'The atmosphere is just joyous': Night 2 of the Boys from Oklahoma concert brings college friends back to Stillwater

People from all over the country traveled to Boone Pickens Stadium this weekend for the Boys from Oklahoma Concert series to see Cross Canadian Ragweed and the Turnpike Troubadours. 

Fans of the Red Dirt movement say this is one of the biggest surprises to happen for this genre of music, since one of the main acts, Cross Canadian Ragweed, hasn't played together in 15 years. 

A common love of music reunites college friends

A group of four friends went to the Boys from Oklahoma concert in matching shirts that say, 'We were there.'

"We're super excited for it to all happen in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where we met, obviously, where all these band members met," Drew Walker said.

The back of their shirts has two dates on them: one date is when The Turnpike Troubadours reunited at Cain's Ballroom three years ago, and the second date is from the weekend when Cross Canadian Ragweed played together for the first time in 15 years. 

"So now we were there when Turnpike came back and when Cross Canadian came back," said Claire Swanson.

"We get to experience different generations of music reuniting, all at once," Jake Swanson said.

After meeting 10 years ago as students at OSU and now living in different states, music is something that brings them together, especially the Red Dirt movement. 

"It's another way for us to hang out and spend time together. And so I think Cross Canadian, Ragweed, Turnpike Troubadours, Jason Boland, all these bands bring people together. Their lyrics are something that people can relate to and kind of tell that story," said Walker.

A concert that friends were determined to attend

The group says there was no way they weren't going to get tickets because they weren't going to miss a concert to see Cross Canadian Ragweed, who they thought they would never get the chance to see play. 

"I've seen them once, when I was 10 years old, and after that, I said that I probably'd never see them back together again. And it's just a surreal feeling of, you know, this rush of emotions of being a kid and hearing this music again," said Swanson.

The perfect place to bring people together

"I think Oklahoma has been known to be a friendly place where everybody can find out something that they have in common," said Walker.

"We have so many friends that are coming in, like, from all different parts of the state and different states, like looking forward to just being together to share this moment. So I feel like the atmosphere is just joyous," said Claire Swanson.