Purple Out for LJT, Kat Hasty and Shane Smith and the Saints

BY ANNABETH JOHNSON / Multimedia Journalist

Students and alumni gathered together to celebrate the Purple Poo at the Purple Out Concert and Picnic during one of the most spirited weeks of the semester. The event took place at the Smokestack parking lot from 7:30 - 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 10, 2024 night. 

The event featured headliner Shane Smith and the Saints, with Kat Hasty and Stephenville’s very own Larry Joe Taylor as supporting acts.

Taylor opened the show and invited all members of the Purple Poo onstage to join him in “On Ye Tarleton” and the traditional Purple Poo chant “Hey Oscar P.”

Hasty followed his performance by singing one of her more famous songs titled “The Highway Song.” She then sang two songs off of her unreleased album. One was titled “Drag my ass back to Midland” about a guy that tried to convince her to stick around her hometown when she just wanted to get out.

Shane Smith and the Saints were the headline band for this event and put on a fantastic show in celebration of homecoming and the Tarleton community. The band sang their song title “All the way” which Smith dedicated to his wife.

All three artists were gifted a Tarleton jersey by Dr. and Mrs. Hurley along with Dr. Diana Ortega-Feerick and were welcomed into the Tarleton family as ‘Honorary Texans.’
Brennan Wilson is a freshman at Tarleton who attended the Purple Out Concert and Picnic for the first time. 

“My favorite part of the concert is the fact that we can all gather around and sing some songs as a community and just have a good time on a regular Thursday night,” Wilson said. 
Alex Duran is also in his first year at Tarleton who loved having a concert right on campus. 

“I came to see Shane Smith and the Saints perform here at the concert tonight,” Duran said. “The concert is a great atmosphere and a fun time. You get to get out on a Thursday night to see artists you may never expect to see and get to have a great time.”