Turnover in Manila: If You Have to Ask, You’ll Never Know
By Joey Dizon
As I made my way through the damp streets of North Edsa, having just spent the entire day getting soaked by the horrible weather and squeezing my oversized self into one of the lovely trains of the MRT, I realized: I didn’t know much about the band I was going to watch, nor did I know what kind of show to expect. I hadn’t done this is a while: go to a concert just for the fuck of it, hoping I’d be able to learn something new despite being an old, semi-jaded music fan.
But damn, what I immediately noticed was that not even the strong winds and rain could stop the nearly thousand-strong fans from lining up early to get their sonic fix that night. Turnover, I gathered, is not just for one specific type of music fan. Theirs is a band rabidly adored by kids of all ages and tastes.
You could hear it as the entire Skydome erupted in cheers and howls as the house lights dimmed and the band made their way onstage. Instead of a deafening roar of distortion and cymbal blasts, the band—bassist Danny Dempsey, guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Austin Getz, drummer Casey Getz, and lead guitarist Nick Rayfield—flooded the entire venue with the dreamy texture and subtle layers of “Tears of Change,” a hypnotic ditty that pretty much set the mood for the evening. As the band moved on to “Myself In The Way,” and the disarming, soaring “Mountains Made of Clouds,” I could tell their fans were loving every second of the vibey, ambient trip they were delivering.
As the pace picked up with the “Cutting My Fingers Off” from Turnover’s second studio album Peripheral Vision, more screams of approval echoed in the venue. The crowd sang along and showed genuine enthusiasm, love and warmth for the band—even if this was their third time in the Philippines.
As I downed my fourth beer of the evening, I decided to give up trying to figure out the method to the band’s musical madness. There definitely was a message buried in their melodies, notes and rhythms. Almost everyone in the room seemingly got it, so it didn’t seem to matter anymore.
The evening got better and better as they played one fan favorite after another, like “What Got In The Way,” “Humblest Pleasures,” and “New Scream.” They went from one song straight into the next, with very little breathing room in between songs—just enough for the members to tune their instruments and Austin to profusely thank the Filipino audience for making the Manila stop of their 2023 Asia Tour memorable. Austin pensively expressed how lucky they felt to be able to travel the world even though that meant they’d be away from home.
As show closers “Dizzy on the Comedown” and “Take My Head” delivered a proper crescendo, fans seemingly didn’t want to go home, and screamed for an encore. But none was given, and I don’t think one was needed.
Judging by the excited smiles, positive energy, and stories I heard on my way out, Turnover delivered the goods and sent everyone in attendance home on a high note. That’s what’s important.
