By Lucia Cinquino, Staff Writer
Who: flipturn, Arcy Drive
Where: Roadrunner
When: April 5, 2025
Flipturn Switched The Energy On!
The rainy and cold Boston night couldn’t stop flipturn from attracting a sold-out show at Roadrunner last Saturday. In support of their second full-length album, Burnout Days marks a huge leap in the band's career. It is an alt-rock and new wave showcase of the importance of friendship in times of distress or burnout.
This show marked a sort of homecoming for frontman Dillon Basse, having spent most of his childhood in Massachusetts before moving to Florida, where the band flipturn began. The show was packed with energy and excitement as the two other founding members, Tristan Duncan and Madeline Jarman, supported Dillon in translating their music masterfully to the stage. The band seemed truly happy to be performing and playing off the energy of the jumping crowds that Boston had to offer.
Arcy Drive’s Final Bow
Saturday’s show marked the final night the Long Island-based band, Arcy Drive, was accompanying the Burnout Days Tour. They certainly made the most of the night, playing with all their hearts and souls. The four-piece could not have set the tone of the night more perfectly. Their rock/grunge hits like “The Itch” and “Louie” from their upcoming album, The Pit, played as rock anthems that seemed sure to stand the test of time. They joked, they laughed, and they truly were able to get the whole crowd moving. I even saw someone crowdsurfing toward the end of their set! (Do not try this at home!)
Arcy Drive will be back in Boston in the fall on their headline tour, so be on the lookout for their show. I, for one, do not want to miss it!
Enter, flipturn
After the crowd was adequately warmed up, thanks to Arcy Drive, the five members of flipturn walked on, shadowed in silhouette from the blinding lights. They started strong with “Juno,” the first song on their newest album, before transitioning right into the title track, “Burnout Days.” From the moment they began playing, you could tell they were having a great time performing. Basse’s strong upper register was impressive, and the skill of the drummer and guitarist showed off how much they have all honed their crafts.
All the songs were accompanied not only by the instrumentals but also by the voices of over 3,000 people singing the lyrics right back at the band. Most notably, during their most popular song, “August,” the crowd overtook the house, saying the lyrics “August, honey you were mine.” There is something cathartic about screaming this lyric as it comes from a place of heartbreak, having a partner move on without you. And it must be powerful to have such a large audience find the same emotion in the lyric as the writer did.
This Is A Song About Whales!
Basse’s introduction to their song, “Whales” is probably the only correct way to introduce it. The spacey and distorted guitars frankly make it sound just like a whale song echoing from the stage. This song highlights how well the band is able to use their instruments not just as a backing to the vocals but as a device for painting a fuller picture of the song. This nautical sound also follows into Burnout Days on their “Swim Between Trees.” Both songs are exhaulted by the guitars motioning to the other-worldy feeling of being underwater.
After hundreds of shows from house parties at the University of Florida to shows all across the world, flipturn lets their live experience shine. As a frequent concert-goer, I can acknowledge when a band has grown and bonded together on the road, and for flipturn, it shows. As they played more songs off their newest release, like “Sunlight” and “Tides,” it was clear that they knew how to play for a crowd. The guitar riffs and lengthed instrumental moments showed off how much fun it was for them to play on stage.
The End Draws Back To The Beginning
As they drew the night to a close, the crowd was still in a state of excitement, which was only heightened by the burst of confetti raining down at the end of “Space Cowboy.” This marked the end, and the band played themselves off before coming back on for another three-song encore. For the encore, flipturn took the chance to play the songs that gave them their beginning. “Chicago” is off of their debut EP, Heavy Colors, from 2017, and remains one of their most popular songs to date. The other two songs, “Churches” and “Nickel,” reign from their sophomore EP, Citrona, from 2017.
This nod to their start as a young band in Florida brought the night to a wonderful end. Not only did they give a nod to the beginning of their careers, but also to the beginning of the show by bringing Arcy Drive back out during “Nickel” for one last hurrah. This heartfelt goodbye gave Arcy Drive a great sendoff on the final stop supporting flipturn, but they are returning to the road shortly with a UK tour over the summer, before returning for a North American run. I cannot give enough kudos to Arcy Drive; they matched every bit of energy the crowd put out, and both them and flipturn made me remember how fun live music can be.
Flipturn is a band that cannot be fully understood and experienced until you see them live. If you are a fan of their music, or even if you are just looking for a good time, I highly recommend attending one of their shows!
