Songs performed by members of flipturn are synonymous with tangible works created by blacksmiths and welders. The concept of music turns malleable under their illustrious songwriting, bending at their will to depict songs of past loves embedded within past lives. 

This Fernandina Beach, Florida-based indie-rock band spent their February touring across the country with friends and opener Hotel Fiction, in lieu of their latest album, Shadowglow’s, release. Starting off in Lexington, Kentucky, the band stopped at aspiring festival town, Columbia Mo. mid-tour, before eventually heading back home to Florida.  

flipturn’s presence at Rose Music Hall on Feb.18 was met with great anticipation as tickets for the performance sold out by January. In the moments leading up to the performance, audience members were packed against the barricade, getting as close to the stage as possible. 

Hotel Fiction, consisting of duo Jade Long and Jessica Thompson, were accompanied by their own touring band as they took the stage by storm around 8 pm. They swayed back and forth bathed in colors of deep purple and crimson; conversing quite often with their audience, each interaction ended in resounding cheers. 

Long relied heavily on her keyboard throughout their performance, emphasizing the versatility of the instrument, which is usually overlooked in alternative rock music. The band performed their 2022 single, “Monster,” near the end of their performance, which highlighted the repetition of the same three chords, G-flat, D-flat and B-flat minor. The progression of these triads seemed to communicate feelings of consolation amongst their listeners, consolidating feelings through a medium deeper than words. 

flipturn’s performance began soon after with a rendition of Shadowglow’s lead-off track, “The Fall.” Its tantalizing yet playful guitar buildup succeeded in fostering an upbeat energy amongst the packed audience. Vocalist Dillon Basse’s nostalgic voice took charge of the entire room, sliding seamlessly in and out of multiple octaves. The slow build-up soon gave way into a rampant chorus with a repetition of words, “Waiting for the ground, thought I found innocence / in the moment, in this life” being echoed back from the audience to Basse. 

Basse’s right hand would automatically clutch into a fist every time he crooned into his microphone, shaking it in the air as added accompaniment to his lyrical laments. Lead guitarist Tristan Duncan’s hair flew free during the entirety of the concert, as he tossed his cacophony of tendrils back and forth to the beat of songs played.  

The audience was able to tell what song the band was playing within the first few strum of chords, exemplifying their loyalty to flipturn. Unsolicited yelps and cheers punctured the hazy music hall throughout the night, waking others up from the flipturn-induced daze. 

The band continued to perform songs of Shadowglow, including renditions of “Sad Disco,” “Halfway” and “Weepy Woman,” but they also delved into previously released music, taking the crowd back to the early days of  “Chicago,” “August” and “Glistening.” 

The concept of making choices influenced by nostalgia is extremely prevalent in flipturn lyrics, as the band constantly explores the “what could have been” in comparison to the “what exactly happened”. They remind listeners that everyone makes mistakes, but it’s OK. We’re all better people for the choices that we’ve made in the past. 

We are but a mere reflection of past versions of ourselves. 

Flipturn just finished their first leg of tour, but they’re continuing shows with Mt. Joy starting Aug. 15 in St. Louis, Mo.