The newly formed red dirt country band, Cody Canada & The Departed, will debut their first original album this Friday at the Grand Stafford Theater in downtown Bryan with Rosehill.
Cody Canada, a Texas native, ventured to Stillwater, Oklahoma at the young age of 16 to see where his passion for music and dream to make it a career would take him. In 1994, Canada, along with three other hopefuls started the band Cross Canadian Ragweed in Yukon, Oklahoma. The band, a combination of red dirt country with an alternative rock twist, thrived over a period of 15 years and was one of the first groups to introduce the genre of Texas country to the rest of the South.
In 2010, the legendary band decided to cease production on good terms as one member needed to care for personal obligations. With the willingness to keep going in the music industry, Canada along with Ragweed bass player Jeremy Plato developed a new Texas country band, Cody Canada & The Departed.
As a favorite of the youthful audience in College Station, Cody Canada explained he was extremely excited to introduce The Departed to Aggieland as well as release their first original album.
Ragweed has been to College Station many times in the past, and I am sure the new band will continue visiting on tours, Canada said. The energy of the fans as well as the legendary venues makes our experience that much better. We are excited to play for the first time at the Grand Stafford Theater.
As a veteran in the music industry, many artists have encouraged Canada in his career, but Robert Earl Keen, who inspired Canada at a young age, has never stopped being his main influence. Canada said the way Keen writes music, sings and conducts himself as a businessman has helped him achieve the success he has now. Just as Keen, an Aggie alumni, inspired Canada, other local musicians look to Canadas success in the music industry for inspiration.
Cody Canada is such a motivation in the fact that he never stopped and has worked so hard for 16 years already, said Joe Tiechman, agricultural communications and journalism major and local musician. This shows someone, like me, that he never took no for an answer, and thats what you need to do in order to make it.
Friday, November 16 at 9:00 p.m., Cody Canada & The Departed will unveil their first original album titled Adventus at the Grand Stafford Theater in Downtown Bryan. The theater has been a monumental music venue since 1926 when Morris Schulman opened it at the Dixie Theater. After being burnt down in 1983, the theater changed names and management.
Recently, managing partners Cody Marx Bailey and Jose Arredondo gave the theater a facelift and are beginning to make the Grand Stafford a unique place for artists to play.
I feel like there is huge opportunity in this town, and we want to build this from the ground up, Bailey said. When the artists come to town, putting them first is what we aim for to build our reputation.
Canada said that this event will help jumpstart his new bands career. Though the album took a lot of time and effort, he believes it will generate a lot of excitement among his fans.
I want to really see the band pick up and go forcefully into the music industry. I want to be on the road with it 250 days a year instead of half of that, Canada said.
Presale tickets are on sale for $12 and will be at the door for $15. Tickets can be purchased online at www.grandstaffordtheater.com .