Cross Canadian Ragweed is an American Red Dirt quartet. Founding members Grady Cross (Rhythm Guitar), Cody Canada (Lead Guitar), Randy Ragsdale (Drums) and Matt Wiedemann (Bass Guitar) used a combination of their names to create the name Cross Canadian Ragweed in 1994. Although Wiedemann left only three months later, the band's name remains. Jeremy Plato, another lifelong friend, replaced him and is the current bass guitarist.

CROSS CANADIAN RAGWEED TICKETS EVENT DATE AVAILABILITY Cross Canadian Ragweed & Turnpike Troubadours Tickets 8/23 Aug 23, 2025 Sat, 5:00 PM

History

thumb After forming in Yukon, Oklahoma, they 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. ^[1]

The group had already received significant college radio airplay before it released its first album, Carney in 1998. They soon released Live and Loud at the Wormy Dog Saloon in 1999 and Highway 377 in 2001, all on their own independent label Underground Sound.

With the release of a self-titled album also known as "the purple album" due to its cover color, which is a tribute to the band's "little sister" who had recently died in an auto accident.

Their 2004 offering Soul Gravy debuted at #4 on the Billboard Country charts. In October 2005, the band released their album Garage , which featured the single "Fightin' For." The single became their first top 40 hit on the country charts, debuting at an impressive #45 and reaching #39. The band released a double live CD and DVD on October 31, 2006, Back to Tulsa - Live and Loud at Cain's Ballroom . Cross Canadian Ragweed recorded Mission California , their sixth studio album, at the end of March 2007. They 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." Mission California was released on October 2, 2007. Ragweed's tenth album, Happiness and All the Other Things was released on August 31, 2009, commemorating the band's 15th Anniversary. It includes 12 new studio tracks and 3 live tracks. Recorded in California, this album includes a track entitled "Blue Bonnets" which is dedicated to Cody's oldest son Dierks. Happiness and All the Other Things was officially dedicated to the late Randall "Poodie" Locke (Willie Nelson's long-time stage manager) who died on May 6th, 2009.

Notable appearances

The band frequently plays with country music star Dierks Bentley and other stars of the Red Dirt scene including Stoney Larue, Micky & The Motorcars, Reckless Kelly, (Canada's brother-in-law) Wade Bowen, No Justice, Johnny Cooper and Brandon Rhyder. Bentley referenced the band in his song "Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)", singing that "Ragweed's rockin' on the radio".

Minor League baseball player Adam Boeve uses "Anywhere But Here" as his intro music. Pittsburgh Pirates catcher, Ryan Doumit, comes to bat to their song "Alabama".

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Album	Chart Positions		Label
		US Country	US
1998	Carney	—	—	Smith Music Group
2001	Highway 377	—	—
2002	Cross Canadian Ragweed	70	—	Universal South
2004	Soul Gravy	5	51
2005	Garage	6	37
2007	Mission California	6	30
2009	Happiness and All the Other Things	—	—

Live albums

Year	Album	Chart Positions		Label
		US Country	US
1999	Live and Loud at the Wormy Dog Saloon	—	—	Broken Records
2002	Live and Loud at Billy Bob's Texas	—	—	Smith Music Group
2006	Back to Tulsa: Live and Loud at Cain's Ballroom	27	120	Universal South

Singles

Year	Single	US Country	Album
2002	"17"	57	Cross Canadian Ragweed
2003	"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

References

1. North Austin