On Feb. 18, a packed Rose Music Hall welcomed the band flipturn to Columbia for its first Missouri show. Following festival performances at SXSW and Lollapalooza, the Florida-native band launched its national tour alongside its opening act — and its self-proclaimed dear friends — Hotel Fiction.

In the moments prior to the show, anticipation hummed as Rose Music Hall grew fuller. By 8 p.m. the venue reached maximum capacity, as flipturn ate its celebratory “Sold Out Show” cookie cake provided by the venue backstage.

Finally, lead singer Dillon Basse bounded on stage clad in electrified Dr. Martens, and it seemed as if at no point were both shoes simultaneously on the ground. Basse’s energy transpired into a crowd of sky-high hands and dancing feet mimicking his own.

“Chicago,” from flipturn’s 2017 EP “Heavy Colors,” invited the audience on a cross-country roadtrip through wanderlust reflection, self-determination and avoidant attachment styles.

The lyrics, “our friends all tell us how they feel trapped with no control, they say one day they’ll get out and break their parents’ mold,” washed over the crowd of 20-somethings likely currently mapping a lifeplan that balances fulfillment with security.

Devon Von Balson, flipturn’s drummer, transformed the stage into the likeness of a basement jam session with, at times, grungy yet unrestricted drumming. Both during and between songs, Walker established a chemistry between the band and crowd that invited both parties to join the collective catharsis. flipturn’s performance felt episodical, as if the audience had tuned in for the latest story following a tight-knit friend group as they make both music and memories.

Saturated in hues of red and blue, flipturn explored the space between passion and anguish with reminiscent songs of fleeting first love. “August” — the band’s top track with over 24 million Spotify streams — was reprised during the encore, but as the crowd grew with energy, it felt as if the entire set was leading to that moment. As Basse’s voice panged with redolent remorse questioning, “but don’t you remember?” the lovesick crowd crooned back “August, honey, you were mine.”

While navigating the challenges of early adult life themselves, flipturn eased the growing pains of their adolescent audience. flipturn’s music is representative of what unfolds after the stereotypical coming-of-age high school narrative — in essence, the discomfort of knowing who you are, but not yet where you are going.

Edited by Savvy Sleevar, ssleevar@themaneater.com
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