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The Flaming Lips ... 3 Questions

Posted at 8:40 AM on March 22, 2007 by Jacquie Fuller (5 Comments)

Wayne Coyne is going to be on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno this evening, which sort of reawakened our collective (and not really dormant anyway) love of the F'lips around here, sending Jill Riley in search of a copy of The Fearless Freaks, and leading me to realize that it's been way too long (five years? six?) since my last Zaireeka listening party. Which then leads me to ask Question #1: Am I the only dork that actually did this? Four boom boxes and a whole lot of Chex Mix?

What I love about these guys is the way they play with technology. Zaireeka, then the synchronized cassette tape gig in Austin in the 90s (wasn't there for that one), then the headphone tour (was there for that ... twice in two weeks ... awesome), where we all got a pair of headphones and a portable radio, and tuned into a frequency where we were able to hear the live show in the fifth dimension. The furry animal costumes are fun, but I want to see/hear what the next big sound experiment is for these guys. Then again, I missed them at the State Fair, 'cause I was broke, which leads me to Question #2: Other than the downpour, what did I miss? In other words, what are these guys up to now at their live shows?

Oh, there were the puppets, too--we can't forget the puppets. The last time I saw them live in Austin, my friend brought an alien hand puppet. We were close to the stage, and she reached her puppeted arm up towards Wayne. I don't rememeber if he had a nun puppet, or a shark, or what, but he leaned into the crowd and his puppet lips sought out the lips of my pal's alien puppet and they tenderly, gently engaged in some of the sweetest puppet necking I've ever seen. I swear a little tear rolled out of my eye. So, Question #3: What's your best Flaming Lips live show memory?

One day, I'm gonna be in my rocking chair, with the grandkids gathered 'round at my feet, and I'm gonna tell 'em this one: Austin, SXSW 1998 or 99 (alzheimers kicks in early) ... no badge, no wristband, nada ... hopelessly standing in a line of hundreds trying to get in to see the Flaming Lips ... fire marshall says no one else gets in ... start telling this random guy how we drove 70 miles from San Antonio, and saw them just the week before in Dallas, and we're huge fans ... turns out the guy is Scott Booker, the band's manager. I guess he was touched by our rabid fandom, 'cause he walked us to the front of the line, lifted the tent flap, and pushed us in, shouting, "Run! Forrest! Run!"

Sniff ... Fwoop (tissues being pulled from box.)

Was good times. (But I was kind of peeved when Wayne threw confetti in my beer.) Okay ... Your turn. Flaming Lips fans, this one is all you.

Go!

Comments (5)

#1: You're not the only one. I cherish my copy of Zaireeka. I also have the fan-created Dolby 5.1 mix DVD which is decent enough when you don't have 3 friends that want to come over with their stereos at the spur of the moment.


#2: A whole bunch of links to photos and videos from the Flaming Lips at the State Fair. They have an enormous "UFO" that is at some of their latest shows but I haven't personally seen it.


#3: Can't decide between the 2001 New Year's show at the Metro in Chicago, September 7, 2001's Chicago Ribfest and July 10, 2002: London, England. The Flaming Lips have a real knack at getting the entire crowd to be so full of energy, love and excitement and those three shows stick in my mind as some of the highest points I've seen.


I was obsessed to the point where I followed them around England twice.

Posted by Aaron Landry | March 22, 2007 11:03 AM

Let's try this again ... Go!

Posted by Jacquie Fuller | March 22, 2007 11:57 AM

man, it is such a blur now but i think my first Flips show woulda been at SXSW '94 or '95.

there was a late late show with the Grifters and The Lips at Stubbs. the place was jam packed. i was sitting on the stage next to Ivins bass amp. the Lips came out at about 2:30am and pulverised the crowd. i think i am still getting my hearing back from that one.

around '96 i met the band at a party i was DJing at the Polish National Alliance Hall in Nordeast, Minneapolis that was being put on by Noiseland the night before their show at First Ave when they did the "boombox experiment". these were shows and a small tour that would later inspire "Zaireeka".

i have a bootleg of it somewhere. i got to "perform" with them at both events in the boombox "orchestra" on stage. there must of been 40 boomboxes with all different pre-recorded sounds that the band had put together.

i was boombox #23 and remember sitting right next to Kelley Deal. needless to say that was all very out of hand and one of the coolest experiences i had ever been a part of!

Posted by Danny Sigelman | March 22, 2007 2:06 PM

here's Wayne on the "boombox experiment":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKTtTYefnRc

Posted by Danny Sigelman | March 22, 2007 2:11 PM

Wow, Danny. That's a great Flips story! I bet, that by the year, oh, 2010, everyone will have their own special Flips story. It'll be what bonds our generation.

Posted by Jacquie Fuller | March 22, 2007 2:25 PM

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