When Flipturn took the stage at The Windjammer on July 4th, the timing couldn’t have been more cinematic. Fireworks cracked all over the island while a sold-out crowd crammed shoulder to shoulder inside the beloved beachfront venue, ready for their own sonic explosion. Flipturn delivered, not just with their signature emotional crescendos and indie-rock catharsis,
But with a sense of presence that made both nights unforgettable.
Night One: July 4th
Night one was electric, and the energy was wild from the first note of “Juno.” The smell of salt air, sunscreen, and the occasional whiff of gunpowder mixed with the kind of anticipation only a Flipturn show can bring. Fireworks lit the sky behind the venue, but Flipturn lit the fuse on stage. For a band that cut its teeth on Florida’s coast, Flipturn felt right at home on this stretch of Carolina beach.
The Windjammer, a venue known for its oceanfront soul, pulsed with energy as fans, many barefoot, sun-kissed, and hoarse by night’s end, packed in for a pair of shows that felt more like homecomings than concerts. “Chicago” turned the floor into a joyous frenzy, while “Whales” sent shimmering waves of sound through the packed house.
Each member brought something unforgettable that first night. Tristan Duncan’s guitar work was razor-sharp, clean one moment, blistering and wavy the next. Madeline Jarman on bass was pure kinetic energy, hair flying as she locked into every groove. She was undeniable, anchoring the chaos with something steady and hypnotic.
Mitch Fountain’s synth textures floated through the crowd, adding lift and atmosphere that made the songs feel not just heard but felt. And Devon VonBalson kept the heartbeat strong, his drum work both precise and alive, especially during “Space Cowboy.”
The crowd was locked in, and so was the band, feeding off every cheer, every scream, every hand in the air. Flipturn was just getting started.
Flipturn at The Windjammer (Night One Photos)
All photos by Clif Rhodes (@clif.rhodes.photo)
Night Two: July 5th
Night two dug even deeper, building on the frenzy of the Fourth with a show that was even more energetic but also leaned more into connection. Frontman Dillon Basse was a force. He danced across the stage like the floor was alive, spinning, jumping, and losing himself in the music.
During “Right?,” he launched into the air mid-chorus, knees tucked, eyes closed, pouring every ounce of emotion into each movement. It wasn’t polished, it was raw, human, and electric. And the crowd moved with him, like waves pulled by the same moon.
Both nights, Devon VonBalson took it to a whole new level. One of my favorite drummers to shoot. He is bananas on the drums, and puts his all into every time. Late in the set, he climbed into the crowd, drum in hand, and began playing right up against the barricade, face-to-face with fans who couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
The beat pulsed through the sand as the crowd slammed their palms against the rail in rhythm with him. It wasn’t just a drum solo; it was a shared heartbeat. That moment summed up the entire weekend: boundaryless, honest, alive.
Tristan Duncan and Madeline Jarman traded riffs with infectious chemistry all night, and Mitch Fountain’s synth textures blanketed the space like a dream. Flipturn wasn’t performing to the crowd; they were inseparable.
Instead of staying on stage, Dillon jumped down into the crowd, mic in hand, barefoot as ever, and waded into the mass of fans. He didn’t just sing to them, he sang with them. Surrounded, his voice rang out over the sea of bodies, every lyric shouted back at him like gospel.
By the time “Nickel” closed out the second night, voices were gone, shirts were drenched, and no one wanted it to end. Flipturn didn’t just play The Windjammer; they transformed it into something bigger: a place where music, the ocean, and hundreds of strangers felt like one.
From Fourth of July fireworks to barricade drum breaks, Flipturn’s Windjammer takeover was more than a show; it was something special. One of those nights (and then another), you wish you could bottle up forever.
Flipturn at The Windjammer (Night Two Photos)
