Southern rock band Futurebirds played in Oxford on Wednesday, Nov. 12 to a packed crowd at The Lyric. Garnering a mix of fans ranging from University of Mississippi students to Oxford locals, the band from Athens, Ga., took the stage a little after 9 p.m. and played a selection of songs from their newest album “Easy Company.”
Tennessee-based indie country artist Joelton Mayfield opened by playing a series of original songs, letting his bandmates sing on a handful while he played the acoustic guitar.
“I just put out my first album, and this is my first show since,” Mayfield proudly announced to the crowd toward the end of his set.
Between the opener and the main act, fans pushed to the front of the venue eagerly awaiting Futurebirds’ set.
Sophomore real estate major Will Garner has been a fan since he first saw the band in 2023.
“I first saw Futurebirds at the (Ryman Auditorium) in Nashville in 2023, and I only knew three or four of their songs,” Garner said. “But I just had so much fun, and I’ve been a fan since. … I guess the song I’m most excited for is ‘Wear it Out. ‘Trippin’ is their most popular song though, so they’re definitely gonna play that one.”
Junior professional sales major Hays Drummonds expressed excitement about seeing the band for the first time.
“I have been a fan for a few years now,” Drummonds said. “Some of my coworkers said they were great live, and I guess I’m really hoping they play ‘College Try.’”
Some fans were eager to express which songs they were most excited to hear.
“I really want them to play ‘All Damn Night,’” Connor Wolfe, a senior integrated marketing communications major, said.
Nick Masi, a senior sport management major, agreed.
“I love ‘Trippin,’” Masi said. “It’s their most popular song for a reason.”
Futurebirds opened the show with their song “Well Meaning.” Throughout the show, guitarists Daniel Womack and Carter King alternated singing. King played lead, electric guitar, while Womack took acoustic. Brannen Miles played bass.
“Trippin” got the loudest reaction from the crowd when the band began to play it. Immediately phones and cameras shot up from the crowd while audience members belted the lyrics. As the show wound down, the band began to interact with the audience a bit more, signing the occasional hat and even taking a video with the crowd.
As soon as they took a bow after playing “College Try” — another song that received an enthusiastic reaction — the audience screamed for an encore before the band could even leave the stage. After returning, they played “All Damn Night” before finishing off with a strong cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil.”
“We had a great time tonight,” King said.“We used to come to Oxford and play Proud Larry’s a whole lot, and we’re about to get dinner there to relive that a little bit.”
