From bittersweet beginnings practicing in a Fernandina Beach, Florida garage, to finding their footing playing countless sold-out headline shows across the country, flipturn is a five-piece indie band that is worth rooting for. From hearing their music for the very first time years ago, to now finally getting the opportunity to see them play live for the first time, flipturn has an infectious spirit about them that is impossible to ignore.
Band members Dillon Basse (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Tristan Duncan (lead guitar), Madeline Jarman (bass), Mitch Fountain (synth), and Devon VonBalson (drums) sound as if they were born to play music together. It is clear from the first moment they step on stage that these bandmates have an unbreakable bond with one another and that they each serve as an essential piece to the puzzle that is flipturn.
Once the band takes the stage, it’s not long before their set ignites with “Churches,” an electric and high-energy track that also happens to be one of the band’s first releases back in 2018. From the start of the set, flipturn’s energy is kinetic, inviting the crowd to reflect that energy right back to them. From the constant stream of dancing, jumping, and crowd engagement, it is a captivating experience to watch this band play a live show.
While flipturn’s setlist included nearly two hours worth of addictive songs from their 2022 debut album Shadowglow as well as some fan favorites from the band’s early beginnings like “Chicago,” flipturn was also gracious enough to play a few new, unreleased tracks for the crowd. If these new songs are any predictor of what’s in store next for flipturn, we should all be very excited.
As their set reached to its conclusion, the crowd roared for an encore, and flipturn listened. Back to the stage they came, still not having lost even an ounce of their energy, to flawlessly cover and put their own spin on The Strokes’ “Reptilia.”
The ethos of flipturn lies within the band’s kindred spirit and love for music, both of which shine through during every single one of their live shows on the Something More Tour, which is an experience that fans of flipturn will cherish forever.
Words by Sara Welden
Photos by Ashton Sotiro