BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT -
The Red Clay Strays toured America last summer and fall with dozens of sold-out amphitheaters cheering on their irresistible blend of Southern rock, country, and blues. The 33-stop “Get Right” tour followed profile-raising shows at the Railbird Music Festival, the Outlaw Music Festival, Bonnaroo, and CMA Fest, and the band captured its first Academy of Country Music award, for New Group of the Year, last spring. At each venue on “Get Right,” the Alabama rockers were supported by a Cohesion audio system.
“Audio isn’t just important to the band; it’s important to me. We put a premium on it,” explained Production Manager Kevin Freund before a show at Bridgeport, Connecticut’s Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater. “We had to give fans the ‘Get Right’ experience every single night, so we weren’t going to compromise on audio.”
The PA featured fourteen Cohesion CO10 loudspeakers on the main hangs and a dozen more CO10 on each side hang, with three Cohesion CP218 II+ subwoofers flown and ground-stacked per side. Six CF28 fill speakers were spaced equally across the front of the stage, as were four CM22 stage monitors. Two additional CM14 monitors were employed by the drummer and keyboardist. Clair Global deployed the rig nightly.
“This is my first run with CO10 as the mains, and I was pleasantly surprised at the low end out of them.” said System Engineer Brian Persall. “The PA has been nice, clean, and clear.”
“I’ve been impressed by how far the CO10 throw and how well they cover,” said FOH Engineer Dennis Kump. “What I’m doing has translated very well. The subs punch—they feel right—and that’s big to me. I love what we get every night.”
“Dennis has one of the hardest jobs in show business because there are people who want to hear every lick of [guitarists] Zack [Rishel] or Drew [Nix], but we want to make sure every member has equal weight,” said Freund. “The mix must be balanced but impactful, and, of course, lyrics are important too. The sound has been crystal-clear and powerful.”
“They’re not a bunch of hired guns,” said Kump. “They’re a true band, and the priority is everyone hears everything.”
Persall described how the deployment versatility of Cohesion helped that aim: “It’s my job that every position has intelligibility. Some sheds have weight restrictions or other challenges. Dennis and I talk every day about what needs to happen, and then I’ll tweak to what we want. We always try new things. It’s very collaborative.”
“We can get what we’re looking for every show,” concurred Kump. “We’ve gotten that consistency.”
“Get Right” began with a sellout at Los Angeles’ esteemed Greek Theatre and included packed shows at venues such as Asbury Park’s Stone Pony, Minneapolis’ Armory, and two nights each at Chicago’s Salt Shed and San Francisco’s Warfield Theatre. Due to overwhelming demand, the tour added four new stops along the route, including the addition of a new final stop at Huntsville’s Orion Amphitheatre, doubling as a “homecoming” show for the Mobile-based band.
“It was very important to the Strays that everyone got a fair shot to rise with them, and everyone has,” said Freund. “I’m extremely proud how everyone has risen to the challenge. It’s gone very smoothly, and no one misses a beat.”
“Some days are easier than others,” continued Persall, “but as I was taught, get your mechanicals and rigging right, and everything falls into place. I started using Cohesion with the CO12 in 2022 and have used them for every tour ‘til now. The stagehands tell me Cohesion is the easiest PA they’ve ever rigged.”
The truest test of an audio system is the fan reaction, and full houses were cheering their favorite Red Clay Strays songs on the “Get Right” set list, including their breakthrough platinum-certified hit “Wondering Why,” “Sunshine,” “Good Godly Woman,” and “Wanna Be Loved,” the lead single off their top-10 Billboard US Country album Made by These Moments.
“They’re one of the last true rock-and-roll bands out there touring: wedges, no tracks on stage, it’s all there,” said Freund. “Most of the time I’m side stage, watching the crowd. These families, teenagers, kids—they’re loving the rip-roaring guitar solos. It’s awesome. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it.”
“When I walk around the venue, listening to the PA, I can tell it hits the crowd right where they’re at,” summarized Persall. “They can relate to the music. Everybody’s singing along, there’s a lot of excitement, and you can feel it.”
The Red Clay Strays return to the stage this summer with touring in select cities and festival appearances, including the Red Clay Strays Fan Fest 2026 in Rexford, Montana, at the end of June.
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