Flipp – Turf Club – St. Paul MN – February 27th 2026

Flipp (with Sunshine Behavior) – February 27, 2026 at the Turf Club, St. Paul, MN

Review and photos by Jim Zons

Flipp has become one of my favorite bands to see live, so when I saw that they were coming back to the Turf Club in St Paul for another live show on February 27, 2026, I knew I had to be there!

Some background on Flipp:  they are an original Minneapolis band formed by singer/guitarist Brynn Arens, and were known for their crazy live shows that included face paint, wacky antics, and utter unpredictability.  They made a splash in the mid-90s hey days of MTV with a homemade video of their version of the Who’s “My Generation” on the show “120 Minutes” which helped launch their career. More outrageous live stunts during performances in the late 90s help ensure that they had a loyal following, but the unfortunate timing of signing to a new record label that went out of business just as they were finally on the cusp of radio success helped lead to their eventual break up in 2003 (it’s a story Brynn shares during live shows).  In 2016, Flipp reunited and have been performing ever since. Flipp’s current lineup consists of original founding members Brynn Arens on guitar and lead vocals, Greg Eidem (performing as Cherry Forever) on bass and vocals, and Eric Bretl (performing as Kilo Bale) on drums, and more recent addition Eric Vobejda (performing as E Mono Verbatim) on guitar.

At the Turf Club, the opening act was another local band Sunshine Behavior. Sunshine Behavior started playing in 2004, split up in 2008, and then at some point “got the band back together again” as lead singer Harley Wood put it during their set. Sunshine Behavior consists of Jimmy Lyback on bass, Jeremy Krueth on drums, Justin Schommer on guitar, and Harley Wood on vocals. Their sound was alternative rock: my friends Jeff and Steve who tagged along with me felt they heard some influences from Counting Crows, Tool, and even Tragically Hip in their diverse mix of original music. It was a great set!

Soon, it was time for Flipp, and they did not disappoint!  Brynn took the stage with his signature middle finger out at the audience (FLIPPing them off, get it??) and then got right into a high energy set starting off with fan favorite “Clone Me.” The next two hours were filled with their greatest hits and more, including favorites like “The Ride,” “I Still Love Rock and Roll,” “Brand New Day,” Rock Star,” and more. If you’ve never experienced a Flipp show, prepare to be transported back in time to the high energy punk rock sound of the 90s through their entire set, peppered with great “behind the scenes” stories from front man Brynn Arens. Also, expect them to depart from their setlist often, with impromptu covers and unplanned guests on stage!  Friday’s show featured full length covers of Three Dog Night’s “Joy to the Word” and the Replacements “Can’t Hardly Wait” in addition to bits of “Smoke on the Water,” “Iron Man,” and even “Love Gun” which featured Cherry Forever sounding almost exactly like Paul Stanley! At one point they brought up Beth Norris Hill, lead singer with Minneapolis based bands Sugar Buzz and Queen of the Ryche, on stage to wow the crowd with an amped up, impromptu version of “Proud Mary.”  There were so many diversions from the setlist that they somehow didn’t perform one of their biggest hits, “Freak,” even though it was on their setlist! They more than made up for it though with the entertaining antics, stories and great music.” At 66 years old, Brynn Arens shows no signs of slowing down, and that’s just fine with me;  they can keep living up to their last album’s title: Too Dumb To Quit!  A small, intimate venue like the Turf Club is the perfect venue too see a band like Flipp; next time they come back, make sure you’re there!