flor at Paradise Rock Club 10/3/22
flor the band live from Paradise Rock Club
flor tours their new album Future Shine
I have been a flor fan since 2019 thanks to Spotify’s Discover Weekly playlist - and I haven’t stopped listening. Right before the summer started, I saw them open for The Band Camino at the House of Blues, previewing then-unreleased songs from their album Future Shine. I blasted the new release the entire summer. The 11-track record boasts sonic experimentation that shouldn’t work, but somehow does. The album moves the band into uncharted musical territory, while still being an organic expansion of their signature upbeat pop sound. You can easily imagine my excitement when I learned they were touring the career-changing album this fall. You can especially imagine my excitement when I learned they would be playing close to home: performing live at Boston’s Paradise Rock Club.
Before the band appeared on stage, the air was thick with anticipation. All of a sudden, a computerized voice began describing a variety of instruments. “This is a metronome… pretty cool, right? This is a cowbell.” The voice then encouraged the crowd to clap, and as a steady rhythm emerged, bright purple lights filled the room with a frenetic energy. “This is the Future Shine tour.” At last, the band emerged on stage and performed “Every Night.” Throughout the entire two-hour run, the band—especially lead singer Zack Grace—never seemed to run out of energy. With long red hair and a cream-colored jacket, he resembled a stylish rockstar straight out of the 80s. A quarter note drum fill took us into the next song, “Heart.” The song riffed on themes of fame and shifting commitments: Grace belted a promise that he’d never “lose [his] heart.” Despite being incredibly popular (they’ve accumulated half a million monthly listeners on Spotify), the band’s commitment to preserving their authenticity is laudable. flor never feels like one of those commercially-motivated bands—they still have the distinct rawness and passion of a young indie act. After playing two more Future Shine cuts, Grace hyped the audience, screaming “BOSTON!” and introduced the members of the band: Kyle Hill on drums, McKinley Kitts on the guitar, and Dylan Bauld on bass. Four songs into the setlist, Grace remarked how impressed he was with the Boston audience's energy and enthusiasm.
The band continued playing a medley of hits from Future Shine as well as songs from their previous EPs and albums. For longtime fans like myself, they offered an especially sweet treat; they played some of their rare cuts including the song “Never Was Mine.” flor fittingly closed out their set by playing “Gotta Do Something”, an upbeat rock ballad encouraging one to take control of their life. In a crowded pit full of wildly diverse fans, there was something about that night that made us all feel part of a whole, united by our love for flor’s intoxicating soundscapes. The sound mixing, lighting, and, of course, the performances coalesced to form a unique communal experience - one that’ll be hard to forget.