The Red Clay Strays will headline PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Thursday, bringing their Grateful Tour to the venue. The show supports the band's third studio album, Grateful, released June 5.
The tour brings the band to Pittsburgh's PPG Paints Arena.
From TikTok Virality to Arena Stages
The turnaround traces back to “Wondering Why,” a track from the band's 2022 debut album Moment of Truth that went viral on TikTok in late 2023. The song eventually climbed to No. 71 on the Billboard Hot 100, according to Wikipedia.
Industry recognition followed quickly. The band won Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2024 Americana Music Honors & Awards and New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year at the 2025 ACM Awards, Wikipedia notes. In June 2026, Billboard presented the group with its Groundbreakers Award in Nashville, with comedian Matt Rife handling presentation duties, according to a video posted to Facebook.
Bigger Stages, Bigger Sound
Nine-time Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb was involved in the making of Grateful, Americana UK reports.
The album's opening track, “Demons In Your Choir,” features a full backing gospel choir directed by three-time Grammy winner Shannon Sanders, who has worked with India.Arie, Jonny Lang and the Fisk Jubilee Singers, according to That Eric Alper. That expanded sound now fills PPG Paints Arena.
Arena Crowds
Nix described the moment arena crowds light up their phones at the top of the show, saying they look like thousands of little stars.
The band has also ventured into cross-genre collaborations: South Carolina's NEEDTOBREATHE featured the band on “Momma Loves Me” from the March 2026 album The Long Surrender, also produced by Cobb, as Hoodline previously reported.
Roots in Skynyrd and a Message of Unity
Nix pointed to Lynyrd Skynyrd as a defining influence, calling them the greatest band ever to do it, according to the TribLive interview. The band also performs “People Hatin'.”
The band also appeared at Buckeye Country Superfest in Columbus in June 2026, where they shared a stadium bill with Tyler Childers, as Hoodline covered earlier this year.
Tickets for Thursday's PPG Paints Arena show start at $33.
