September 22, 2011 at 12:34pm
GOING BIG >>
It's not unusual, of course, for an artist to try to make the audience feel special. And I'm sure some in the half-filled Puyallup Fair Grandstand thought it was a little presumptuous of The Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne to declare his show to be the greatest Puyallup Fair concert of all time. Far greater, he remarked, than anything Kenny Chesney has ever accomplished at the Fair. But, that's how 50-something Coyne approaches his shows. He and his crew - musicians, prop people, 25 young Dorothy Gales cheerleaders dressed in modern-day lederhosen - go big, real big, spaceball crowd-surfing big.
The Oklahoma art rockers went REAL BIG last night at the Fair. And, for the most part, the Puyallup Fair staff let them. The fans crowded the stage before the show - a big no, no during Fair concerts. After Coyne pleaded with head of security Tony, the Fair staff agreed to let the crowd flood the aisles for the first three songs. By the fifth song, the aisles were cleared.
Entering the stage from an LED vagina on an arched HD screen backdrop, The Flaming Lips delivered nearly two hours of trippy, ambitious, marvelous music with stunning visuals, giant balloons bursting with confetti, ginormous fake mitts and lasers. Every party store in the state must be out of stock now.
"Tonight feels like the perfect night," claimed Coyne. I agreed.
The band opened with a wild version of Black Sabbath's "Sweet Leaf," which also permeated the air. As the night progressed, and the Grandstand filled with giant toys and confetti, The Flaming Lips treated the crowd to "Pompeii Am Gotterdamming," "The Yeah Yeah Song," "She Don't Use Jelly," "Is David Bowie Dying" (off the new EP Flaming Lips 2011: The Flaming Lips with Neon Indian), "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robot, Part 1," "See The leaves" and "What Is The Light?" and a few instrumentals.
A camera mounted on Coyne's microphone caught close-up angles of both he and drummer Kliph Scurlock (wearing a Red Fang T-shirt), while Coyne strapped on giant mitts for "Laser Hands."
The crowd roared when the band launched into Pink Floyd's "Brain Damage," complete with air raid sirens and cannon sticks shooting confetti into the crowd.
The night ended with "Do You Realize??" in a Technicolor explosion with all the toys, confetti and props unleashed. In the end, The Lips thanks the crowd and head of security Tony for being so cool.
It was a special night.
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Comments for "Concert Review: The Flaming Lips at the Puyallup Fair" (6)
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Alex said on Sep. 22, 2011 at 12:58pm
I expected a Big Show, and was surprsised by how Big it turned out to be. Phenomenal.
Angie said on Sep. 22, 2011 at 2:46pm
We will never be the same afte being in the 6th row center for this show. Still feeling the love :)
Rev. Adam McKinney said on Sep. 22, 2011 at 3:30pm
Wish I could have been on the floor with all those crazy revelers, but the bleachers weren't bad. In any case, I was totally blown away. The Flaming Lips were the first band that I really felt like I discovered on my own, and I was thrilled to finally see them live.
--Rev.
Derrick said on Sep. 22, 2011 at 8:14pm
I was one of those people holding up the space bubble! Absolutely amazing show. I was definitely leery going in simply because it was the fair, but I was comforted once Coyne started remarking on how weird the whole fair thing was. Funny guy.
But I don't think he suggested it was the best show ever, but rather the best audience. Citing the whole arrangement with Tony as evidence.
fibbersfan said on Sep. 27, 2011 at 1:53pm
I've been a lips fan for awhile...saw them for the first time in 1988. I was a bit leary of the show being at the fairgrounds. Worried there might be limitations put on the band(the vagina entry for example)...but it was your usual....amazing....mindblowing....over the top spectacle of lights, music and friendly mayhem! They are still the one band that I will never miss when they come to town....and now my 13 year old also proclames that she will never miss them.
low bar said on Sep. 27, 2011 at 8:45pm
Amazing band. Should play these parts more often to let hicks know there's more on the radio then country:)
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