By Olivia Turner | Arts & Life Editor
The 2025 fall semester is set to kickoff the school year in McLane Stadium — not with a football game, but with a country concert that will likely go down in Baylor history as one for the books.
On Feb. 11, Baylor’s Instagram announced that Cross Canadian Ragweed and Turnpike Troubadours will be coming to McLane Stadium on Aug. 23 to perform in a concert for students and the Waco community. The show, themed “The Boys from Oklahoma Texas Encore,” will feature special guests Shane Smith & the Saints, American Aquarium and Wade Bowen — a Waco native — according to Jason Cook, Baylor’s vice president of marketing and communications.
“I think that there’s excitement to have something different outside of football at McLane stadium,” Cook said. “And then the following weekend, we kick off the football season against SEC [opponent] Auburn. So I think that it just got a great momentum for what promises to be an exciting fall semester.”
Cook said the show’s promoter, Louisiana-based Doussan Music Group, had been seeking a Texas venue to host the bands in the fall and decided on Baylor due to the area’s high interest in purchasing tickets.
St. Louis, Mo., senior Zoe Brandenstein, co-president of Baylor’s Music Industry Club, said she predicts a decent turnout for the concert due to the popularity of country music among students.
“I would say, like, based on our location, I think that the turnout will be pretty good,” Brandestein said. “I’m not sure if it will totally fill McLane stadium, because that’s a lot of seats, but seeing their statistics on Spotify, it seems like they’re a very talented group, and I would expect good numbers.”
Brandenstein said the Music Industry Club acts as a record label for student artists, assisting them in music production and marketing efforts. She is especially excited to see Baylor host bands and some more obscure artists.
“I think that right now, as a whole, the music industry is highlighting more solo artists,” Brandenstein said. “From what we’ve seen at Baylor, there’s a good mix of students who are interested in being solo artists and a good mix of students who enjoy playing in bands. And so having a strong band come on campus, I think will be really encouraging to those students who enjoy a group music scene more.”
Cook said tickets were sure to be in high demand not only for the prominence of the bands and popularity of the country genre, but because of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity offered.
“Cross Canadian Ragweed has not really performed as a band in such a big venue in about 20 years,” Cook said. “So it was very significant for them in terms of getting back together and in playing the shows … in Oklahoma City, at Oklahoma State in April, and in Waco at McLane Stadium in August.”
In terms of setup, the stage will be positioned in front of the scoreboard, with the back facing the river. Seating will be available on the field and in the bleachers surrounding the field, though the corner seating will be blocked off. The doors are anticipated to open earlier in the evening, around 4:30 or 5 p.m. Cook said he predicts there will be possible pre-show events occurring in and around the stadium.
Collinsville sophomore Caleb Wheeler, a big-time fan of both Cross Canadian Ragweed and Turnpike Troubadours, said he anticipates seeing what work will follow the big night.
“[Turnpike Troubadours] had a couple of years of not being around,” Wheeler said. “They were dealing with some conflict, with sobriety problems, but now that they are back and now that they’re restructured, I am really hoping that that leads to a lot of good coming out of the band.”
In the meantime, Wheeler encourages those attending the concert to get hyped.
“For those who do have the privilege of going, I would say just go for a drive and blast their music as you drive down I-35,” he said.
Cook said he can see this show going down in Baylor history as nothing less than “historic.”
“This is the kind of event that brings generations of music fans together, and what an opportunity to have a Saturday night in McLane stadium along the banks of the Brazos River listening to some special talent,” Cook said.
