Fresh off the October release of his debut album, Welcome to the Plains, Wyatt Flores continued his hot streak today with an appearance at NPR’s now-iconic Tiny Desk Concert in Washington, D.C..
For those unfamiliar with the Tiny Desk Concert format, it typically consists of artists performing a three to four-song set behind the desk of former All Songs Considered host, Bob Boilen. The format has produced some of the most iconic performances from artists across genres, ranging from Mac Miller and Tyler, The Creator to Chris Stapleton and Tyler Childers.
For music fans, especially independent ones, Tiny Desk Concerts have been considered some of the best formats to not only be introduced to smaller acts but also to hear artists deliver reimaginings of some of their biggest songs.
With that being said, it should come as no surprise that Flores referred to the set as a “bucket list item” for him and his band while announcing his appearance on Instagram.
Flores’ Tiny Desk Concert consisted of four songs off of Welcome to the Plains, including the title track, “When I Die,” “Little Town” and “Oh Susannah,” and once again proves why Flores is currently one of the best artists in the genre. As mentioned previously, the concert format allows artists to deliver an intimate performance in the cramped space behind Boilen’s desk inside of NPR’s offices, and Flores did just that.
Before performing the set’s closer, “Oh Susannah,” Flores dove deep into the incredible year he’s had in the genre and also touched on some of the struggles he’s faced over the year, “I had to take a step back earlier this winter, and I’m glad I did. I’m still learning because I’ve never toured harder in my life. I never realized how hard this would be. I’m also learning boundaries, and I had no idea what co-dependent meant. I had to take a step back because I was giving too much of everything when it wasn’t asked of me.”
Between the vulnerability shown in his monologue before “Oh Susannah,” the minor mistakes while starting “When I Die” and the lyrics present throughout the aforementioned setlist, there is absolutely no doubt that Flores is one of the most important and genuine artists working today. There’s a certain amount of relatability, empathy and gratitude found not only in his lyrics but also him as a person, and it makes watching him perform these tracks all the more rewarding.
Watch the full performance here: