Red Dirt Scene
tagStarted 1990Peak 1998-2010Last big hit still activeFrom Oklahoma / Texas, United States
Located in 1 route
Oklahoma's bar-band sound: roots-rock muscle fused with Woody Guthrie-style storytelling, dual electric guitars, fiddle, and an unpolished, road-tested live feel. Gritty, regional-pride lyrics about Oklahoma, hardship, and freedom. Independent of Nashville, built for dancehalls and college-town crowds.
History
Centered on Stillwater, Oklahoma, where Bob Childers' farmhouse 'The Farm' incubated songwriters from the late 1970s. Cross Canadian Ragweed, Jason Boland & the Stragglers, and Stoney LaRue (from the 'Yellow House' and the Wormy Dog Saloon) carried it nationally from the late 1990s, building a self-sufficient touring circuit overlapping the Texas scene.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Josh Crutchmer, Red Dirt (book)
- KOSU/KGOU Red Dirt reporting
- Visit Stillwater Red Dirt history
- Wikipedia: Cross Canadian Ragweed / Stoney LaRue