Florida-based indie-rockers flipturn released their debut album Shadowglow last year and have been enjoying a victory lap of sold out shows in celebration. The tour has been extended into 2023, and the sell-outs have continued. We were lucky enough to catch the band back on February 3rd, on a Friday night at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro NC.
With the Cradle packed to capacity and the crowd buzzing, flipturn hit the stage and the rambunctious quintet launched into “The Fall,” the opening track from Shadowglow. The opening song was a solid punch of jangly anthemic indie-rock that landed a solid blow to the ecstatic crowd. They followed with an unexpected shift into the groovier “Sad Disco,” that kept the audience slightly off balance without losing the rising excitement. The opening salvo was a glimpse into what was to come in a wildly energetic performance, and showed that flipturn has an expansive sound that clearly draws from influences like Vampire Weekend and Phoenix.
The band, consisting of Dillon Basse (vocals, guitar), Madeline Jarman (bass), Tristan Duncan (lead guitar), Mitch Fountain (guitar, keys), and Devon Vonbalson (drums), had an undeniably charismatic stage presence whether bouncing and dancing across the stage during the more energetic songs, or creating an emotional tension that drew the crowd in on the more intimate moments. The setlist was pulled primarily from Shadowglow, with all but two songs played during the evening. A notable exception, and one of the highpoints, was a stellar cover of Tears For Fears 80’s megahit “Everybody Wants To Rule The World.”
Throughout the evening there was a constant push and pull of energy between the band and the crowd, with each threatening to top the other. By the time flipturn had launched into their three-song encore of “August,” “Churches,” and “Nickels,” everyone was a winner as the energy level was through the roof. The band were bouncing and spinning around the stage and the crowd were bouncing and spinning around the venue. Flipturn brought the energy of a tropical storm, delivering a joyous night of indie-rock that was the ideal way to start a weekend. Its easy to see why they continue to sell out shows.
Opening the evening was Hotel Fiction. Hailing from Athens GA, and formed by indie duo Jade Long and Jessica Thompson, Hotel Fiction played a set of intimate yet catchy indie-pop that quickly won over the crowd and set the tone for the evening.
Setlist:
The Fall
Sad Disco
Playground
Whales
Six Below
In Consideration
Halfway
Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Tears For Fears cover)
