Chances are you know the choruses to at least two Plain White T’s songs.
One such hit is “Hey There Delilah,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on July 28, 2007.
Almost 20 years later, the pop-rock band is still around and just surprised fans with a unique performance of the track — at 35,000 feet.
Southwest Airlines is celebrating 15 years of its signature Live at 35 program that brings live pop-up performances to customers onboard flights. Plain White T’s were one of the first artists to perform onboard a Southwest flight when the program launched in 2011, according to the airline’s news release dated Tuesday, June 16.
“We’ve played a lot of venues over time, and I speak for all of us when I say there is nothing like hearing a plane full of people singing along with your music at 35,000 feet,” said Tom Higgenson of the Plain White T’s in a statement, per Southwest. “We had the opportunity to perform inflight with Southwest over a decade ago, and while that can feel like it was a million years ago, not much has changed. We loved making history with Southwest and their welcoming team.”
The band’s decision to play “Hey There Delilah” is significant since it continues to draw crowds and has resurfaced on TikTok of late, with billions of plays. Check out a recent upload to the social platform below as one example, which has more than 65,000 likes and counting.
@justprestyn Hey There Delilah – @Plain White Ts #guitar #music #cover #singing @Taylor Guitars
♬ original sound – Prestyn Smith
Past Live at 35 performances have featured independent artists and mainstream musicians, and the airline says it plans to dial up the experiences in the coming months, with more artists performing at new heights. The Plain White T’s recent performance included Higgenson, 47, as lead singer and guitarist, accompanied by Tim Lopez on lead vocals and guitar, Mike Retondo on backing vocals and bass, and De’Mar Hamilton on percussion.