On November 13, Lincoln Hall was filled with mellow anticipation of Flyte and their opener Sarah Weddle. The crowd stood patiently until the evening kicked off with Weddle and her band. After introducing themselves they headed straight into the softness of Weddle’s voice and the silver crooning of the steel pedal that was strung within each song. The tone of Weddle and her band was the perfect opener to Flyte – as both artists share introspective lyrics and a certain folkiness to match.
Upon hearing the chorus of Weddle’s song “Location,” I had to save her music on my Spotify. I was surprised to find that Weddle only has about 100 monthly listeners, since the band’s talent and Weddle’s easiness on stage led me to assume she’s already got a loyal following. But, as it turns out, Sarah Weddle is a rising star in the Chicago indie scene. Despite her status as a smaller artist, Weddle’s performance resonated with the audience. Flyte picked their opener well.
The crowd grew when Flyte was welcomed to the stage. Their first number, “Losing You,” began with little warning as bassist Nick Hill plucked the dense baseline, making the crowd fall into a steady bob that followed the strums of Will Taylor’s guitar. After their cold open, Taylor and Hill expressed their gratitude to the crowd. Hill held up an open Old Style and mentioned how every city on their tour so far has their own signature cheap beer; one of the hidden American touchstones that these two Englishmen were excited to discover.
Elated, Taylor told us this was the first time on tour that he and Hill two were joined by other musicians. Taylor’s electric guitar was backed up by a talented drummer, Hill’s bass and multiple instruments played by a musician introduced as Maddie. Maddie impressively swung between the keyboard and the guitar during songs, with a white stratocaster hanging onto their neck while jamming chords during “Everyone’s A Winner.” During “Tough Love” a high note that Maddie hit while vocalizing with Taylor and Hill caused applause throughout the venue.
Each song was cushioned with the charming origin stories told by Taylor. Some songs spent years under construction. Some tunes were found far before the lyrics. Some lyrics were passed to poets, and reworked into other songs. Each of these stories featured the occasional quip or fact check from Hill. Will told tour stories from their tour down south as well, speaking about the awkward interactions you might expect from two Londoners in Arkansas for the first time; like being startled by the highways, accents and the religion.