Flipp – Turf Club – St. Paul, MN – May 17, 2025

Flipp (with Cretin Avenue Hop) – May 17, 2025 at the Turf Club, St. Paul, MN

Review and photos by Jim Zons

Flipp is one of those bands that seems to have been around forever, and I’ve always been meaning to catch at a show every year, but for some reason I just never get around to seeing them.  Well, that all ended when I FINALLY caught them in all their glory for a packed show at the Turf Club in St. Paul on May 17, 2025.

Some background on Flipp:  they were formed in Minneapolis by singer/guitarist Brynn Arens, and were known for their crazy live show including face paint, cartoonish 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” which helped launch their career. More crazy live stunts during performances in the late 90s help cement their 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.  In 2016, Flipp reunited and have been performing ever since.

At the Turf Club, the opening act was Cretin Avenue Hop, an outstanding Ramones tribute band.  Cretin Avenue Hop did a great job playing all the Ramones most popular songs (and I am always surprised at how many hits they actually had!)

Then, it was time for Flipp, and they did not disappoint!  Their stage show might not be anywhere near as crazy as those original shows back in the 1990s, but the music was still AMAZING!  Flipp is one of those bands, at least for me, where I’ll remark to myself: “you know, I don’t know this song, but I LIKE IT.”  And that was the way with most of their songs, so much so, that I ended up buying a few of their CDs after the gig because I wanted to enjoy the music again and again.  I loved the manic energy they brought to their show, and they were a perfect fit for a small, intimate venue like the Turf Club.  It may have been my first time seeing Flipp … but it won’t be my last!