In case you missed The Flaming Lips at the Kettle
William Munoz
(Missoula Current) The Flaming Lips have been active recording and touring for 40 years. They have won three Grammy's, including two for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.
Q magazine's listing in 2002 of the “50 Bands to See Before You Die” was prophetically anticipating the 2023 tour of The Flaming Lips' critically acclaimed album “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.”
Coming out of Oklahoma City, the Flaming Lips accomplished what few bands have – longevity in spite of major personal changes. Wayne Coyne is the only original member left after Michael Ivins departed in 2021. As the band's front man, it is hard to imagine The Flaming Lips without Coyne's presence and positive vibes.
Most of their songs are dealing with positive feelings. The 2002 'Do You Realize' is a great example. If a song might be dealing with a difficult subject, Coyne introduces it by asking everyone in the audience to hold dear anyone who might be with them with positive energy and love.
This likely is a result of the affect drugs have had over the years on band members, which was documented in the 2005 “Fearless Freaks” directed by Bradley Beesley.
The band is labeled as psychedelic rock, alternative rock or Indie rock. Seeing them live brings the notion of theater to the rock world as much as Alice Cooper does. The four giant pink robots effectively fill the stage and the projection screen behind the band.
Displaying images in rapid sequence with the lyrics creates an effect that has its origins in the 60's primitive psychedelic light shows. The actual musicians on the stage are mostly lost in the production. Many in the audience were young a testament to the lasting endearment of The Flaming Lips.
The best-known song, “Do You Realize,” was written by Coyne while the band was recording 'Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots,' and band member Steve Drozd was trying to kick a heroin addiction.
Coyne is quoted in an interview as saying '"Whenever I analyze the scientific realities of what it means to be living here on Earth – in this galaxy – spinning around the sun – flying through space – a terror shock seizes me. I'm reminded once again of how precarious our whole existence is.”