The Red Clay Strays Stand On Gratitude & Their Faith In Red Rocks Headlining Debut

Not only were the Red Clay Strays looking up at the thousands of people in attendance at the iconic Red Rocks venue… they were looking back on how they got there.

It was a picture-perfect night in Morrison, Colorado as Drew Nix (electric guitar, vocals, harmonica), Zach Rishel (electric guitar), Andrew Bishop (bass), John Hall (drums), Sevans Henderson (keys), and frontman Brandon Coleman brought their signature sound to a sold-out crowd in their headlining debut at Red Rocks Amphitheater.

After welcoming in the crowd with a couple of songs, Coleman took a moment to address the moment, saying:

“We’re the Red Clay Strays from Mobile, Alabama. We did it. We made it to Red Rocks.”

The significance of the night did not escape the band at any point throughout their two-hour set.

When Coleman addressed the crowd, it was typically done in a manner that expressed gratitude: Both for the fans that have helped them get to where they are today, and in God. They describe themselves as not as a Christian band, but a band full of Christians. Their faith and outspokenness about the Lord were on full display all night long, and they even worked their yet-to-be-released gospel song “Revival” into the setlist.

@whiskeyriff Need this one ASAP. @The Red Clay Strays // whiskeyriff.com #whiskeyriff #redrocks #redclaystrays ♬ original sound – Whiskey Riff

While they introduced themselves as a “band full of Christians,” the Red Clay Strays also made a point to say that they don’t see themselves as a country music band. As Coleman elaborated on, he and the band don’t like to be put in a box musically:

“They say we play country music. I’ve always disagreed with that. I think we play more rock and roll than anything else. But maybe they just don’t know what to call us… I don’t know.”

The Red Clay Strays frontman also addressed his comparisons to Elvis, Waylon Jennings, and Chris Stapleton when they broke out into their hit song “No One Else Like Me.” Clearly, the band doesn’t wasn’t to be compared to others. The Red Clay Strays just want to be known as The Red Clay Strays, and they certainly do enough night in and night out – and especially in their Red Rocks debut – to earn that right.

There was never a dull moment throughout their inaugural Red Rocks concert (they’re back for another sold-out show tonight), and there was always time for reflection and how the band finally made it to the incomparable venue. Coleman often talked about the trials and tribulations the band went through during 2020, when the pandemic took the wind out of their sails, and many of the band members drove for Uber just to keep their dream alive.

And to see that dream officially come true at Red Rocks felt like an honor as a music fan. Though Brandon Coleman might push back on me saying that, since he spoke for the band and said that they never wanted to be rich or famous… they just wanted to make art that they were proud of.

Now, they find themselves crafting songs and messages that hit home with millions of people. It’s as artful as anything else that’s coming out in the modern day, and whether there were a lot of rock and roll fans or a lot of country fans in the crowd at Red Rocks, the art of the Red Clay Strays was connecting in real time.

If you had to describe their headlining debut at Red Rocks in just a few words, I’d venture to categorize it as the band’s culmination of faith. They never gave up on themselves, on each other, or in the Good Lord above. Their collective struggles to get to that moment do not go unnoticed (most of them are forever memorialized in their catalogue), and the Red Clays Strays unified victory in playing Red Rocks is all they could have ever deserved.

And it was one hell of a celebratory moment:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Whiskey Riff (@whiskeyriff)

I also have to mention that the Red Clay Strays are a class act from top to bottom. Shoutout to Jason from the Red Clay Strays merchandise team for going above and beyond. Just goes to show that the band has gotten where they are because they care about people, and their entire team exudes that same passion for the fan base as a whole. The post The Red Clay Strays Stand On Gratitude & Their Faith In Red Rocks Headlining Debut first appeared on Whiskey Riff.