Concert Review: Wyatt Flores and The Red Clay Strays Shine at Portland's Moda Center

1 hour ago

7 min read

On August 29 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, I had the privilege of covering Wyatt Flores and The Red Clay Strays. Having just seen The Red Clay Strays for the first time back in July, I was extremely excited for this show for a few reasons.

First, I wanted to compare my hometown Portland crowd to the Minnesota crowd. I was curious to see if there was a difference between experiencing The Red Clay Strays at an outdoor music festival versus an indoor arena show. Most of all, though, I was simply excited to hear Red Clay again.

The night actually got started before I was even in the building. A band called Sweet Talk made their way all the way from Australia. Based on feedback from fans who caught the opening set, it sounds like I really missed a great band. Just another group I need to add to my list of artists to check out later.

The first band of the night I got to catch was Wyatt Flores. I actually fell in love with Wyatt's music last year and was able to see him at the FairWell Festival. So, he was not a new artist to me. However, over the last year, Wyatt has released an incredible new album, Scared of Heights, giving me some new music to look forward to hearing live.

Over time, I've also had the chance to learn more about Wyatt as an artist and about the message behind his music. The more I learn and the more I listen, the more I appreciate what he brings to the table. This show did absolutely nothing to make me question why I consider him one of the fastest-rising artists in country music.

While there is no denying that Wyatt is very much a country and folk musician, he openly speaks about his love for other genres, and I think you can hear those influences throughout his music. The second song in his set, "Drive All Night," is a great example. The fiddle keeps it firmly rooted in the country and folk realm, but you can also hear strong blues influences. If you stripped away the fiddle entirely, this is a track that could easily have crossed over into an early- to mid-2000s rock song. It reminds me of an era when rock bands would release a few softer tracks to provide contrast to their usually heavier sound.

It's funny because, during the set, Wyatt referred to himself as "The Red Clay Foreplay," which got a big laugh from the crowd. Judging by the audience's reaction and the number of people singing along, I really felt there were plenty of fans who were just as excited to see him as they were to see The Red Clay Strays.

This was something I noticed last year as well. Oregon fans really show up for Wyatt. After last summer's show, I had to do some research because the response he receives from Oregon crowds is similar to what I usually see reserved for hometown acts. Despite being from Oklahoma, Wyatt has developed a strong connection with audiences in this area.

One of the things I learned at the show, and then researched further afterward, is how important mental health advocacy is to him. "Sleepless Lullaby" was one of my favorite songs of the set and one of the tracks where he tackles that subject head-on.

Do I need help?

Am I a danger to myself?

Maybe I'm a fallen angel

Maybe I'm my own worst enemy

Maybe it's somethin' that's been runnin' deep

In the blood of my family

In the mirror there's that stranger

Somethin' I can psychoanalyze

Hate the way it keeps me up

Yeah, it keeps me up

That sleepless lullaby

Don't close your eyes

Wyatt closed his set with "Running on E," which is probably the song I could most easily see finding mainstream radio success. If I were introducing Wyatt Flores to a friend who had never heard him before, this is one of the first two songs I would play for them, the other being "Break My Bones," which they oddly didn't perform. It's catchy and easy to sing along with without losing the heart of who Wyatt is as an artist.

Next up, it was time for The Red Clay Strays.

The first thing that really struck me was the amount of effort that went into the stage aesthetic. They found a way to transform the Moda Center stage into something that felt much closer to the Grand Ole Opry. The wood accents and strings of bulb lights along the front of the stage instantly created an aged, historic atmosphere.

The band launched into their set with "Demons in Your Choir" before turning up the tempo with "Ramblin'." This was the first moment I realized how different this show was going to be compared to the set they played at the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival.

One comment they made in Minnesota was that they rarely play festivals, citing how physically draining it can be for fans to spend eight to ten hours in the summer heat. There was a completely different energy behind "Ramblin'" this time around. It felt more energetic, more aggressive, and more rock and roll. Honestly, I think the entire set leaned further in that direction.

Normally, when I see a band I love, my goal is to get as close to the stage as possible. For this show, however, I found myself drifting toward the back of the floor and standing near the soundboard. I accidentally discovered what may have been the best place in the venue.

Standing that far back allowed me to take in the entire stage at once, but also to close my eyes and simply get lost in the music. That's exactly what happened during "Do Me Wrong," which, prior to this show, probably wouldn't have been one of the first five Red Clay songs I would have named. But standing there with my eyes closed, feeling the crowd around me and listening to the band absolutely tear it up on stage, changed my perspective.

It's still not my favorite song to throw on in the car, but it will forever be one I look forward to hearing live.

"Fool's Gold" is another track that never really connected with me when listening at home. Hearing it live, and more importantly feeling it live, was an entirely different experience. It hit so much harder. It's strange that a song I never would have added to a playlist became one I could justify buying a ticket just to hear performed.

Everyone around me felt it too. People were dancing in the aisles, and this was one of the first times all night that I stopped to look around the venue. While the show wasn't marketed as a sellout, I couldn't find an empty seat anywhere. If you had closed your eyes and listened only to the crowd, you would have assumed it was a sold-out performance in one of the largest arenas in the country. The audience was loud, energetic, and fully invested.

One of the absolute treats of the night came because of a request made during the VIP pre-show. A fan asked the band to play the track the tour was named after, "Grateful."

After hearing it live, I understood why this incredible song is not part of the nightly setlist. It pushes every bit of lead singer Brandon Coleman's vocal ability. A statement I made in my review of their Minnesota performance was never more accurate than during this song: Brandon sings every note as if the fate of the world depends on his ability to make the audience believe every word.

I've heard a lot of amazing singers over the years, but I honestly don't know if I've ever heard anyone sing with that level of conviction.

When I sit at my table

And eat the food that You put there

With my loved ones all around me

Not one empty chair

That's when my heart gets so thankful

For the mercy You've shown me

And though I'm undeserving, you still give me all I need

One of the things that makes The Red Clay Strays so special is the role faith plays in their music. They have several songs that sound like they would feel just as at home in a church sanctuary as they would in a packed arena. Yet I never feel like I'm being preached to. It never feels as though they're trying to recruit anyone into a belief system.

Instead, it simply feels like a band expressing something deeply meaningful to them.

What I realized during this show is that their faith comes through not just in what you hear, but in what you feel. I'm not sure whether it was because I wasn't standing in the Minnesota summer heat for ten hours or because I was back home in Portland, but this performance felt different.

The Portland energy was off the charts.

One of my biggest takeaways was that despite winning CMA Vocal Group of the Year in 2025, The Red Clay Strays have always maintained that they don't really see themselves as a traditional country band. Until this night, I didn't fully understand that perspective. I had always described them to friends as a blend of country and gospel.

This time, however, I heard so much more rock and roll and blues in their sound.

Throughout the night, I kept thinking about how much the performance felt like a modern combination of the serious, music-focused side of The Blues Brothers mixed with classic ZZ Top influences. Take away the comedy and celebrity cameos, focus purely on the musicianship, and that's the kind of energy I found myself feeling.

The Red Clay Strays are an absolute treat to experience live. I cannot recommend seeing them enough.