After trekking on foot from Deep Ellum Station through the neighborhood’s lively bar scene, the small line wound around the outside of The Studio at the Factory were finally rewarded for the patience, and the venue door opened. As excited fans of good problem, The Wldlfe, and flor poured into the small, intimate space of the Factory, I leaned against the bar off to the side to set up my camera and patiently wait for the show to begin.
With their own unique indie/alt sounds, good problem and The Wldlfe were the perfect opening acts: hyping up the audience; giving signatures for devoted fans’ tattoos; and creating a boisterous, screaming crowd of listeners, bouncing up and down. After over an hour, it was time for flor.
The first of the four-man band took to the stage, immediately bringing a bright, poppy energy to the venue. Drummer Kyle Hill kicked off the show with a solid beat while his bandmates joined him. The cheers of the crowd nearly drowned them out, even from right in front of the stage. In an iridescent jacket (which would soon come off), lead singer Zach Grace began “Every Night,” showcasing his infamous breathy, light voice—a perfect tenor. The crowd, bursting with energy, hopped on beat and sang every word behind the barricade.
Just listening to them, flor has a sound not dissimilar to a lighter Smallpools, Coin, or Bad Suns. But in person, they feel like an entirely separate entity. Even as someone who’s been listening to them since 2017, I was surprised by how their high energy and constant smiles brought their music to a whole new level. They were amazing performers, constantly in touch with the crowd and one another. Most notably of all, they seemed to legitimately enjoy themselves. From Grace realizing his fly was down during the guitar solo on “dancing around” to banter between bandmates, the band and crowd had an evidently strong connection.
With hits of theirs such as “back again,” “Skate,” and “24,” the crowd couldn’t get enough. There was a happy, easy energy filling the venue. Guitarist McKinley Kitts brought his family to watch him, and bassist Dylan Bauld interacted with each of his bandmates during songs, yet never lost his intense focus. The crowd was pressed closely to the stage, singing every word and bouncing to every beat. Even when it was announced that only three songs were left in the set, band and audience alike didn’t appear to lose any of their excitement.
To cap off the night, flor sang one of their most popular new tracks from Future Shine, “Gotta Do Something.” The crowd screamed every word with the band and couldn’t keep still on their feet. Grace, Hill, Kitts, and Bauld couldn’t keep still themselves; bathed in rays of multi-coloured lights, they ended with a grand flourish and ran off into the wings to a smashing, and well-earned, applause.
