See Wyatt Flores In Smaller Venues While You Still Can

He hasn’t even released his debut album yet, but Wyatt Flores is already making huge waves in the independent country realm, and for good reason. From the outskirts of Stillwater, Oklahoma, Flores is a great young songwriter with a stellar band and plenty of roots in his sound that is setting the world on fire with early singles such as “Losing Sleep,” “Break My Bones” and “Please Don’t Go.”
Raised on all those Red Dirt/Oklahoma country influences, Flores grew up in the music since his dad was a drummer in Red Dirt bands. After finding some success with early songs, Flores moved from Stillwater to Nashville in the summer of 2022, and soon signed an independent deal with Island Records.
Instead of rushing out a debut album though, Wyatt Flores has been paying dues out on the road, and is touring as hard as anyone at the moment. When you go to see Wyatt Flores live, it’s a similar experience to seeing Zach Bryan where many in the audience know every single word to every single song, and sing along.
Flores has a stellar band behind him as well, including star fiddle player Kenzie Miracle, great guitarist Austin Yankunas, multi-instrumentalist Clem Braden, as well as Bill Peters on bass and Jaxon Humphrey on drums. These are young men and women who will give you hope for the future of country music from the Heartland.
When Saving Country Music saw Wyatt Flores perform at FairWell Fest earlier this year, he had the biggest crowd all weekend on the fest’s 3rd stage. Touring with 49 Winchester and others has definitely raised Wyatt’s name recognition. Charles Wesley Godwin came out and sang a song with him as well, and Wyatt has just been announced as one of the openers at Godwin’s headlining debut at the Ryman Auditorium on December 8th.
Wyatt Flores has just announced a bunch of new tour dates along with the festival slots he’s been receiving at some of independent country’s biggest gatherings. This is definitely one of those scenarios where the warning deserves to go out to see this young man in smaller venues while you can, because it won’t last long.
Openers on Wyatt’s “Times Are Getting Hard” Tour include Jonathan Peyton, Drayton Farley, Kaitlyn Killian, Carter Faith, Dylan Gossett, and Eddie Flint.
TOUR DATES:
AUG 11 – Aggie Theatre – Fort Collins, CO
AUG 12 – Belly Up – Aspen, CO
AUG 15 – Fox Theatre – Boulder, CO
AUG 17 – Globe Hall – Denver, CO
AUG 18 – 8750 Music & BBQ Festival – Red River, NM
AUG 19 – Meow Wolf – Santa Fe, NM
AUG 23 – The Signal – Chattanooga, TN
AUG 25 – A&R Music Bar – Columbus, OH
AUG 26 – Lincoln Theatre – Raleigh, NC
AUG 30 – Open Chord Music – Knoxville, TN
AUG 31 – The Basement East – Nashville, TN
SEP 02 – Georgia Country Music Fest – Marietta, GA
SEP 06 – Joe’s Bar – Chicago, IL
SEP 07 – The Rave / Eagles Club – Milwaukee, WI
SEP 08 – Bluebird – Bloomington, IN
SEP 09 – The Burl County Fair 2023 – Lexington, KY
SEP 12 – Stickyz Rock-n-Roll Chicken Shack – Little Rock, AR
SEP 13 – Born & Raised 2023 – Pryor, OK
SEP 16 – The Manhattan – Manhattan, KS
SEP 20 – Blue Light – Lubbock, TX
SEP 21 – Tulips FTW – Fort Worth, TX
SEP 22 – Gilley’s at Choctaw Casino – Durant, OK
SEP 25 – Antone’s – Austin, TX
SEP 28 – Valley Bar – Phoenix, AZ
SEP 30 – Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace – Bakersfield, CA
OCT 02 – The Roxy Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
OCT 07 – Goldfield Trading Post – Sacramento, CA
OCT 08 – Rebels & Renegades 2023 – Monterey, CA
OCT 20 – Greenville Country Music Festival 2023 – Simpsonville, SC
OCT 27 – Soul Kitchen Music Hall – Mobile, AL
NOV 08 – The Broadberry – Richmond, VA
NOV 09 – Neighborhood Theatre – Charlotte, NC
NOV 11 – Empire Live – Albany, NY
NOV 13 – The Sinclair – Cambridge, MA
NOV 14 – Bowery Ballroom – New York City, NY
NOV 15 – Jefferson Theater – Charlottesville, VA
NOV 17 – The Atlantis – Washington City, DC
NOV 18 – Elevation 27 – Virginia Beach, VA
NOV 30 – John T. Floore Country Store – Helotes, TX
DEC 01 – Warehouse Live – Houston, TX
DEC 02 – The Studio – Dallas, TX
DEC 16 – Saturn – Birmingham, AL

August 10, 2023 @ 9:35 am
When I saw him open for 49 Winchester in July, I was surprised by the ZB style sing alongs for nearly every song. I knew most of his songs, but was surprised everyone else did too! His band is great and his merch line was long. These are exciting times we live in.
