The Mycenaean

Indie rock band, Flipturn, performed at The Ritz in Raleigh, NC on Apr 17, 2024. 

Going into the concert, I knew maybe three of the band’s songs. I got a ticket to the concert as a gift, but I wasn’t a huge fan of Flipturn by any means.

Since I didn’t know most of their songs or band lore, I was hoping for the best but preparing for the worst in terms of enjoying the concert.

I was absolutely blown away.

My friends and I were lucky enough to find a spot on the barricade at the very front of the crowd. I can confidently say our spot made the concert for me.

Had we been in the back or behind a bunch of people, unable to comfortably see the bands, the experience would have been much different.

We were so close to the front that we could make eye contact with the band members as they were performing; It was my first time experiencing a concert from that perspective.

The concert started with a stellar performance by Ritchy Mitch & The Coal Miners; their enthusiasm and crowd interaction managed to create an energy that electrified the crowd. 

I wish I could go back and see them again because after seeing them open for Flipturn, I added several of their songs to my favorite playlist.

By the time Flipturn came on stage, I was already starting to lose my voice.

The second the first song started playing and Flipturn walked on stage surrounded by the amazing light effects, the crowd went insane.

Even though I didn’t know the first couple of songs, I was immediately caught up in the energy of the crowd and the music.

The band members themselves were interacting with each other during the entire concert  — playing off each other’s riffs, dancing around each other, coming up to the crowd, and genuinely feeding off each other’s excitement.

Being so close up to the stage, it was such an incredible experience to be able to see the band simply have fun playing their instruments, singing, and dancing; it made the performance that much more personable.

Despite walking into the concert feeling passive about the upcoming performance, I left the venue with a few new favorite songs and one of the best concert experiences of my life.