Bendigo Fletcher at the Sinclair, 10/20/22

Bendigo Fletcher certainly embodies the dreamlike and grounded vibes of the indie-folk genre. The lead singer and guitarist, Ryan Anderson, shows the band’s Kentucky roots when playing the banjo and performing without shoes. The intimate environment that The Sinclair venue fosters creates a unique connection with the audience and the band. Since Bendigo Fletcher was the opener for Madison Cunningham, much of the audience was unfamiliar with the band. This did not stop the audience from being enthusiastic, attentive, and entertained. The crowd danced and swayed along with the music; when Anderson emotionally belted out the lyrics in “Broken Routine,” the crowd hooted and hollered. 

Most of the songs played in the set were from the band’s most recent album, “Fits of Laughter,” including fan favorites, “Evergreen” (a rock song referencing narcissism), “Sugar in the Creek” (a chill folk-indie jam), and “Astro Pup” (an emotional indie ballad featuring a lethargic vocal belt). The band also played two songs from their then-unreleased EP titled Wingding. 

The EP was released at midnight the night of the concert; Wingding features four dreamy folk songs. Each song on the EP has a slower pace than most of Bendigo Fletcher’s music. Even with this slow pace and similar genre, each piece manages to be vastly different from the others. Even though the crowd was shoulder to shoulder, the red and blue lighting paired with the folk indie-rock made the show feel like we were frolicking in the woods together.