The Red Clay Strays like to call their eclectic sound “non-denominational rock ‘n’ roll.” And they skillfully deployed it Saturday to officiate a night of rousing musical fellowship at a sold-out Fox Theatre.
Kicking off a two-night stand (Oct. 4-5) at the fabled Detroit venue, the fast-rising Alabama sextet offered an intoxicating mix of sonic styles, classic guitar tones and emotional touchstones with songs exploring perseverance and spiritual renewal in the face of life’s frailties.
The bluesy, ’60s-inflected “Wondering Why” might be the Strays’ TikTok sensation, but Saturday’s show confirmed a deep and growing fan bond that extends well beyond that viral hit. For nearly two hours, vocalist Brandon Coleman and company locked in with their crowd of 4,800 in a briskly paced, 20-song set that included the entirety of their sophomore album, “Made by These Moments.”
Red Clay Strays perform at Detroit’s Fox Theatre on Oct. 4, 2025, opening show in a two-night stand.
Front man Coleman cuts a tall, brooding figure, saving his emotions for his vocal delivery and occasional pronouncements on the importance of faith. The Strays aren’t explicitly a Christian band, he noted at one point, though “God is part of our life.”
There’s a throwback feel to much of the Strays’ work — shades of vintage rock ‘n’ roll, jukebox country-and-western and Southern soul.
But the retro stuff comes with a Gen Z twist: Scannable QR codes for band merch flashed on video screens ahead of the show. A videographer roamed among the members onstage, capturing footage for potential social media content. And there was an endearing earnestness to it all, bucking any too-cool-for-the-room vibes of past band heroes, including a fiery “Devil in My Ear” that was introduced with encouragement for mental-health care.
The Strays arrived at the Fox with a swelling profile driven by relentless road work and a fan base that spans country, rock and Americana. The group is the cover star on the latest edition of the concert trade magazine Pollstar, understandably touted as a contender for “the next big live band.”
Band members on Saturday certainly looked like they’re feeling the giddiness of that career momentum. Along with animated drummer John Hall, bassist Andrew Bishop was a focal point of energy, a charismatic figure who hurtled up and down the Fox aisles during the closing number “No One Else Like Me.”
(He and guitarist Drew Nix sported Detroit Red Wings jerseys for the occasion. The two are diehard hockey fans who popped into Little Ceasars Arena for the Wings’ evening game against Toronto, making it back down Woodward Avenue by showtime.)
The show was marred only by an audio mix that dimmed Coleman’s evocative voice amid a wash of instruments — at least from this reviewer’s spot in the Fox — but the Red Clay Strays’ impact shone through nevertheless.
From the snakeskin-coated opener “Good Godly Woman” to a feverish “On My Knees” that closed the regular set, the band deftly navigated its repertoire, including a live debut of the new call-for-unity single, “People Hatin’.”
Songs such as “Disaster” featured sepia-toned passages that blossomed into Technicolor, “Ghost” offered a cool, rumbling groove, and “Drowning” was an urgent affair with an intense Coleman vocal performance. Nix, a lead songwriter for the Strays, was effective when he assumed vocal duties for his twangy slice of lost-love classic country, “Between the Lines.”
Brandon Coleman performs with the Red Clay Strays at Detroit’s Fox Theatre on Oct. 4, 2025.
And then came an enthralling encore, with stabs of church organ accompanying “Will the Lord Remember Me” and “God Does,” complete with stained-glass graphics on video panels behind the band.
The Red Clay Strays aren’t seeking to be spiritual leaders, Coleman told fans during the segment. That may be the case. But the music preached by the band — whatever label you want to give it — was certainly a cause for rock ‘n’ roll communion Saturday in Detroit.
The group will do it again Sunday night at the Fox Theatre. (Note: On Saturday, opener Wilder Woods started at about 8 p.m. The Red Clay Strays took the stage at 9:30.)
Contact Detroit Free Press music writer Brian McCollum: 313-223-4450 or [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Red Clay Strays light up sold-out Fox to kick off Detroit stand
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