oklahoma who attract the kind of devotion that Willie Nelson and Friends commanded a generation or maybe two generations ago, way before CCR found their sound, and who have fostered and are fostering that exact same devotion with sincerity, is who we are in Texas and Oklahoma. 

CCR’s Facebook page is updated regularly with love from CCR to the love they are receiving since announcing their reunion. CCR is also warning people about scams regarding their merch, tickets, etc. 

Opening Acts:

• The Great Divide
• Jason Boland and The Stragglers
• Stoney LaRue.

Cross Canadian Ragweed’s “The Boys From Oklahoma” will be April 10 to April 13, 2025 at T. Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Cross Canadian Ragweed commands that kind of devotion that jumpstarts hearts.