Turnover @ Union Transfer in Philly

After a month of being on the road, Virginia-based outfit, Turnover, ended their most recent headlining tour in Philadelphia, PA where they played a sold out show at Union Transfer. Something unique about Union Transfer is its moveable stage that allows for flexibility in the sizing of the venue each night. Despite the stage sitting as far back as possible, the expanded space was jam-packed as Philly-based Turnover fans came in flocks to show their support for the band’s return. Their last appearance in Philadelphia was December 17th of 2019, making this wait 1 day short of 3 whole years long – and boy was it worth the wait.

Horse Jumper of Love

The Boston-based 3 piece, Horse Jumper of Love, began the night. This hazy slowcore trio was the perfect way to kick off a Turnover show, their sound floating through the room and rocking the crowd into a sweet dream state; until the room was snapped out of its collective daydream and pulled into another as a set of groovy tunes melted off the stage and into the sea of showgoers. It was Video Age’s turn to take the stage.

Video Age

The simplest way to describe the sound of this New Orleans-based band is warm, feel-good magic or a taste of nostalgic 70’s groove for the modern listener. They make eccentric beats that make you want to sway your hips and tap your feet, inviting everyone to have fun in their movements.

Nothing beats a band that inspires you to be one of the many willing participants in an infectious dance party.

Riki

As if the first two openers weren’t enticing enough, the next act managed to combine what made each of the first two openers so special: maintaining a captivating grip on the audience and inspiring everyone with the urge to move. Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Riki’s style is reminiscent of 80’s darkwave meets synth-pop. Live, her sharp beats and electronic elements were showcased powerfully; I felt every single thump deep within my chest. Riki’s voice was just as bewitching. It was enchanting, dark, seductive; and the way she moved was mesmerizing. Despite being a one woman show, Riki proved just how fascinating a solo act can be.

As Turnover’s moment drew closer, the crowd waited in anticipation until the lights went out. It was time. The band emerged from the darkness of the stage and from their instruments flowed the dreamy, hypnotic sound of Turnover.

Turnover

Turnover’s sound feels like your muscles relaxing and all of the tension leaving your body. It’s the feeling of floating away to another place and losing control in peace. The band began their set by introducing their latest full-length release, Myself in the Way, to the live show experience. As the first handful of songs from this release floated through the room, the band proved that they had done it again, had created yet another musical masterpiece that achieved these sensations.

“People That We Know” from this album was a special song to experience as lead singer Austin Getz dedicated the performance of it to Conshohocken’s own Will Yip from Studio 4, the man responsible for helping bring every Turnover record to fruition. As Getz sang the lyric “always good to feel like you’re really being seen,” the appreciation for their longtime friend and collaborator was ever apparent.

Turnover’s performance was accompanied by a projector that provided a background for the band, its display providing a rotating arrangement of colorful and animated visuals that transfixed the crowd. The details of these visual wonders were clearly carefully chosen; as the band moved through their set, certain color themes or iconography alluded to each of their albums, almost as if these choices were an ode to their past releases and the fans that followed them throughout the years.

“Much After Feeling” and “Plant Sugar” from 2019’s Altogether were special treats to see as this album hadn’t had the chance to thrive in a live setting due to the timing of its release. “Super Natural” from 2017’s Good Nature was a song that somehow made the sold out crowd feel light and airy. And then of course there’s 2015’s Peripheral Vision, an album still dominating Turnover’s most-listened-to songs on Spotify and the bridge album that would set the precedent for their future sound to come.

Experiencing songs from an album so float-above-the-clouds, atmospheric, and ethereal, even, was surreal for first time live Turnover experiencers and veteran Turnover showgoers alike. It only took playing one note of “Cutting My Fingers Off” for the band to grasp the crowd’s attention and elicit cheers from every corner of the room. As the band ended their set with “New Scream,” the crowd appropriately responded with a scream of their own as they knew this was the last chance to give it their all. The room was filled to the brim with one big collective of glowing, radiating voices, something fitting for a band that emits the exact same thing into the world.