Early contender for collaboration of the year.
If there were an award for most underrated concert lineup of the year, Georgia Rodeo would be high on the list. With buzzy artists, Gabriella Rose and Maggie Antone, as well as Cameron Whitcomb starting the night off strong, Zach Top and The Red Clay Strays closed off the night with killer sets.
After Top delivered a knockout set consisting of hits such as his certified gold single, “I Never Lie,” as well as “Bad Luck,” “Use Me” and a cover of George Strait’s “Amarillo By Morning,” The Red Clay Strays brought the night home with hits like “Wanna Be Loved,” “Wondering Why” and “I’m Still Fine.”
Simply being able to see both Top and the Alabaman band together would have made for one of the best shows of the year; however, the “Sounds Like The Radio” singer surprised attendees with a performance of Waylon Jennings’ 1990 single, “Where The Corn Don’t Grow,” which was later covered by Travis Tritt in 1996, midway through Red Clay’s set.
Despite “Where Corn Don’t Grow” being Jennings’ song, it was Tritt’s cover that received more mainstream attention, peaking at #6 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart in March of 1997.
Before performing, Red Clay frontman, Brandon Coleman, told the crowd, “We’ve been trying to figure out what to sing together, and we’re still thinking about it. But we’re gonna do this one for tonight. We’ve never practiced it. I don’t even know if he [Top] knows it really, but we’re going to give it a shot, right?”
To no one’s surprise, the duo absolutely crushed the cover. If there was any doubt that both Top and Red Clay aren’t some of the most talented artists working in the genre, this performance proved once again why they are. No practice was needed here.
Watch it for yourself:
Here’s another view: