Review: Flaming Lips (etc.)

Wayne Coyne pops his own balloon, setting off a shower of confetti. Photos by Rich Sugg/The Star 

If there is such a thing as a typical Flaming Lips show, Friday's set at Sandstone before a crowd of about 4,800, was one of them: over-boiling with jubilance, levity, erotica, visual effects, child-like sing-alongs, levity and a communal spirit that is as robust and earnest as it is contrived. This was a typical Lips show because, as usual, it was unlike any other show.

 

Wayne Coyne and his band don't believe much in foreplay, so Friday's 100-minute-plus extravaganza opened orgasmically. To a blitzkrieg of smoke, lights, balloons and confetti, most of the band emerged via the background video image of a tripping woman's loins. Then Coyne emerged, inside his famous hamster ball, and surfed the crowd. At the same time, in a bank of clouds far to the north of Bonner Springs, some outrageous lightning flickered and flashed. Nothing like starting a show with the energy and spectacle of a finale. 

Of the six Lips shows I've seen, this one falls somewhere in the top three or four. (None will beat that Uptown show a few years ago.) This one included most of the standard rituals, and the crowd threw itself into each one. There were big sing-alongs to "Yeah Yeah Yeah Song," the acoustic versions of "She Don't Use Jelly" and "Yoshmi."  (Coyne stopped "Jelly" after the crowd's clapping-in-time "f***ed me up," he said.) There was also the anti-war rendition of "Taps" and the transcendent closer, "Do You Realize?" which has become its era's version of "Imagine." 

But this one included some new twists and fresh moments, like "I Can Be A Frog," starring drummer Kliph Scurlock of Lawrence, Kan., and hellfire versions of "Pompeii Am Gotterdamerung" and "Convinced of the Hex" in which Scurlock, Steven Drozd, Michael Ivins and Lip-in-training Derek Brown showed what a taut and powerful live band they can be -- a fact that sometimes gets lost in all the dazzle and flash. It also included some new videos and some new effects, like the giant hands that sprayed green lasers.

And most notably, with some backup from members of Starship & White Dwarfs (one of the opening bands), it included "Brain Damage" and "Eclipse" from the Lips'/Dwarfs' (and others') remake of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon."

Coyne brought the evening to a warm, calm, slow-moving resolution-- a nearly whispered final line to "Do You Realize?" Smoke still hung in the air, streamers wafted from the scaffolding above the stage, and confetti carpeted the front section. And 4,000-plus fans left looking blissfully like they gotten exactly what they'd expected.  

Setlist: Worm Mountain, Silver Trembling Hands, Yeah Yeah Yeah Song, In The Morning of the Magicians, She Don't Use Jelly, I Can Be A Frog, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robits, Pt. 1, See the Leaves, Powerless, Pompeii Am Gotterdamerung, Taps, The W.A.N.D., Convinced of the Hex. Encore: Brain Damage, Eclipse (with Stardeath & White Dwarfs), Do You Realize?

Dead Weather: They might as well have been the co-headliner. Any time Jack White is on the bill, he's a main attraction. He shares the spotlight with lead singer Alison Mosshart of the Kills, whose personae in this band evokes both Karen O and P.J. Harvey. White mostly plays drums in this project, but he sang plenty and played some guitar, too, radiating plenty of rock-star charisma, no matter what he did.

The set list drew heavily from its "Horehound" album, songs like "60 Feet Tall,"  "Hang You From The Heavens," "I Cut Like A Buffalo" and "Treat Me Like Your Mother." But they tossed in a couple from the upcoming "Sea of Cowards" album, like "Hustle and Cuss" and "No Horse," plus a cover of "Forever My Queen" by the metal band Pentagram, one of the Dead Weather's standard openers.

The live versions of these sludge-blues/stoner-rock tunes sound more dynamic and varied than the recorded versions, but that has a lot to do with "Jackie White," as he introduced himself, being in the same room with them.

Minus the Bear: They get points for ambition and creativity for putting all that prog in their pop, but they also prove you can put a little too much fartsy in the old artsy. Its 35-minute set inclued "Throwin' Shapes," "Into the Mirror," the groovy "Get Me Naked 2: Electric Boogaloo" and "Hold Me Down." Maybe it's because their music is better-suited to headphones than a one-third-full amphitheater or because the Dead Weather was in waiting, but the mood during their set was as mellow as it would get all night.

White Rabbits:  Their music is grandiose, dynamic, eclectic, groovy and melodic, and it easily filled the large space before them. "They Done Wrong, We Done Wrong," was one of a few highlights of their 30-minute set.

The Ettes: This Nashville band is now on tour with the Dead Weather and during its 20-minute set, it showed why that pairing is a good fit. Its blend garage and punk went over well, thanks largely to the lively Linday "Coco" Hames. The setlist included the scuzzy and lustful "Red In Tooth and Claw."

Stardeath & White Dwarfs: By the time they started their happy-hour set (around 4:15 p.m.), the crowd before them numbered only in the few hundreds. Despite the vastness of their surroundings, they sounded surprisingly powerful during a 20-minute that included the tasty psychedelic pop tune "New Heat."

| Timothy Finn, The Star

Comments

[JW]

Agreed, I think the show at the Uptown was the best, but maybe because that was the first one I'd seen. Red Rocks last year was amazing too.

This show just seemed to lack the energy. I don't think I'll go to another show until they come up with a new setlist/performance.

[Steve]

4800? Ouch.

[nick]

I, too, saw the Lips' Uptown show, and this one lacked something in comparison. The Uptown show's vibe seemed mostly about child-like fun mixed around songs about hope and getting through . Last night's show, with it's quirky new songs and naked woman on the vidoe screen, seemed rougher and edgier and maybe more adult...but that wasn't a bad thing. I particularly liked the performance of new song "Powerless"...Ivins' repetitive bass groove never got old. And Morning of Magicians was a highlight for me...Drozd guitar playing was mesmerizing.

I noticed Wayne Coyne watching most of the Dead Weather's set...looking very into what they were doing. Cool to see.

Speaking of Dead Weather, I was very impressed. Alison Mosshart really gets into her performance (character?). The guitarists were both very good, but lets be honest, if Jack White's on the stage, he takes over. White is just simply impossible to take your eyes off of, whether he's singing, playing guitar or drumming. I've seen him in the Stripes, Raconteurs and 'Weather, and each time his stage appeal is UNREAL. The final song, with Jack playing a jaw-droppingly-great bluesy guitar for the first time, was worth price of admission to the festival. The song must have lasted 10 minutes, and I wish it would have gone on forever.

[mankvill]

Pentagram is a US doom metal band! D:

The Flaming Lips were so much better this time around than when I saw them at Wakarusa. It was really awesome. My favorites were the Yeah Yeah Yeah Song and the sing-along to Yoshimi. So much fun!

The Dead Weather surprised me a lot, as well. As a metalhead, they were so much heavier than I expected. Great stuff, and all the bands during the day were really good. Got my monies worth, and then some.

There's a review on my blog, too!

[tim finn]

i stand corrected and remind myself to double-check everything you read on the inner-tubes. (i might have been thinking about john renborn when i wrote that, too)

[Green]

I had a blast at this show, forget ranking them, best show second best, its about having a great time and it was had last night. No doubt the Uptown show was epic but this one was special. The entire evening was dream like. Jack White was a nice touch, kinda thing you would expect to entire into an evening like lasts and then fade away. A touch of dark side with wayne pointing to the moon was sweet.

[bob]

"4800? Ouch."

Indeed. The Lips have been playing the same show for 6 or 7 years. They aren't that great musically, so they really need to change it up with the performances. If he is till rolling out in the hamster ball, well...

Likeable band. Not that good, but they marketed the hippie festival circuit really well and should be commended. But, I think a less than 5000 showing last night means almost everyone is sick of the old dog and pony show.

[Jen]

I thought, musically, the Flaming Lips sounded great. With their new album, Embryonic & their version of Dark Side of the Moon, I was expecting them to go all in and totally embrace the psychedelic vibe. I was disappointed that they brought the "radio" songs like "Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" and "She Don't Use Jelly" when there were so many other great songs from their back catalog which would have flowed a lot better. Those songs did interject some energy back into the show, but that was just because it was familiar. All and all it was a great start for this year's outdoor concert season.

[Scott]

I thought it was sad and pathetic that 50 something men resorted to the most banal and predictable cliches for their performance. Pandering to 23 year olds is a weak way to make a living. Their blatant political "message" in support of Obama disgusted me. There are better bands out there for much less money.

[mankvill]

you're just now ranting about The Flaming Lips' political message?

[tim finn]

almost 5,000 is about what they expected. the lips played at the uptown, which holds 2,300. This show pulled twice as much. Hell, the white stripes only drew about 5,000 to starlight the one time they played there. crowd size at this show is a nonstory, either way.

[mankvill]

I was in the GA seats and as the Lips went on I looked around and saw that almost all of GA was packed, but the seats up above were just getting filled in. Didn't see anyone in the lawn area, but then I realized that I was seeing The Flaming Lips, not Metallica, and expected it was a good turnout for them.

[Green]

The lawn was gated off, it was a seat and standing room show only. I dont see how you could complain about the show. The performance was one of the most psychedelic ones I have ever seen. The strobes with the music, freaking insane. At times I had to close my eyes, it was sensory overload. You have to expect a couple radio hits and the giant ball, sorry, but it doesn't get old. As for the political message, its all good, its just an opinion, the guy likes obama, let him run with it. I like seeing someone speak about something they love, for it or against it, i just love to see it. There is a guy on the plaza from time to time, he stands on a corner and preaches, most people seem annoyed or oblivious to the rant but every time i see i smile. You gotta like that stuff, enough said!

[Kurt]

Which of today's four shows are going to get a review? I hope for TSO and they weren't reviewed the last two winter tours here.

TSO at Music Hall; Tyler Perry at Sprint Center; Gary Sinise at Uptown and Tim Conway at the Ameristar.

[Sense]

Gary Sinise at Uptown

[GBarr]

I had a great time at this, my first, Flamings Lips concert. It was everything I expected it to be. As far as the few political messages, they don't bother me any more. I have a new way to deal with that. I just make a donation to a political group I know they would not approve of. In this case I will give an amount equal to my ticket price to the George W Bush presidential library.

[Green]

Dont you mean the George W Bush Center For Kids Who Can't Read Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too

[tim finn]

we'll be at nickelback and PiL on monday.

[mankvill]

@Green:

How can they fit inside of it when it's so small?

[Vandelay]

50-something men? Pandering to young people? You must have mistakenly attended a Bon Jovi concert.

[Observed]

Just ignore scottgirl.
If you had payed attention you would have noticed that scotty never has a nice to say about anything. There is no balance with her. She is just a mean spirited troll

[jjskck]

I wasn't so taken with Dead Weather. For all Jack White's charisma, it is wasted downstage behind the drum kit where he spent most of the night.

I thought the Lips were great. How jaded do you have to be to go to one of their shows and complain that you've seen some of the stuff before? I actually liked the pace of this show better than the one at the Uptown, which got too wordy/talky/political at times. He spent way less time with the "message" at this show.

[trdedektiflik]

thank you