“This is the biggest crowd we’ve ever played in front of in the state of Alabama,” exclaimed Red Clay Strays front man Brandon Coleman. Over 2200 people filled the Halstead Amphitheatre in downtown Fairhope on Saturday May 7th to welcome the Strays back to their LA (that’s “Lower Alabama”) home for the record release concert celebrating Moment of Truth and the first show of their upcoming extensive tour. The band’s debut album is five years in the making and this show was their first ever with a record for sale at the merchandise table.

After sound check, I spent some time with the band and talked with them about the journey that has brought them to this point in their career. They credit the fans for everything they have, including their tour van, as crowdsourcing has been used to fund each step of the Red Clay Strays progress. The $40,000 goal set for the release of Moment of Truth was lofty, but over $32,000 had been pledged within the first five days of the campaign which ended up totaling over $57,000. These funds will go far in the band’s promotion of the new record and covering costs for the tour of 30+ dates. Many of these dates are in cities that had been scheduled when the pandemic shut down all touring, but now more places that the band has never been have been added. They are especially excited about heading all the way up to Montana, a state where they’ve never played.

The quarantine downtime gave the Red Clay Strays new perspective on their career path as musicians when they were all forced to get “real” jobs; something they all agreed made them realize they didn’t like being told what to do or working for other people. During that time several rounds of severe weather, including hurricanes, ripped through south Alabama offering some steady employment for a while, but the band also agreed they preferred the life of touring musicians to that of roof salesmen and tree cutters; although it temporarily paid the bills.

Weather also played a big part in the Strays appearance at the pier in Key West during Mile 0 Fest. According to the band, heavy winds kept promoters from starting the pier show until later in the day and there was a question of even canceling it. Because of the delay, other sheltered shows had already been played (including a big Mike and the Moonpies set) when the Strays finally got on stage and the crowd was much larger than had the gig gone off on time. The wind backed off a little, but the many videos of that afternoon show the stage tent flapping constantly and the band bundled up against the weather.

Before the release of Moment of Truth, I reviewed the record and thought the programming of the tracks unusual. The album begins with the slower songs providing a soulful, gospel feel and then builds with the rockers toward the end. I asked the band about that and they all pointed to drummer John Hall as the one responsible for the track order. He said that his father had always taught him to take things cautiously and “dip one toe at a time into the water and slowly wade in” which is how he thought the record should sound. I couldn’t argue with that but commented that their show set lists weren’t set up like that causing guitarist Zach Rishel to laugh and added that most of the time they don’t even have a set list. That gave me the opportunity to ask about that night’s show and what they expected to play. It was agreed that while much of the new record would be played they would still keep some of the songs they’ve been playing for years and maybe a cover or two. The concert lived up to expectations and beyond.

The first picked guitar notes of “Good Godly Woman” drifted over the crowd as the Red Clay Strays settled into a groove to open the show. Fans already familiar with the song from its single release were ready to start the party. The Strays complied with a strong set featuring the new original “Stone’s Throw” off Moment of Truth. The band had released an acoustic demo video version not long after they had written it. Seeing the song come to life was a joyous occasion. Andy Bishop took this special night as the opportunity to show off his grandfather’s vintage bass guitar which he played on “Forgive,” another song on the new release. The family-reunion feeling of the evening continued when guitarist Drew Nix was featured singing an original song about the Oxmoor Valley area of Jefferson County, Alabama where he grew up and then he brought out his new bride Laurie Anne Armour, a fine singer with a career of her own, for a song as well.

Many fans have seen video of the band literally pushing their piano through the streets of Key West to get it to the show at Mile 0 Fest. That half of any RCS performance when Coleman is seated is when the church comes out and the heart of their music is laid bare. Band members have often spoken of the positive energy they try to create with their music and their lives. Brandon only referenced it once onstage when he introduced the song “Moment of Truth” as “about being a good Christian.” It’s also at the piano where Coleman sings the beautiful “Do Me Wrong.” With its retro 50s rhythm and a vocal dripping with sadness, it’s the perfect lead-in to the rocking bad-girl story of “She’s No Good.” When the piano is left behind, the Strays kick into the final part of the regular set including the garage-band rock of “Doin’ Time” from Moment of Truth and the Red Clay Strays standard, “Til Things Get Right.”

A popular shirt at the concert among long-time fans and friends of the band was one that featured the Stray’s beloved tour bus named “The Breeze” and the title of the song that is the band’s ace in the hole. It’s the tune that turns every crowd into fans, invites them to join in the fun, and makes you want more every time. It’s the kind of a signature song RCS can keep in their pocket for a couple records but keep playing live and crowds will keep requesting it. Whenever “Til Things Get Right” is released it will be a monster hit.

The Red Clay Strays are hard to explain or label because of their many influences and they use their encore to pay tribute to several of those with songs from Waylon Jennings, Three Dog Night and the Beatles among others. Laurie Anne joined the band onstage for the “Hey Jude” encore and Taylor Hunnicutt, the Alabama singer who had earlier opened the evening, grabbed a tambourine and shared a microphone for background vocals.

It’s been an adventure to say the least for the Red Clay Strays over the past five years. Now fully prepared with a record full of originals and a set list full of fun, the band has literally reached their Moment of Truth. Fans have completely embraced the Strays and this night was an event to celebrate how far they have all come, what has been achieved and all the great music to come as well as send the boys off to see parts of the country that haven’t even heard of them yet. #HBYCO

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