This upcoming week, Tarleton State University students have countless opportunities to indulge in the experiences of a lifetime while celebrating Tarleton State’s homecoming week the good-old-fashioned Texan way.
A special treat is in store for those planning to attend the annual Purple Out Picnic/Concert on Thursday, Oct. 19, especially seeing that musical artists Kaitlin Butts, Drake White, and headliner, William Clark Green are going to be in attendance to serenade us with their showstopping country music performances.
The headliner of the evening, William Clark Green, is a 37 year-old Texas-born native, hailing from a small town called Flint. Despite being born in Flint, he was raised during his childhood and adolescent years across the vast span of the Lone Star State.
“[William Clark Green has spent] Childhood years northeast in Tyler, high school years in College Station, college years at Texas Tech in Lubbock, early music career years in the north-central hamlet of Eastland, and lately his most urban digs so far, in Fort Worth – but deep down, Will’s Cajun roots call to him incessantly, and thus southeast Texas is never far from his mind,” the Bandsintown website disclosed. Since Clark Green’s music kickstarted in 2008, he has released six studio albums and two live albums since; the most successful being his 2015 album release titled “Ringling Road.”
Before Clark Green takes the spotlight, both Kaitlin Butts and Drake White are set to take the stage by storm with each of their respective setlists.
Kaitlin Butts is a gifted, inventive, original, innovative singer, songwriter, and storyteller with a voice as smooth as softened butter. Butts is a country-raised woman hailing from the town of Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she grew up listening to artists like Miranda Lambert, which thereby inspired her to write her own music with a classic storyteller background.
Butts released an album roughly a year ago by the name of, “What Else Can She Do,” which is a calling card to all the women of the world who show resilience through the abundant hardships of life.
“These songs are all stories from different women facing the question: What else can she do,” Butts described. “I don’t think that life is all that pretty sometimes and it comes with pain and pushing through hard times, or being stagnant, going through the motions, and not knowing what to do, or just being flat-out angry with whatever life has put on your plate.”
The second artist to take the floor is Drake White, who is a 40 year-old, Alabama-native who is a brilliant singer-songwriter, as well as an inspiring leader of the band, “Drake White & The Big Fire.”
After a concerning medical scare in 2019, White opened up about his hardships and how his wife became his ultimate source of comfort and support, which ultimately inspired the hit song, “Power of a Woman,” which he released two years later.
White most recently has released a new EP titled, “The Bridge,” which made its debut earlier this year.
Each of these artists have a highly impressive – and extensive – resume, where they have opened up concerts and collaborated with musical celebrities like Little Big Town, the Zac Brown Band, Todd Snider, and Cody Canada.
Not to mention, Butts has also been happily married to the lead singer of Flatland Cavalry, Cleto Cordero, for roughly three years, and she has recently been featured in a song of theirs titled “Mornings With You.”
This year, in addition to the typical Purple Out Picnic/Concert festivities, Tarleton State University is also proudly celebrating 100 years of our female Purple Poo organization: the Ten Tarleton Sisters (TTS) who were originally founded in the year 1923.
Prior to William Clark Green hitting the stage, there will be a moment of dedication and recognition to commemorate our favorite masked ladies of Tarleton States’s campus.
All Tarleton State students and Texan enthusiasts are welcome to join together in celebrating Tarleton’s homecoming week that is brimming with tradition and incomparable fun.
The flawless combination of these three beyond talented artists is sure to take the breath away from the observing crowds, so be sure to make an appearance at the concert on Thursday, Oct. 19 at the Fine Arts Center parking lot.
Attending Tarleton State’s annual Purple Out Concert/Picnic event is a one-of-a-kind opportunity that is completely free of charge. However, there are going to be food trucks and other items available for purchase if desired, so if you show up on an empty stomach, it might be in your best interest to bring your wallet.
For information regarding Tarleton State University homecoming festivities and the Purple Out Concert/Picnic schedule, please visit www.tarleton.edu/homecoming/stephenville-events/.
