Country singer Zach Top surprised fans by joining The Red Clay Strays on stage during their sold-out Madison Square Garden concert, performing together for the encore. The pair duetted on Kris Kristofferson's 1970 classic "Help Me Make It Through The Night", a song previously covered by artists including Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson and Tyler Childers, delighting the New York crowd. The collaboration underlines the growing camaraderie between the two country acts, who have crossed paths on stage several times before.

Before the encore, Top had already joined the band to perform "Don't Wanna Know", a track from the Strays' latest album, Grateful. The Madison Square Garden show, held on 9 August, was recorded for a forthcoming live album. It was not the first time the artists had shared a stage, having previously covered songs by Waylon Jennings and George Jones together, and Top has named the Strays' frontman, Brandon Coleman, as one of his favourite collaborators. Both acts remain on tour, with the Red Clay Strays' Grateful Tour running until 13 November in Atlanta, and Top's Cold Beer & Country Music Tour concluding on 30 October in Nashville.