Flipturn plays their biggest headline show to date at The Anthem in Washington D.C.
- carolinharvey
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Live at The Anthem: Florida-band flipturn played what they declared to be their "biggest headlining show to date." Flipturn had support from Auburn University's breakout band,The Stews.
The band's lineup includes Dillon Basse (lead vocals), Madeline Jarman (bass), Tristan Duncan (guitar), Mitch Fountain (synths), and Devon VonBalson (drums).
The crowd consisted of approximately 5,100 adoring fans in the gorgeous amphitheater. It was quite the accomplishment since the last time they played D.C: two sold-out nights at the 1,200 cap 9:30 Club in April 2024. I attended night one of two, and it was truly something special. The energy was immaculate, and the intimacy of the small club made it one of my favorites from 2024. When flipturn announced their "Burnout Days" tour, I knew I had to see them again.
Before flipturn could hit the stage, The Anthem was met with the frat-boy kings, The Stews. I had a negative experience with The Stews prior to this performance. I attended their show at the 9:30 Club in July 2024 and the displeasing crowd greatly skewed my perception of them. The 9:30 Club turned into a stinky frat house for the night, and I ended up leaving the show early. So, I was skeptical going into this Anthem show.
I thought that the musicianship of The Stews was quite impressive; their jam-band-ness mixed with southern rock and blues influences was a technical feat. They entered the stage and were immediately met with "STEEWWWSSS" bellows from the crowd. There were definitely some people there JUST for The Stews. The band knows how to rock, and I even found myself nodding along to the music and imitating the "guitar face."
Flipturn's music is best for driving down a highway with the windows down, preferably in the summertime. While tracks on Burnout Days, feel more existential and nostalgic, they still make for an excellent moody drive. When flipturn hit the stage, I reveled in seeing the pure excitement on the crowd's faces. The band's set consisted of new jams from Burnout Days, but also included classics like "August," "Chicago," "Nickel," and "Glistening." "Sad Disco" is a favorite of mine, and seeing 5,000 bodies jump up and down on the Anthem floor was electric. I will say, I missed hearing "Six Below" and their cover of The Strokes's "Reptilia" this time around, but I was still beyond satisfied with the setlist.
Madeline Jarman is effortlessly fantastic on bass. She has the quintessential "cool-girl" vibe that makes me want to pick up a bass and join a band. I always love to see band girlies killing it onstage. Devon VonBalson on drums is also captivating to watch-- the energy is unmatched. He gives it his all every single song. A highlight of the set was when he jumped off the stage and onto the barricade of the crowd to allow a fan to hit the drums. He put a drum over his head, which I remember him doing at the 9:30 Club too-- it was quite endearing.
The set concluded with confetti. It was a beautiful sight I haven't seen in a long time. While I normally find confetti to be wasteful, I can't deny the joys of watching tiny pieces of colorful paper flutter around me. Flipturn just announced additional dates to the Burnout Days Tour, and if you haven't seen them live, go check them out. Burnout Days is truly a summer album, so grab your friends and go see them at your local amphitheater, or catch them at festivals like Outside Lands, Newport Folk Fest, and Lollapalooza.
Full photo gallery below. All pictures by Carolin Harvey/Tonitruale.
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