The experimental and sentimental powerhouse, flipturn, have been steadily growing in success since the release of their debut album, Shadowglow. Now, returning with another exquisite full-length at the beginning of this year, Burnout Days has lifted the band to new heights, creating a fully immersive world. Comprised of lead singer Dillion Basse, lead guitarist Tristian Duncan, bassist Madeline Jarman, guitarist and synthesizer Mitch Fountain, and drummer Devon VonBalson, the band are creators and performers on the next level.
On a beautiful night in mid-August, flipturn brought their Burnout Days tour to The Sylvee in Madison, Wisconsin, for a sold-out show. Before the opening act, the room had already begun to fill up in preparation for Odie Leigh. After touring with flipturn in the past, and receiving so much adornment, they were invited back for another run.
Toting leopard print shorts, blue eyeliner, and maroon tube socks, Odie Leigh is straight up Y2K embodied. Including a pop of green in her mullet-styled hair, the look is everything for Leigh. Following suit, genre wise, her opening set was a mix of indie, rock, and a whole bunch of fun.
During her set, she absolutely held up her end of the bargain, getting the crowd excited for their headliner. She had them warmed up with a bit of circle pitting and some hands in the air, making sure the audience was ready for the night ahead. On the stage, Odie and her band are always in sync, connecting while performing or even telling jokes in between songs; they've got the banter covered. This female-fronted act was inspirational and exciting to watch on stage, from start to finish.
If you have never attended a flipturn show before, then you are in for a night of not only inspirational, heartfelt tunes, but also the most spectacular light show on the road right now. The Burnout Days tour is just that - filled with spectacle.
As the lights on staged dimmed, stage hands began treating the stage for the headlining act. Something was different about this energy. Instead of a pre-show playlist, a low hum slowly builds throughout the concert hall. It gave everyone a small sense of anxiety, or heightened anticipation. That hum continued to build until the red lights on stage suddenly dropped to pitch black.
The crowd erupted in screams as the band began entering the stage, waving to the sold-out room in front of them as the intro of their first song "Juno" played through the speakers. The unique and highly recognizable synths are like ear candy, forcing the room's attention to the stage. The first few songs on this setlist demand absolutely the highest energy, each fan in the room was off their feet singing along to each and every word. In addition to the band's strobing light show with intricate details, the fans were in for a night of excitement.
Taking a step back from the performance, the stage design and lighting deserves its own highlight. From the back of the room, I noticed the similarities between the Burnout Days album art and the light design, from the top right to the bottom left of the back wall on the stage, there were six lights that drew a diagonal line across the back wall. If compared side by side the their most recent album art, the similarities of the stars connect to the real life design perfectly, proving that the creative direction and attention to detail in flipturn's world building is second to none.
As the night went on, the crowd was gearing up for some of most memorable moments of the night. During the end of "Space Cowboy," drummer Devon hopped down off the stage into the front row, handing his drum and cymbal to two lucky fans in the front row for a drum solo. What was interesting to observe was the lack of phones in the air during this unique crowd interaction. Surely a few, but most of this crowd was simply taking in the moment and witnessing the great performance up close and personal.
Finally, as Devon returned to the stage, his drum head, literally, became his new hat for a moment. Toting it on his head before the biggest confetti show hit the air above our heads.
Within seconds, the room filled with a sea of orange and yellow, and the finale of "Space Cowboy" boomed through the speakers. Fans reached up in the air like a Messiah, feeling the cool pieces of confetti rain down over their heads like a snow storm. The moment was unforgettable and truly magical.
The Burnout Days tour concluded its second to last tour stop in Madison, Wisconsin before the final night in Columbia, Missouri. What's next for this legendary band? The UK/EU is next up to experience flipturn's immersive world starting in January 2026. Get tickets here!
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