The doors opened at 8 p.m. to a cozy, quaint tavern. There is a standard table bar past the doors with an elevated stage sitting directly in front. A pit naturally forms in the middle.
As it gradually filled up with more and more people, the lights began to dim and all eyes turned towards the stage.
A side door is flung open and out comes indie-rock band Hotel Fiction, dressed in dashing yet striking attire, taking position on the stage.
Led by Jade Long and Jessica Thompson, the band made short work transforming the small, intimate saloon into a loud, electric crowd. With eight songs in its setlist, Hotel Fiction sustained the momentum by relying on powerful and consistent instrumentals while also engaging in some light-hearted fun — encouraging singalongs and clapalongs, giving out free band merchandise, and even bringing on a band member’s dad for a hilarious performance of their song “FU Jess.”
Hotel Fiction’s opening performance brought a quirky and memorable energy with charisma. As they left and exited the stage to raucous applause, the lights slowly dim again.
The suspense was palpable and overwhelming — the audience knew what was about to happen. The side door suddenly swung open again, but this time it's flipturn. The crowd erupts into deafening cheers, showering the band with applause.
The band, oozing unabashed confidence, make their way onto the stage and into their respective kits. A melody slowly begins to play and the instrumentals follow suit as flipturn starts its 16-song set list with “The Fall.”
The crowd roared its approval and the band rode the energy through the third piece, their groovy hit song “Chicago,” during which the audience came together to sing along, following the cue of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dillon Basse. Drummer Devon VonBalson even disassembled his own kit at one point, letting the audience hold its parts on which he later unleashed a wicked drum solo. The energy was so raw yet consistently unmatched, making it an exhilarating experience.
After the 14th song, the band suddenly gets up from the stage and leaves through the side door. Confusion arises from the audience, as they aren’t sure if the show is over. Right on cue, the door swings open and the band marches back onto stage. Taking advantage of the chaos, the band plays their marquee song “August.”
This was the defining climax of the night, as everyone embraced the chaos and sang along as hard as they could. flipturn then mellowed out the energy, ending off on “Nickel,” a nice farewell to everyone that night.
flipturn performs for those looking for a great time. The band may not be a household name yet, but that doesn’t matter. They are happy being themselves, which makes their performance so genuine and so unapologetically fun.
