Wyatt Flores talks about ‘Milwaukee’ after playing it at Summerfest
There’s an interesting story behind the writing of the song.
Rising Red Dirt star Wyatt Flores has achieved multiple milestones in his relatively young music career, from playing international shows and earning national acclaim for his debut full-length album to embarking on his first stadium tour with Post Malone and Jelly Roll and booking an upcoming hometown stadium date in Stillwater.
Now, Flores, 24, is making his debut on the longest-running music series in American television history, “Austin City Limits.”
Along with fellow first-timer Marcus King Band — a road-tested roots-rock group from South Carolina — Flores will be featured on the Saturday, Jan. 24 episode of the revered PBS series, which is the only TV show to ever be awarded the National Medal of the Arts.
Part of the venerable program’s 51st season. Flores’ episode of “ACL” will premiere in Oklahoma at 11 p.m. Jan. 24 on OETA.
Ahead of Flores’ “Austin City Limits” bow, The Oklahoman is presenting this exclusive clip of the Stillwater singer-songwriter’s riveting rendition of his breakup ballad “Milwaukee:”
“I’ve watched so many people play on this stage, and I can’t believe I’m getting to be one of them,” Flores can be heard saying in a voice thick with emotion before crooning the heart-wrenching ode, which is from his eight-song 2024 EP “Half Life.”
Who is Wyatt Flores?
The Oklahoma native taped his “Austin City Limits” bow in September with the backing of a six-piece band anchored by pedal steel and fiddle. The Mexican American troubadour opened his set with the scene-setting title track from “Welcome to the Plains,” his celebrated 2024 debut on Island Records.
Produced by Beau Bedford (Orville Peck, Shane Smith & The Saints), “Welcome to the Plains” followed a trio of fanbase-building EPs — 2022’s “The Hutson Sessions,” 2023’s “Life Lessons” and “Half Life” — from Flores, who was born and raised in Stillwater, the birthplace of Red Dirt music.
The LP earned him widespread acclaim, an Emerging Act of the Year nomination at the 2024 Americana Honors & Awards and showcases at major music festivals like Stagecoach and Lollapalooza.
Plus, Flores has appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” NPR Music’s “Tiny Desk” concert series and “CBS Saturday Morning,” landed a song on the smash soundtrack to the movie “Twisters” and delivered his first live album, “Live At Cain’s Ballroom,” on Valentine’s Day 2025.
“Wyatt Flores is one of country music’s most vital new voices, and a songwriter whose skills at storytelling put him on par with some of the best,” said “Austin City Limits” executive producer Terry Lickona in a statement.
On Saturday’s episode, “ACL” viewers will get to watch the up-and-coming Red Dirt star close his first set on the series with his 2022 breakout single “Please Don’t Go,” which has earned more than 245 million streams on Spotify alone.
In spring, Flores will be among the opening acts when Cross Canadian Ragweed and co-headliners Turnpike Troubadours return to Oklahoma State University’s Boone Pickens Stadium to play “The Boys From Oklahoma: Round 2,” a one-night-only April 11 follow-up to last year’s four-night sold-out OSU stadium run that is believed to be the state’s biggest concert event ever. For tickets and information, go to https://okstate.evenue.net/events/CONCERT.
