On Tuesday, Sept. 12, Charlottesville experienced an indie-rock invasion of novel proportions. Indie-rock sensation The Flaming Lips played for the first time in Charlottesville at the Pavilion to a very large, very excited crowd.
The Flaming Lips were preceded by experimental rock band Deerhoof. Based out of San Francisco, this three-piece began as a duo. Then guitarist Rob Fisk and drummer Greg Saunier began Deerhoof with the mission to balance organization and melody, with chaos and dissonant noise. The group expanded to include a new guitarist, John Dietrich, and vocalist, Sotomi Matsuzaki, but they kept their original sound.
Listening to Deerhoof on a CD or iPod, one has a difficult time making sense of the dissonance in relation to the sporadic melody. Seeing and hearing them live didn't make that easier. Switches from melody to cacophony were accompanied by a simultaneous move to flailing arms and legs. During the more melodic parts, these moves were watered down to an almost military precision, with Matsuzaki regaling the audience with pictographic hand gestures.
The only flailing limbs to be found in The Flaming Lips performance were Wayne Coyne's as he rolled over the crowd in a giant balloon. Oh yeah, and those belonging to the 30 or so girls on stage dressed up as Santas and aliens. Costumed dancers and Wayne Coyne in a balloon are par for the course for this group.
The Flaming Lips hail from Oklahoma and were formed after Coyne crashed bassist Michael Irvin's party in 1983. From there the group went through several phases, beginning as a cover band and transitioning to what they are now. Their sound is hard to describe other than capping it under the alternative/indie-rock title. Some have come to call them "acid-bubblegum rock." What you can call them for sure are "geniuses" -- geniuses that put on one great show.
In addition to Wayne Coyne rolling over the crowd in a balloon; there were cannons that shot out confetti; two large smoke machines, which, when fired obscured any sign of The Flaming Lips; and giant balloons. Their set crew and photographers also joined in on the fun, dressing up as superheroes.
Accompanying each song was a video on the projector screen behind the band. Some were the music videos of songs, like "Yoshimi battles the Pink Robots," and "She Don't Use Jelly." Their song "Free Radicals" from At War With the Mystics, the new album, was accompanied by the internet clip of a Japanese game show where girls wearing meat hats acted as bait to giant lizards.
The Lips performed several songs from Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, the album that shot them into worldwide stardom, such as "Do You Realize." Many of their pieces were from the new album. "My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion," "Vein of Stars" and the "Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" were some of those played.
The only sore point of the show didn't have to do with the Flaming Lips at all, but rather with their fans and their penchant for crowd surfing. A foot in the back of the head always detracts from a great live show.
If by some horrible twist of fate you missed the show, I have good news for you. Before the last song (and the two encores) Wayne Coyne joyfully stated that they hadn't known what to expect from Charlottesville. They were pleasantly surprised and would love to come back. Until that day arrives, try to console yourself with the sounds and mysticism of The Flaming Lips.
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