August 10, 2023 @ 11:33 am
At times I abhor social media. But without it, we would be without acts like Wyatt Flores. Funny enough, I just discovered this kid yesterday through IG reels. He was singing a cover of “Kansas City Southern” and it was absolute gas! I’m very excited for his future!!
August 10, 2023 @ 12:38 pm
For Kyle,
Wishing Wyatt all the best.
On page 24 of Light As A Feather.
Holy shi* Trig, … seriously … i mean, c’mon.
Just fortified with some Late July (organic) Lime Chips & Rooibos iced tea, and maybe one of those tiny bottles of Fireball whiskey.
Cancelling a shopping trip for formal wear to my beautiful niece’s wedding, until tomorrow.
Going to wrestle through this book tonight.
The only other thing on my mind being whether or not to traipse out to Red River, for Aspencade
August 10, 2023 @ 1:31 pm
Invisibility is the art of refusing to be perceived.
Smiling.
I like it …
Hope expressed consent will be forthcoming.
August 10, 2023 @ 5:45 pm
OhMyGoodLord,
Just laughed my way through Chapter 14.
Not sure if that was your intent –
But, nevertheless, Hilarious
August 10, 2023 @ 1:24 pm
I hadn’t heard of him, then I saw his name on the schedule for the Fairwell Festival. Decided to give him a listen before the fest and was blown away. Made it to his show and he opens with a cover of 49 Winchester’s “Russell County Line”. Like Trig, I was surprised I had to navigate a big crowd at his show, def has a following. Also, was very cool to see CWG come on stage with him, shows that he has the respect of his fellow artists. He may live in the more poppy realm of good country but you cannot deny it is good country music.
August 10, 2023 @ 8:07 pm
Poppy realm of country music? Have you not heard “Break My Bones?” Zero pop, all rock.
August 10, 2023 @ 8:20 pm
I hope you are being sarcastic. Lol
What’s interesting is that is the exact song I was talking about. That was my favorite on my first listen to be honest. That being said that is a production heavy song and far from rock, IMO.
He’s got a mix of songs, I just hope he doesn’t lean into the pop/rock/country style. A lot folks like it and that’s okay, it’s just not my thing.
August 11, 2023 @ 5:10 am
>> That being said that is a production heavy song and far from rock, IMO.
I respect your opinion, but I’m afraid we’ll have to agree to disagree.
August 10, 2023 @ 5:55 pm
Pretty darn good…but a pre blow up moment? Not sure.
August 10, 2023 @ 7:07 pm
Why is it, do you reckon, that the Tyler Childers tree seems to be sprouting so many branches than Sturgill’s (or do I have it all wrong)? I don’t ask to imply Tyler is “better”; just curious if people have thoughts. Something about Tyler seems both more immediate and more immediately learned, but who knows. In any case, good on this kid. Wish him godspeed.
August 10, 2023 @ 7:45 pm
Well first off, Sturgill isn’t going to sprout any branches because he’s retired. He’s a stump, so to speak, but that stump birthed Tyler Childers, and inspired Chris Stapleton to record with Dave Cobb, so his influence is secured.
I really don’t take Wyatt Flores as a Tyler Childers guy. Sure there’s some of that influence, but I hear more Red Dirt in him than Appalachia.
August 10, 2023 @ 8:28 pm
Trigger, yeah I don’t see the Tyler Childers comp either. I think folks said the same of Zach Bryan when he was first coming up.
To me Wyatt has his own sound. It’s not unique in that they are sounds we’ve all heard before. It’s unique in the way he arranges them and I like the mix.
August 11, 2023 @ 2:25 am
I’m with you Trig. Flores is a Reds Dirt artist (a branch off of Zach Bryan’s tree if anything). He has only one tour stop in Appalachia.
Tango is correct that in the beginning everyone was comparing to Zach Bryan to Tyler Childers early on, too.
Tap – Childers’ tree is Cole Chaney, Logan Halstead, Tim Goodin, The Wooks, Ian Nole, Town Mountain….
But it’s all in the category of damn good music to me!
Flores is not stopping anywhere near me… (Charlottesville, VA the closest), so I’ll probably not see him this tour.
August 10, 2023 @ 8:23 pm
I don’t want to presume to speak for The Stuuuurg, but it seems to me that he was embarrassed by his twangy Waylon sounding branch to the point that, before he retired and became a stump, he chopped it off. Wasn’t exactly an inspiring move…
August 11, 2023 @ 5:55 pm
Sturgill Simpson is hardly retired. He produced Miles Miller and Brit Taylor albums that came out this year. And Tyler already had great music before he even met Sturgill.
