Menu
This was The Red Clay Strays’ first of two Atlanta shows, the following night downtown at Tabernacle, both sold out. That’s ample evidence that the Alabama quintet has found their audience relatively quickly, with both of their albums released in the last two years. That, of course, doesn’t consider how they built an audience over the preceding five years, eventually spawning the funding for their first album, Moment of Truth, through crowdsourcing.
Live, singer Brandon Coleman mimics, to a degree, the suited and coiffed look of Chris Isaak, but the comparison ends there as the rest of the band comes as they are, in this case, with two members dressed in Braves jerseys, the Coca-Cola Roxy almost literally in the shadow of the Braves’ stadium.
The band’s repertoire includes a mix of country tinged Southern rock, country and slow, almost bluesy roots music. Or, pick your favorite singer. Stapleton? “Drowning,” “Good Godly Woman,” or “Heavy Hurt” might fit. Ronnie Van Zandt? “No Way to Know” Jamey Johnson? “Wondering Why.” Coleman has his own voice but also is a bit of a chameleon, as you can hear elements of Gregg Allman or Johnny Van Zant if you look for them. The band has enjoyable lyrics as well, especially comparing the condemning nature of a “Good Godly Woman” against “I’m Still Fine,” which Coleman introduced as “being hopeless in life but trusting Jesus anyway.”
The setlist (below) demonstrates all of these, the pacing mixed to sustain interest and interject higher energy as songs dictate, and the band is spot on for emphasizing the musical needs of each song. Guitarist Drew Nix’s intricate guitar solos and the rhythm section lends a gritty, authentic and soulful edge to the music. And a video feed of the facial expressions of drummer John Hall would be an enjoyable permanent fixture of a backscreen. Favorites likely depend on personal taste, which in my view included “Wanna Be Loved,” “Moments,” “Stone’s Throw,” “Do Me Wrong” and “Disaster.”
Fans whose ears have found the band won’t be disappointed. The band has built a great reputation and delivers just what you want.
Way Too Long Tour
Setlist:
Encore:
