Growing Like a Weed?

by Jeff Dennis

Cross Canadian Ragweed. Almost sounds like a mutant strain of herb migrating down from the cold and mysterious lands of the North, sweeping through Texas destroying crops and devastating rangeland. But not quite.

The one true part of that statement is that Cross Canadian Ragweed is from a cold and mysterious land to the North...Oklahoma. They are one of the fastest growing bands in the southern United States, and they are packing bars and dancehalls across Texas with their mix of country and rock that brings in crowds of all kinds.

I noticed months back that Cross Canadian (that's my abbreviation for them, because CCR will always means Credence Clearwater Revival in my book) would be coming to the Aardvark in Fort Worth, near where I live. Having already seen them there twice in the last six months, I thought it proper that I return to see if another 4 months of hard touring across the South had affected them.

I have been keeping up with the band fairly regularly on the Internet over the past couple of months, and it seems they are really pushing to make it to the "next level." With a studio album and a live album to be released in the next few months, as well as a music video soon to be submitted to CMT and GAC, Cross Canadian Ragweed is making a push for the big time the only way they know how-- full speed ahead and never look back.

As my friend and I pulled into the Aardvark parking lot Saturday night, Feb. 23rd, it was clear Cross Canadian Ragweed had evolved somewhat since last October, as they were now traveling in a tour bus instead of their van and equipment trailer. Give them credit for tucking it away in the parking lot across the street, rather than pulling it right up to the front door of the club ( a la Dallas's Flickerstick, from VH1's Bands on the Run show).

The second thing that caught my eye was the fact that the line to get in the club had already formed at 9 o'clock and stretched past The Moon all the way to Fuzzy's Tacos. (I refer to the club The Moon, not the large planetary rock orbiting our planet.) It was a long -at-$# line. The Aardvark is in the TCU area and is generally supported by a college crowd, but when Cross Canadian comes to town it sees a new clientele, the 20-35 year old working class. This is a group I tend to lump together in the "redneck" category.

The Aardvark was selling advance tickets for the first time in recent memory, and I hadn't bothered buying a ticket since I'd never had any trouble in the past. I resisted the offer of a slightly inebriated cowboy in front of me to pay "Fi' hunnud dolla" for his ticket. He said he'd just go sit in his truck for that kind of money.

As this is a concert review and there's clearly been no mention of the concert itself, you might have figured out by now that I didn't get in to the Aardvark. I could have tried to hang around and get packed like a smoked sardine into a small room with bad acoustics for the tune of $10-15. But taking into account the factor that the fire marshal could shut the whole operation down and cause me to leave empty-walleted without even seeing Cross Canadian Ragweed, I decided to leave and wait for them to come back to a larger venue in Fort Worth. I don't hold this against the band, and I don't think they're "selling out" or losing their artistic integrity. People like their music. People come to see their shows. It's as simple as that.

But something should be said for that moment when you realize that a band has just gotten big. It's like losing a close friend when you can no longer go into a small, half-empty (or half-full if you like) club and listen to a band play the music they create and love. You sit there and wish at those times that this band be one that "makes it." That's because you believe in them, and you know they won't be able to keep playing music if they have to travel 250 miles for a $30 a night payday.

So if you want to see Cross Canadian Ragweed when they come your way, you'd better get there early.


Contact Jeff Dennis at: jeff-at-rockzilla.net

 
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