August 11, 2023 @ 9:44 pm
Is this comment for me?
August 10, 2023 @ 7:36 pm
Saw Wyatt open for CWG in Los Angeles last month. He was fantastic. And it did seem like the crowd was more packed for Wyatt’s set. And everyone singing all the songs.
August 10, 2023 @ 7:36 pm
He played a free concert in Hays, Ks after 49 cancelled, sang some of their songs and all his too. Kid is badass and a concert dynamo brought the house down????
August 11, 2023 @ 3:59 am
I went to see him open for CW Godwin and couldn’t believe how many young people that were there to see this guy I’d never heard of. He and his band were really good. Much better live than what he’s recorded.
August 11, 2023 @ 5:09 am
Dude has 2M monthly listeners on Spotify with exactly 44 minutes of music published. I’d say that qualifies as blowing up.
August 11, 2023 @ 7:29 am
And Bryan Martin has 5.5 million monthly listeners with an increase of ~2 million over the last couple months and NOBODY here is talking about it.
August 11, 2023 @ 8:49 am
I’ll have to check him out, then!
August 11, 2023 @ 6:22 am
Wyatt has been seemingly popping up everywhere for the last year or so, but I haven’t really been able to get into him. Could be due to mostly releasing acoustic songs that kind of lump him into the host of acoustic artists. I find it interesting though that his recently released song Break My Bones, his only song with a full band, seemingly trends more to Koe Wetzel or Kolby Cooper territory than the Americana lane that he is currently drawing fans from. I wonder if there will be disappointment when he finally releases an album and continues in the Wetzel Texas Country Rock lane?
Break My Bones is probably my favorite from him though.
August 11, 2023 @ 3:26 pm
Plenty of Pat Green fans used to pack our Cross Canadian shows. Back in the day.
I’ve been doing overnights and am exhausted or would drive up I-25 to see him tonight, sound previously unheard.
August 11, 2023 @ 3:47 pm
Cross Canadian Ragweed had a pretty big crossover appeal. But what made them great was the ability to attract a varied audience while still sounding like themselves. A rare feat most artists can’t replicate.
August 11, 2023 @ 8:00 pm
Big crossover appeal? Are you kidding? I was the early Wormy Dog shows with a fake ID, then at some of their bigger stuff in Texas in the early aughts. Their fans were OSU/Tech/A&M animal science types for the most part.
The only crossover appeal I saw them draw was at the Cotton Bowl when they played with the Dixie Chicks. I hung out with many stoner types in those days, and NONE OF THEM liked Cross Canadian.
In hindsight, I sort of get it. Cross Canadian was a lot of fun, but their music hardly stands the test of time. Those stoners were on to something with their criticism.
August 11, 2023 @ 8:55 pm
By crossover appeal I don’t mean cross over to mainstream radio. Ragweed appealed to me, a mostly rock guy from California at the time, due to the rock sounds in their music. I turned them on to my buddies who also liked rock, and ones who liked country. All loved them. Their appeal crossed boundaries of fans beyond the Texas music scene and woke up guys like me to a whole new music scene I didn’t know existed. I still listen to them.
August 11, 2023 @ 4:51 pm
okay, trigger… i’m taking your word on this one. I’ve never heard of Wyatt Flores before but I bought a ticket at Buck Owens Crystal Palace to see him. He’s almost sold out already, tix on sale this morning
August 11, 2023 @ 5:00 pm
Any excuse to go to the Crystal Palace is a good one.
August 11, 2023 @ 5:42 pm
its seven minutes from my house. hard to say no (I’ve seen many many shows there)
August 11, 2023 @ 9:02 pm
I miss Bakersfield and the Crystal Palace. I grew up there. I remember when it was built, and when they moved the Bakersfield sign from Union Ave to Buck Owens Blvd. Great place to see a show.
August 11, 2023 @ 9:40 pm
I read this article this morning and found the tour dates at the bottom. This is how I found out that Wyatt Flores is opening the Charley Crockett show I’m seeing tomorrow night at Belly Up Aspen. I listened to Wyatt all day today and now I’m thrilled I get to catch him in a small — 400 person — venue. Seems I’m getting two great shows for the price of one, and when I checked the Belly Up site to confirm this, turns out that Colby Acuff is opening for CWG there next month, too. I bought CWG and Charley tix, and I’m getting Wyatt Flores and Colby Acuff bonuses. I should probably go buy a lottery tIcket now. Trigger, thank you for making me aware of Wyatt, turning me on to Colby Acuff, validating Charley for me, and making me a huge fan of all things CWG. Really, I may have found them all myself, one way or another, but your writings and these comment sections opened my eyes to their depths.