Wyatt Flores brought a little bit of Stillwater, Oklahoma to Boston during his December 7 performance at MGM Music Hall. With a keyboard behind him boasting the Oklahoma Flag, Flores opened the show with “Welcome to the Plains,” the namesake song of his debut album, which was released on October 18. After a few songs, Flores removed his now-signature vest and hoodie, revealing a personalized Red Sox jersey. The crowd overwhelmingly approved of this gesture, fitting for a music venue in Fenway Park. 

The show’s electric energy began during Evan Honer’s opening set when Flores came on stage to sing the duo’s “Take Me as I Come.” Between his folk-inspired songs, Honer managed to fit in a few back handsprings and cartwheels. There is a true friendship and camaraderie between the two, who have been touring together on one of the last runs of the tour. Honer came out later during Flores’ set to sing “I Believe in God,” from Flores’ Half Life EP released earlier this year in April. Later in the show, Flores brought a fan up to sing “Running Out of Time” after noticing her sign reading “It’s my birthday, let me come up and sing ‘running.'’’ 

Flores doesn't have many love songs, but he played one of his most heartfelt ones, “Right Here With You,” at the perfect time: right after a couple got engaged in front of him on the floor. Flores was shocked, telling the audience, “This is the first time someone’s ever gotten engaged at one of my shows.” The 23-year-old from Oklahoma seems to have found his stride as a performer: confident and comfortable on stage, engaged with the audience, and a great storyteller between songs. His themes of love, loss, and personal growth resonated with his Boston audience, who screamed the words of “Oh Susannah,” a song dedicated to his fanbase, back to him. 

Wyatt Flores’ Oklahoma roots are embedded in his music, particularly in his homecoming anthems “Little Town” and “Stillwater.” Though “Stillwater” is about growing up in the shadow of a college town, I suspect Boston-based fans might struggle to relate, as according to Spinal Tap, it's not exactly a big college town. It’s no surprise that one of Flores’ biggest inspirations is Evan Felker of Turnpike Troubadours, a fellow Oklahoman whose songwriting draws from the heartland’s landscapes, balancing nostalgia, pain and yearning in their emotional ballads.  

Following his show in Boston, Flores went on to play two nights at the iconic Ryman Auditorium, bringing peers like The Castellows on stage to sing their duet “Sober Sundays” and Charles Wesley Godwin to cover Chris Knight’s “The Jealous Kind.” As his star continues to rise, it’s clear that Wyatt Flores is carving a space for himself as one of country music’s most compelling storytellers, bringing the spirit of Stillwater to audiences across the country. Boston audiences were lucky to experience such an amazing performance, and are eager for his return to Beantown.

// Carly Brail '26 is a staff writer for Hillbilly Jamboree and the Blues Hangover.